When you want to buy a sofa, faced with sofas of various styles and fabrics, will you have difficulty choosing? Which sofa is best for you and how to choose the best sofa for you? The most important thing is the fabric. If you know some basic information about textiles and their advantages and disadvantages, you will be able to make better decisions.
In the following, we will learn about different sofa fabric type and will also learn how to choose the best fabric for your sofa.
Different types of sofa fabric:
A well-decorated sofa is a great investment as any upholstered piece has a longer life than other furniture. Although professionals recommend choosing a versatile fabric that can combine with any change in the decoration of the home, there are different options when choosing types of fabric for your sofa.
There are several different types of sofa fabric available in the market, you can carefully study their characteristics to help you find the most suitable sofa fabric. Discover them!
Sofa made of natural fibers
The most common natural fibers include vegetable cotton and linen, as well as silk and wool.
Plant cotton
Cotton is one of the oldest types of sofa fabric. It is durable and can be dyed in any color. You will probably find a greater number of designs and color options for cotton than for any other fabric. Although it resists fading, cotton is prone to wrinkles and can also get dirty easily. It is highly absorbent, so you must be careful not to spill hard-to-remove liquids on the sofa.
Advantages:
– Breathable material
– Easy to wash
– Pests, mildews, and abrasion-resistant
– Soft texture
Disadvantages:
– It gets wrinkles easily
– Easily absorb stains
Linen
Linen fabric is ideal for adults only because it can stain and wrinkle easily. However, it is the best fabric as most of the print fabrics are on linen. It can shrink after washing and so it needs professionally clean to avoid changing or damaging its fabric size. Some linens incorporate anti-wrinkle treatment.
Advantages:
– Sustainable fabric
– Easy to clean
– Easy to maintain
– Quite affordable
Disadvantages:
– It gets wrinkles easily
– It is not very durable
Silk
Probably, silk sofa can be a bit expensive if we compared to other fabric but enhance the look of your interior. However, when we talk about the cleaning of such a sofa, you will need the help of professionals.
Advantages:
– Robust natural fabric – It doesn’t stretch over time
– Wide range of selections to choose from – It doesn’t tear easily
Disadvantages: – It is quite expensive – It wears quickly
Wool
Woof fabric is very sturdy and durable. Also, it is pretty resistant to staining and pilling crafting it an incredible choice. The only disadvantages of such a wool sofa are when it gets wet, that odors so bad and it is quite tough to get rid of.
Advantages:
– Hardwearing, comfy, and durable
– It doesn’t stain easily
– Quite sustainable
– Mould and allergen resistant?
Disadvantages:
– Quite expensive
– It only needs dry cleaned
Sofa made of synthetic fiber
The most common synthetic sofa fabrics are polyester, nylon, acrylic, and olefin
Polyester
Polyester is another type of fabric for your sofa, it is very resistant and durable. It shares many of the properties of nylon and is also fade resistant. It does not wrinkle and, like nylon, repels mold and insects. However, it can be damaged by oil and grease stains.
Advantages:
– Durable fabric
– Easy to clean
– It doesn’t absorb the smell
– Easy to wash
Disadvantages:
– It can be flammable
– It is not eco-friendly
Nylon
Nylon is a popular fabric for sofas. It is not very expensive, but it is very durable and can last for a long time with proper care. It is highly resistant to abrasion and can withstand high degrees of wear. However, it is prone to falling apart with continuous exposure to sunlight. A nylon sofa is a good option for a family with small children and pets.
Advantages:
– Exceptionally strong fabric
– It doesn’t shrink and stretch
– Wrinkle resistant
– It remains fresh and crisp all time
Disadvantages:
– It is not breathable
– It tears easily
Acrylic
Acrylic is an artificial fiber that provides the look and feel of wool, it is widely used for sofas due to its affordability and high durability. Unlike natural wool, acrylic is highly resistant to fading. It is also less prone to wrinkles and blemishes.
