How to Choose The Right Upholstery Fabric For YOU

Decisions, decisions!

 

SO many fabrics, so many options- how to choose? There are 4 basic criteria when selecting the right upholstery fabric for your piece of furniture:

1. Location (This will drive all the other factors- is this in the basement where the kids get rowdy? or the front room where you only occasionally entertain guests?)

2. Durability (Do you have kids, pets and/or a messy husband?)

3. Aesthetic (What do you like? loose weaves, suede-look or perhaps a wrinkly linen?)

4. Hand (How does it feel- do you want it soft or prefer a crisp touch?)

These are the basic questions you ask yourself when selecting fabric. It will help guide you in the right direction of the fabric that will best suit you and your needs. The beauty of fabric is there are SO many options! The 2 categories are Natural (Cotton, Leather) and Synthetic (Polyester, Olefin). However, they are often blended to get the best of both. For instance wool is typically mixed with nylon to add toughness.

Below is a breakdown of different fabric types, typical locations and uses. This is a great guideline for upholstery and how it can best work for you.

Cotton/Cotton Blends: $-$$, durable, easy to clean

This natural fiber provides good resistance to wear, fading and pilling, but is less resistant to soiling and wrinkling. For everyday use, it’s a good idea to apply a stain-resistant finish. Cotton blends are recommended over 100% cotton.


 

 

Leather: $$$$, very forgiving, easy to clean, gets better with age

This tough material can be gently vacuumed, damp-wiped as needed, and cleaned with leather conditioner or saddle soap. It's timeless and just keeps looking better (IF you take care of it!).



Luxurious leather- So many varieties, next post will be all about leather!

Linen: $-$$, stays clean, absorbs moisture, not very durable

Although it may look perfect for your beach house....think again! It is prone to mold and mildew and will not tolerate very high humidity. Because of its high maintenance, it is more often used in drapery and wall coverings instead of upholstery. It's best suited for formal living rooms or adult areas because it soils and wrinkles easily.



Linen: Easy, breezy and beautiful!

Silk: $$$-$$$$, delicate, soft

This fabric is only suitable for formal areas. Must be professionally cleaned if soiled. Skip on upholstery and save it for window treatments, wall covering or pillows!

Don't sit on me! Please just look! love, Silk

Wool: $$-$$$, water repellent, durable, expensive, flame resistant

Wool and wool blends offer good resistance to pilling, fading, wrinkling, and soil. Generally, wool is blended with a synthetic fiber to make it easier to clean. Blends can be spot-cleaned when necessary. Wool is warm in the summer and cool in the winter.



Wool- Always a classic-- watch out for moths!

Acrylic: $$, resists wear, lightweight, good for outdoor use

Developed as imitation wool, acrylic resists wrinkling, soiling and fading. Low-quality acrylic may tend to pill excessively in high-wear situations. Better-quality acrylics are manufactured to resist pilling. (Sunbrella is a good example of acrylic durability.)



Acrylic: Example of Sunbrella fabric- great for outdoors!

Microfiber: $, durable, easy to clean, family-friendly

Microfiber fabric is lightweight, highly absorbent and does not stain or wrinkle easily. It's extremely durable but can have static and make you feel like you "stick" to it.



Microfiber: Most popular fabric for family sofas and sectionals.

Olefin: $$, durable, powerhouse of fabric!

Use olefin if your furniture is likely to receive heavy wear. The fibers have low moisture absorption, but they can wick moisture and dry quickly. Olefin is abrasion, stain, sunlight and chemical resistant.

Patterns, bright colors, all possible with Olefin!

Polyester: $-$$, Very durable, easy to clean

It is strong and durable with good resistance to abrasion. It stands up well to sunlight, mildew and insects. Traditional polyester can be subject to pilling and soil easily. However, microfiber has excellent resistance to soiling and wrinkling. Polyester blends beautifully with other fibers, such as cotton, and can have a silk like appearance. It is also used in outdoor fabrics. Stains can be easily cleaned with solvents or detergents.

Polyester comes disguised in many forms! Wovens, Prints, Tweeds, Microsuedes....

Rayon: $$-$$$, durable, wrinkles easily

Developed as an imitation silk, linen or cotton. Rayon is the oldest manufactured fiber. Rayon is made from wood pulp, which is passed through spinnerettes to form filaments. Recent advances have made high-quality rayon very practical for upholstery.

