By Forschler's Home Center
Believe it or not, selecting the right fabric that works for your home requires putting your lifestyle and design taste into perspective. In fact, here are some helpful questions you should ask yourself before choosing and upholstery for your furniture:
1) Will it be exposed to sunlight?
2) Can it sustain heavy wear due to children, pets & high traffic?
3) Is it spill & stain proof?
To help you make your decision for the purpose of practicality and durability, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of natural fabrics vs. man-made or engineered fabrics.
Natural Fabrics:
Fabric
|
Pros
|
Cons
|
Cotton
|
Durable & easy to clean
|
Not as resistant to soiling & wrinkling
|
Leather
|
Forgiving & easy to clean
|
Develops more character with age
|
Linen
|
Stays clean & absorbs moisture
|
Does not resist piling & fading
|
Wool
|
Water repellent & durable
|
Blended with a synthetic fiber for cleaning purposes
|
Hemp
|
Durable
|
Wrinkles easily
|
Man-made Fabrics:
Fabric
|
Pros
|
Cons
|
Acrylic
|
Resists wear & lightweight
|
Low-quality will pill in high-wear situations
|
Microfiber
|
Durable & easy to clean
|
Electrostatically charged; can pick up dust & lint
|
Olefin
|
Durable & fashionable
|
Low moisture absorption
|
Rayon
|
Durable
|
Wrinkles easily
|
Vinyl
|
Easy care & less expensive than leather
|
May crack with time
|
Now that you have your upholstery choice down pat, don’t be afraid to opt for a vibrant color. To inspire yourself with the latest color trends, you can refer to Pantone’s color trends of the year. Also, a pattern will add visual interest. Besides adding depth to your space, it just may help camouflage spills and other mishaps that are inevitable. Choosing durable upholstery is applicable for sofas, dining chairs and rugs, especially in high traffic areas. The idea is to achieve bulletproof decorating. That sums up how you can achieve your desired look that meets your needs.
Content provided by: @tailbase