Inspired by our latest “8 Furniture Material” article, we would like to dig more about each material. What is furniture textile? Upholstery fabric is fabric or textiles used for furniture. What is upholstery? Upholstery is the physical act of stuffing seats and furniture with webbing, padding, springs, foam, or cushions to furniture and covering it with upholstery fabric. There are many kinds of upholstered furniture and these are single sofas, double seater sofas or triple seater sofas, living room chairs, couches, dining room chairs, and much more. Because of the fine finishing the furniture has and also because of the perfect color combination, design, and various patterns offered by this model of furniture, many customers opt for upholstered furniture.
This type of work is very niche and needs to be done by a professional. This is long-lasting and good-quality furniture that requires very low maintenance. This means you can give a nice vacuum cleaning every week or every fifteen days and can ensure the perfect look to your living room or your television room. The problem when it comes to upholstery fabric is what type of fabric is the best for your furniture?
Upholstered Furniture | Source: google.com
The different types of upholstery fabric include cotton, linen, wool, leather, acetate, hemp, silk, polyester, polypropylene, acrylic, rayon, and nylon. Upholstery fabric can be constructed from one type of yarn or a blend of yarns. Choosing the correct upholstery fabric will ensure the longevity of your furniture.
| Upholstery Fiber Types | |
| Natural Fabric | Synthetic Fabric |
| Cotton | Polyester |
| Wool | Rayon |
| Linen | Acrylic |
| Silk | Nylon |
| Leather | Olefin |
UPHOLSTERY FIBER TYPES
NATURAL FABRICS
Natural fabrics are usually favored by someone looking for the softest, less performance-based feel to their furniture. Silk, cotton, wool, leather, and linen are some of the popular natural upholstery fabrics.
Cotton
Cotton is the most widely used natural fiber and is the cheapest. With comfort and stability, cotton is meant to provide a soft feel to your furniture. Cotton is great for durability and resistance to fading but is susceptible to stains. It is not the best choice for everyday use furniture due to the fact it can stain easily and catches dust and dirt. Natural fiber is preferred for its breathability and budget-friendly reputation. Cotton is great for those wanting the soft feel but is susceptible to fading and stains easily.
Wool
Wool is very durable and sturdy when put to the test. It is very resistant to pilling and staining making it a great choice for high traffic areas. The downside of wool is when it gets wet, it can have an odor to it that’s hard to get rid of. But has a great texture and feel, this natural fiber is great for keeping its shape on furniture. It is less resistant to stains, so the majority of the time is treated with a stain treatment.
Kaliuda Gallery as a supplier furniture from Bali
Linen
Linen is best for adult-only rooms due to the fact it can wrinkle and stain easily. It’s great because most print fabric is on linen, making intricate designs more affordable. Linen can shrink when washed. It needs to be professionally cleaned to avoid damaging or changing the fabric size. Just like the other natural fibers, it is less resistant to stain. It is a great choice for printing designs on and heirloom pieces.
Silk
Very high end and costly, silk is strong, soft to the touch but should not be upholstered on everyday use pieces. Silk is probably one of the more expensive options for upholstery fabric. It should only be used in a formal living room one without heavy use. Silk needs to be professionally cleaned if something is spilled or soils the furniture.
Leather
Probably the most durable fabric for upholstery is leather. Leather is a great option for high-traffic areas while looking comfy. Leather is also recommended for those who have animals or pets. It is very easy to vacuum hair out of and lasts for a long time.
SYNTHETIC FABRICS
These were made for superior durability and cleanability with cheaper manufacturing costs than natural fabrics. Synthetic fabrics are made by synthesizing chemicals and/or natural products to create synthetic fibers. These Synthetic fibers are then woven into fabrics we use in our everyday lives. Some you may have heard of are polyester, olefin, nylon, acrylic, or rayon.
Polyester
Synthetic fiber is known for being a little easier to clean than natural fibers. Polyesters were some of the first synthetics used for jacquard fabric type weaving. Often used with other fibers, Polyester is a great blending fiber with cotton to add wrinkle protection to the fabric. Polyester retains dyes and was an early choice for outdoor upholstery yarn.
Rayon
Rayon was first developed to imitate silk, cotton, and linen. It can be strong and durable, but it is susceptible to wrinkling. Added softness when added to other natural and synthetic fibers but is not very durable in the long run.
Acrylic
Synthesized as imitation wool, acrylic was the original go-to fiber for outdoor upholstery fabrics. Acrylic is good for fade resistance, soiling, and wrinkling, but can pill if low-quality acrylic is used in the fiber. A synthetic fiber that is very durable with colorfast and lightfastness ratings higher than natural fibers and can be cleaned. Great for heavy use and was first used for outdoor upholstery fabric.
Nylon
Nylon is another fiber that is rarely used alone. Combined with other synthetic or natural fibers, Nylon is great for eliminating napping and crushing in velvet or chenille fabrics. Nylon is susceptible to pills and can fade in high sunlight or UV situations. Synthetic fiber is known for higher abrasion resistance. Can be used on everyday use upholstery.
Olefin
Extremely durable, synthetic fiber, colorfast, used in heavy use everyday upholstery. Olefin is my fiber of choice because it doesn’t have to be treated to be stain-resistant. Olefin, chemically, contains no dye sites for stains to set in or take. Revolution is made of olefin and is our preferred fiber for upholstery fabric. Olefin was also the first marine carpet and upholstery fiber. It resists fading and is a great choice for outdoor furniture fabric.
Upholstery Fabric Type | Source:google.com
If you have regular visitors to your office or home where your furniture will be used on a regular basis, we would like to suggest that you can go for long-lasting furniture. This may be either in a steel frame or a wooden frame. Similarly, for choosing your fabric, you can choose cotton, wool, polyester, or nylon that suits your interiors. But it is always suggested that for high traffic maintenance, the stain-resistant fabric is much recommended and for the family room, leather and light cotton fabric is suggested as it is long-lasting and quite comfortable. Your investment has to be made wisely that brings you not only good comfort but also adds much interior to your home or office.
SF 20-55 Sofa by Kaliuda Gallery | Source: kaliudagallery.com
In Kaliuda Gallery Bali, you can always customize your furniture, by choosing your own color and fabric type that suits your personal taste. Don’t worry, you can also shop our upholstered furniture. Shop now, the best custom furniture store in Bali at Kaliuda Gallery Bali.