What Is Upholstery Fabric And What Are Its Types?
Why upholstery fabric becoming the best choice these days and which type of fabric you should choose, is briefly explained in this article.
Before discussing the types of upholstery fabric, you need to have a clear-cut understanding of what is upholstery and what are some of the major aspects associated with it. Therefore, to provide you with complete information on this topic, ahead is our effort into summarizing everything that you need to know
What Is Meant By Upholstery?
Basically, Upholstery Dubai is the work of providing furniture seats with padding, webbing, and fabrications. You can also name it “furniture coverings” to simply describe it.
Upholstery Fabric & Its Types
To upholster furniture items, every company uses some sort of fabric or textile called upholstery fabric that is available in a vast variety and each version of fabric has its own merits and demerits. The types of upholstery fabric can be constructed from one type of yarn or a blend of yarn to create diverse patterns.
The different types of fabric used for upholstery include cotton, linen, wool, leather, acetate, hemp, silk, polyester, polypropylene, acrylic, rayon, and nylon. All this information is necessary as choosing the right upholstery fabric will not only add to the beauty of your furniture but will also ensure its longevity and comfort. We’ve described below some of the pros and cons of different types of upholstery fabric to help you choose the best for your furniture.
Natural Fabrics
Natural upholstery fabrics are usually selected by people looking for the softest and less performance-based feel to their furniture. At present, popular natural fabrics include cotton, silk, wool, leather, and linen, and we’ve briefly described them below.
1. Cotton
Cotton is the most widely used and cheapest natural fiber. With comfort and stability, cotton is meant to provide a soft and relaxing feel to your furniture. It is a great choice for durability and offers resistance to fading but is susceptible to stains. However, it may not be the best choice for furniture meant for everyday usage, due to the fact it can stain easily and can catch dust and dirt, too.
2. Silk
Silk is a more expensive option for upholstery fabric and is mostly used in formal living rooms. Because it needs to be professionally cleaned if something gets spilled/dropped on or soils the furniture. With delicacy and luxury, it can make the most of your furniture appearance and can be your absolute fabulous choice for furniture upholstery.
3. Wool
Wool is very durable and sturdy when put to the test of time and offers resistance to pilling and staining, making it a great choice for high-traffic areas. The downside of wool is that it can develop odor under wet or damp conditions, that's hard to get rid of.
4. Leather
Leather is a great option amongst the most durable fabrics for upholstery and is excellent for areas with massive traffic. Leather upholstery provides extreme comfort and is best for those who have pets because it is very easy to vacuum the hair out of it.
5. Linen
Linen is a type of fabric that can wrinkle and stain easily and is best for adult-only rooms. Mostly, the printed fabric is linen, since it offers a perfect room for making intricate designs. However, it needs to be professionally cleaned for maintenance because self-washing can wrinkle and damage linen fabric.
Synthetic Fabrics
Synthetic fabrics are manufactured in the laboratory by artificially synthesized chemicals. They are made to offer superior durability and can be cleaned affordably in comparison to natural fabrics. Some of the frequently used and famous synthetic fabrics, that you may also have heard of, include polyester, nylon, acrylic, and olefin. All these popular synthetic upholstery fabrics are described below.
1. Polyester
Polyester offers absolute quality and is the most affordable of all synthetic upholstery fabrics. It is mostly used in blending with any other type of fabric like cotton to get additional benefits such as wrinkle protection, stain resistance, etc. Polyester fabric can retain dyes and can be primarily used for outdoor upholstery yarn.
2. Olefin
Olefin or polypropylene is another great option for upholstery fabric as it is durable and can be cleaned without using any specific stain treatment. It is the second most produced synthetic fiber right behind polyester.
3. Nylon
Nylon is another fabric that is used in combination with other synthetic or natural fibers. It can be an ideal option for eliminating crushing and resultant impact damage in velvet or chenille fabrics. However, it is still susceptible to damage and can fade in high sunlight or UV exposure.
4. Acrylic
Acrylic is a widely popular synthetic fiber for its durability and ease of care. Like all other fabrics, it is also resistant to stains and is available in a variety of designs and colors. The major drawback of choosing acrylic as your upholstery fabric is its flammability. Though it takes a while to catch fire, once it ignites, it burns rapidly and therefore is not a preferable choice for many people.
The Endnote!
Now that you’ve got information about all the merits and demerits of natural and synthetic upholstery fibers, you can choose the best for your interior lifestyle considering your aesthetic taste and decor requirements. Your choice of upholstery fabric not only adds beauty to the furniture but also determines the lifespan of your furniture functionality, so you need to be careful and think like an expert for making this decision.