Rayon? Who ME? I can be anything you want!

Vinyl: $-$$, easy to care for, less expensive than leather

Popular because of its affordability. It CAN imitate leather in look and feel, but is not as durable and never looks real. It's affected by the surrounding temperature and can be uncomfortable in high heat or extreme cold. It tends to show crack and damage over time.



Vinyl: Can be fun and funky...don't imitate leather...never looks real.

 

So many things to think about!! Well let's add a few more....

Cost :

Fabrics are typically graded for cost. On the tag it will say Grade or Group. Every manufacturer is different. For instance, at our store American Leather starts at Grade 8, but Comfort Design starts at Group 100. The lower the number the cheaper the fabric cost, typically each grade bumps up the price anywhere from $30-70. This is important to keep in mind if you have a set budget and the sofa is $2000. If you know you don't want to pay a penny over $2200, don't look at the higher grades! It is very important to remember, the grade does NOT represent the quality or durability of the fabric. It is an indicator on how expensive it was to make the fabric. Some of our least expensive fabrics are the most durable!

See the fabric tag below:



The Cleaning Code is S  and the Fabric Grade is 11.
The blend is polyester and acrylic-- so super durable too!

Cleaning Code:
Also, on the fabric tag is a cleaning code, sometimes spelled out or just called "CC."
The options are:

"W"- Use only water-based cleaning agents or foam. Mix two tablespoons of ammonia or ammoniated detergent to a quart of water. Wipe the stain gently with a cloth dampened with the solution. Continue turning the cloth so you are always using a clean portion.

"S"- Use only mild, pure, water-free dry cleaning solvent. Wet a cloth with the spot cleaner and follow the same procedure as described above.
 
"WS"- Either of the above methods may be used.

"X"- Clean fabric only by vacuuming or light brushing to remove soil. Do not use liquid cleaning agents of any type.


Now you are armed with lots of information on upholstery! You can confidently walk into a store and have an idea of what you want and why you want it. Lucky for you, we have lots of choices here at Creative Classics and all of our pieces have lots of fabrics to select from! We are open 10-6 M-Sat and 12-5 Sun. Come on by!

Happy Fabric Selecting!
-Team CC

Sources:

Onlinefabricstore.net- for pictures of fabrics

http://www.design-char.com/how-choose-right-upholstery-fabric

https://www.homeminders.com/Articles/HomemindersArticle/tabid/77/ArticleId/246/Default.aspx
 

Hey Furniture Shoppers - Don't be so Superficial!!

We all know style is essential when shopping for furniture. Modern, traditional, colorful, neutral- we each have an aesthetic that works for our lifestyle and our living space. But what lies beneath?? Style might be essential in creating a "look", but infallible construction is what makes it last. Quality furniture construction will outlive wear and tear from the children, the holiday parties, and multiple moves. Here at Creative Classics, we think this is something you should consider first, before you contemplate that oh-so-fabulous burnt orange leather or herringbone microfiber. Lucky for you, we have provided a crash-course in furniture construction via a fun factory tour by one of our associates...

Two weeks ago, Kelly, one of our Design Associates had a rare opportunity to visit and tour the factory of one of our upholstery manufacturers: Norwalk Furniture in Norwalk, Ohio. Norwalk is just one of a handful of upholstery manufacturers that we buy from who has mastered the ability to produce a well designed and on-trend product while still focusing, first and foremost, on creating a sound, well  constructed base. If you're curious to see what really separates Creative Classics (and solid, hardwood, made-in-America construction) from the rest, then see for yourself- come take a tour of the Norwalk factory with us...

1. A new sofa is named (the "Lola") and added to the Fall 2013 collection  2. Proving inspiration can strike anywhere: one designers ideas for a new ottoman sketched out on the back of a Continental Airlines cocktail napkin  3. Patterns are cut for new designs and are hung behind a recently built prototype..will it debut this spring?!  4. New designs are covered in muslin and hang out on the floor of the product development department  5. A product developer uses CAD to generate new designs  6. Components of a new chair frame are laid out on screen  7. Hello there "Kate" Ottoman! Covered in muslin and nailheads, Kate is ready for buyers to order in a wide selection of fabrics and leathers to sell on showroom floors across the country!

