What Should You Know Before Buying Sofa Upholstery?

Buying upholstery fabric for a new sofa is a huge investment. No one wants to second guess it after a few months. If you end up choosing the wrong material you will find yourself always cleaning the stains. You may make a mistake in selecting the wrong color and the whole room will suffer. So before you select a new upholstery fabric for your new sofa, keep on reading to find out what you should know before buying sofa upholstery.

7 Things To Know Before Buying Sofa Upholstery

Set A Budget

The best place to start the sofa upholstery hunt is to set a budget. Make a budget that you would like to spend on your sofa. Make a plan on how to spend your budget to achieve aesthetics, convenience and functionality.

There are a lot of attractive and inexpensive sofas that you can get in lush fabrics like velvet. But keep in mind that buying a cheaper sofa may limit your color choice. You can select from various fabrics and color pallets if you have a bigger budget. You can also request for swatches to purchase the right fabric.

Durability

Durability is an important factor to check before buying sofa upholstery. The degree of furniture use may vary in different situations. Sofas in the living room receive more wear than the ones in the living room. 

If you are buying a family room sofa, it should be covered with tightly woven fabrics as it will protect against any harm.Cotton is the most common choice in upholstery, but you should just use it for cushions and pillows. You can also combine polyester, cotton, and rayon fabric for the family sofas.

You should go with microfiber fabric, viscose, or  leather, if you have kids or pets at home. Prints and patches of the sofa wear out by sitting on it regularly. You can pick fabrics with woven patterns as their designs last longer. You should avoid fabrics like linen or cotton, if you are going to place your sofa in direct sunlight. If maintained properly, the fine quality fabrics can last for a long time.

Pick The Right Color

It is crucial to decide the color of upholstery fabric for your furniture. The overall look of your furniture depends on the color you choose. It gives a good impression on the people and sets the mood. You can select neutral colors if you want to be safe because they can work in any color scheme. But its downside is that dirt marks and spills can easily be seen on light shade colors. You should decide what look you are going for before choosing the color of the fabric.

Style of the Sofa

You can strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality by choosing the right style of sofa. If your home has a traditional look, it is best to opt for that sofa style. Similarly, a modern house will require contemporary designs. You can consider these basic sofa styles:

  • Mid-Century Modern: This is a typical 1960s design. It features a rectangular shape, a tufted back, thick lean lines, and bare tapered legs.
  • Lawson: These sofas have plump cushions and clean lines. They are comfortable with rolled or square arms.
  • Camelback: It has a curved back similar to a camel’s hump’ slope. It commonly has rolled arms, no cushions, and bare legs.
  • Chesterfield: The distinctive feature of this sofa are the rolled arms with  tufted accents. They are usually made of leather with nailhead detailing.

Check The Cushions

The material inside the sofa is as important as on the outside. When you are selecting the sofa seat and back, you should also pay attention to the cushions. Foam or fiber filling cushions may flatten out or lose their shape over time while feather-filler cushions are high on comfort if you plump them daily.

Match Upholstery Fabric With The Interior Design

The upholstery fabric that you choose should not only match with the character and style of the furniture it is covering but also the decor, flooring, and wallpaper. Some fabrics are best for casual looking rooms while some are for a more formal setup. You should carefully pick one that matches with the overall vibe of your space where the sofa is to be placed.

Another necessary step to take into account would be the scale of the pattern. The pattern you select should match with the furniture’s size and the expanse of the room. Muted tones are better choices for smaller areas while the bolder patterns look good in larger areas.

Consider Extra Features

Nowadays, when you are buying a sofa upholstery fabric with functional features, you do  not have to compromise on the style. There are a lot of sofas that come with different functionalities. You need to consider its adaptability too. The modular sofas are adaptable to your needs. You can easily break up the modular sofa if you have guests, and place a coffee table in between to make the space more useful for socializing. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, you need to think carefully before buying sofa upholstery. You need to set your budget as a first step. You should also look for sofa upholstery’s durability, color, styles. Pick out the cushions that match with your living space. You can also look out for sofas that have several functional features.