Advantages:
– Fading and wrinkle resist
– Soft material
– Comes in several patterns and colors
– Sun-safe and so will not fade
Disadvantages:
– It pills easily
Olefin
An olefin is undoubtedly a great option for sofa fabric. It is easily cleanable and durable and you do not require using any type of stain treatments. This is the 2nd most created plastic and the best part is that it can easily recyclable fabric.
Advantages:
– Doesn’t stain easily
– Water-resistant
– Easy to wash
– Easy to clean and maintain
Disadvantages: – It is vulnerable – Lack of colors and varieties
Sofa made of leather
Leather is processed from animal skins, and will also be processed into sofa fabrics. Leather is divided into real leather and artificial leather. Real leather is the top leather. Sofas made of real leather are relatively expensive. It is the choice for families with very luxurious decoration, but the quality of artificial leather will vary, and the price will be relatively cheaper.
Advantages:
– It doesn’t absorb liquid
– Durable and easy to maintain
– Simply polish to restore the shine
– Doesn’t stain easily
Disadvantages:
– Hard material
– Quite expensive
What is the best fabric for a sofa？
Sofa is an indispensable home in home decoration, and it is an item that will enhance the sense of happiness. When you are buying a new sofa, in addition to factors such as the style design and price of the sofa, you also need to consider the daily maintenance of the sofa. Let us find out what is the best fabric for a sofa? The following are some key issues that need to be reflected:
A large or small room?
Depending on the size of your room, light or dark color will be more recommended. Thus, if the room is large, you should select the fabric for the sofa in a dark tone so that it will gain prominence. It is also the perfect alternative if you have children or pets at home: dark fabrics better withstand the hustle and bustle of day-to-day scratches and small stains.
On the contrary, if your living room is not very spacious, the best choice for your sofa is a light fabric. You will see the space expanded and it will reflect light, both natural and artificial. Remember that, in addition, if a lot of light enters your living room, light fabrics will help you not to discolor prematurely. And in decorative terms, you will see that white is a timeless color and that it combines with multiple styles.
If you want to give life to your living room, you can always opt for other more vivid colors, such as apple green, red, purple, or even mustard. You will get a very original and electric living room and your sofa will undoubtedly become the center of all eyes.
What use will you give?
If you want the upholstery of your sofa to stay like the first day or almost for a long time, you should ask yourself a few questions before selecting the fabric. Do you have children at home? And pets? How many people are you going to use it? Is that use going to be daily? When selecting the fabric that your sofa will wear, you should take into account the “Martindale” cycles, which measure the resistance of the fabric. From the 30,000 Martindale cycles, it can be said that it is a sufficiently resistant fabric, although you can find them even with more than 100,000 Martindale cycles.
Plain or patterned fabrics? Colors?
When choosing different types of sofa fabric, once you have chosen the type of fabric, you have to think about the colors and whether the fabric will be patterned or smooth. The ideal thing for a sofa is that it adapts to the predominant decorative style in the living room.
Neutral colors fit in with any style and stand the test of time well. Most interior designers recommend that you choose a smooth and neutral fabric, which you will not get tired of over the years, and animes with cushions varied in color and pattern.
This is not to say that you cannot choose a colored fabric for the sofa. Of course! You just need to be more daring but the result is attractive and original. An upholstered sofa in a striking color personalizes. In that case, you will have to reduce the intensity and prominence in the rest of the room.
Dark colors are reserved for larger and brighter rooms. For a small room, a discreet color (earth and grays) is better. Dusty tones are an option if you do not want to give up a sofa with color but do not want it to be intense.
And as for the patterned fabrics for the sofa, it is preferable to use maxi prints on large sofas to show the motif. The mini prints, better in sofas of smaller dimensions. Stripes are more discreet than flowers and, above all, to be successful and not saturate the living room, the sofa should have the same upholstery in all its parts (structure, arms, seat, and sofas).
Do you want to mix? Then choose a sofa fabric type that is coordinated in color, one plain and one patterned or several smooth in all different that coordinate or that look for the contrast.