1. The strongest hardwood ply known to the industry is used to create all furniture frames (hardwood ply is comprised of thin strips of hardwood, like maple, glued together in cross-grained layers to form a thick, stronger sheet of wood- it is considered best to use when engineering frames as opposed to solid wood which would warp and crack during certain processes like steam-bending a curved back) 2. After specs are digitally entered by a factory technician, a machine cuts frame components out of hardwood ply sheets  3. Ottoman base and frames have been properly joined and sanded to perfection by hand and await to be hand stained and sealed  4. The base and frame structure for a Katie ottoman lay on a builders table  5. All solid wood parts like these furniture legs are hand made off- site by local Amish builders and are then hand stained per custom order at the factory  

1. A factory worker inserts polyurethane batting in between metal, cone-shaped wire which creates a strong, resilient suspension  2. Another worker close by uses heavy duty staples to attach fabric over a finished frame  3. Almost completed chair frames await seat cushions  4. Sinuous frames line the back frame of a sofa that awaits a soft cushion of poly and cotton before it's covered in fabric  5. Foam cushions are assembled and are ready to be hand stuffed into fabric casings  6. A cross view of a seat cushion core: a layer of polyurethane wraps around a dense core of foam flanked by a layer of softer foam. Norwalk offers five densities of foam cores from soft to extra firm.

1. Computer generated patterns are printed out and manually corrected before fabric is run through cutting machine  2. Fabric has been cut and labeled by customer lay in bins that line the massive hallways of the factory  3. Each sewer specializes on a single area like arms, backs and even zippers  4. Premium hides come from tanneries all over the world  5. A factory worker traces patterns onto a leather hide and cuts each piece out by hand

1. A factory worker hand tufts and pleats the back of a Chester sofa with precision  2. Repeat patterns, like these fun, funky birds are lined up perfectly seam to seam  3. Decorative pillows are made in every size, shape and color!  4. A special apps worker uses a high pressure gun to set nail heads in place on a sofa  5. Up-close shot of decorative nail heads adorn a chair covered in a funky orange pattern  



 

We hope you enjoyed the tour and learned a little something along the way! If you would like to see some of Norwalk's custom pieces and more quality, made-to-order furniture from our other vendors, come stop by the showroom and our knowledgeable design associates will show you around! In the meantime, take a peek at Norwalk furniture on-line: www.norwalkfurniture.com and of course Creative Classics at: www.creativeclassics.com

 

Team CC :)

The Ottoman: The Little Black Dress of Furniture

"An ottoman or upholstered stool is like the little black dress of furniture. It becomes what you make it. Some furniture is designed to fade into the background, but an ottoman in an interesting fabric or an unexpected color can wake up a room, even a more subdued fabric or silhouette can be personalized with intriguing trim or nail heads.” -Reyna Moore, Norwalk Furniture

You already have a nice couch...there's no room for new end tables and more pillows are out of the question (you have way too many!). Often an overlooked piece of furniture, an ottoman can add interest as well as function to a room.  Because it is typically a smaller piece, it's a safe way of adding a great pop of color or pattern to a room without committing to a large piece of furniture in trendy tomato red or citrus green. And, like the "little black dress," it can be adjusted to fit any occasion. Ottomans can double as seating and storage OR it just becomes a secret weapon when your house is overflowing with guests and the side table turns into a soft seat or even a bed! Ottomans can also be very convenient coffee tables...put your feet up to watch tv or have a nice metal tray to put drinks on (no worries about water rings and coasters!).

Check out some cool rooms using ottomans for storage, seating and fun!

Table OR Seat: Uno Storage Ottoman- Round by American Leather

 

 



A Sculptural Seat: The Maxwell Ottoman by American Leather



 

For clean lines AND storage, try the Linden Storage Ottoman by American Leather
Picture by mixandchic.com



 

A soft, tufted statement...check out the Columbus Ottoman by CR Laine



 



An Elegant Bench, Table and Storage: The Henley Bench Ottoman by Norwalk



 



And here's a few of our staff favs:

Seriously- It's a bed. The Shuffle Ottoman Sleeper by Comfort Design

 



Avery Ottoman by Norwalk

 

Tray Top Ottoman in leather (and 3 sizes!) by Precedent


 

Bench Ottoman by Precedent

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So, when you are looking to add a little something fun to your house, don't overlook the ottoman- it can be anything you want it to be!

-Team CC