Quality:
For the fabric specialists – cotton, linen, or Jacquard, for example, are great for upholstery, since they are thick and, in addition to resistance, they offer a very wide aesthetic variety. There are other fabrics such as velvet, which are also interesting.
Experts suggest that?“there is a multitude of fabrics that we can select to upholster our sofa, one of the fabrics that are most in vogue at the moment is velvet, it is resistant, elegant and very comfortable. On the other hand, fabrics with tweed or cheviot type texture are also very good, which adapt to the furniture perfectly”.
Texture:
Nobody likes a rough sofa. This factor is very important for a sofa where you will likely spend time sitting and/or lying down. In addition to these aspects, if you want to know if you have an optimal fabric to upholster or not, you must see that when tightening it does not deform and there are no openings in the weft of the thread.
Cleaning:
It is important to consider how resistant to stains a fabric is. The one you are going to choose to upholster the sofa must be easy to clean, although it will also be more or less essential depending on the use of the sofa and if there are children or pets in the house. It is best if the fabric is easily cleaned.
It can incorporate an anti-stain system but you should know that fabrics with an anti-stain treatment usually have a lot of polyesters. Keep this in mind because the ideal is to use natural fibers or fabrics that give a pleasant sensation to the touch, such as linens and cotton.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Question):
Check out following some of the FAQs which will clear your doubts about different types of sofa fabric.
Q. Do the foams on the sofas give up?
A.All the foams used, whether for the seat, backrest, arm, or others, will not have a final sitting until approximately three or four months have elapsed. This period is the time necessary for the pore of the same to finish opening with normal use.
It is for this reason that the initial setting of the foams will be a little harder than after a while. Therefore, it does not imply a defect in the foams that in the very short term they are a little softer than originally.
Q. How to take care of sofa fabric?
A.To prevent discoloration of the upholstery, do not directly expose the sofa to sunlight. Depending on the type of textile, the sofa will be more or less sensitive to heat. Find a location away from radiators and heaters.
You must use the sofa with care, avoiding jumping or sitting down abruptly so as not to damage the structure, not deform the cushions, or damage the sliding mechanisms.
You should avoid sitting on your arms, as they may not be designed to support heavyweights. From time to time, it is advisable to alternate the position of the cushions or backrests (if possible), to prevent possible wear or deformation from occurring in all of them in the same way.
Q. How to wash the fabric of the sofa?
A.If the sofa is removable and the fabric can be machine washed: It is advisable to do a wash test with one of the covers before washing them all. Always turn the covers upside down, thus avoiding that hard elements such as zippers or velcro on the closures can damage the visible part of the upholstery.
For microfibers, the most common fabrics today in the choice of our customers for their sofas, ironing is not necessary. The sofas upholstered in cotton, linen, and wool are natural fibers, light and resistant at the same time, although they also absorb very quickly any liquid that spills on them.
However, before washing the upholstery always consult a professional, or if you apply a cleaning product do a small test on a non-visible part of the upholstery.
Q. How to take care of leather sofa fabric?
A.Keep the sofa away from heaters, sun exposure, and other sources of heat. At least 60 cm. This will prevent the skin from ending up modifying its natural color.
For the general maintenance of your leather sofa, simply wipe with a dry cloth. In this way, we will easily remove the dust. Approximately every 15 days it is advisable to remove the dust between cushions with a vacuum cleaner, using any nozzle or vacuum brush very gently to avoid scratching or damaging the skin.
We can also treat the skin by passing, without rubbing, a damp cloth with non-calcareous water or cotton cloth moistened with water and neutral soap, well wrung out. It is recommended to do deep maintenance of the skin 2 times a year, first using a specific product for cleaning and/or maintenance of the skin which we can find in any supermarket or drugstore.
Summary:
The choice of the sofa is the most important decision when furnishing the living room and, surely, the one that will determine the rest of the decoration of the room.
As we have already told you in our blog, there are several points to take into account when choosing the best type of fabric for sofa which is one of the most important. And you not only have to take into account the type of fabric you choose, but also the color. We hope this guide will be helpful to choose the best sofa fabric according to your needs and budget!