I’ve had fabric on my mind recently. I’ve been selecting fabric for window treatments and furniture upholstery. With so many options available, it can be tough to know what fabric is best for which application – how it will wear, how durable it is. Below is my step-by-step guide for choosing the right fabric.
Image: Warwick Fabrics Showroom, Sydney
Intended Use Think about how you will interact with the fabric, and where it will be installed. Is it for a window treatment or a new sofa? If it’s for seating – how often will it be used, is it a decorative chair or does it need to endure the daily onslaught of kids and pets? If it has to be durable then velvet or silk are not good options, they can crush and are likely to require professional cleaning. Perhaps consider leather.
Durability All fabric manufacturers test their products, and one of the tests they must share is a rubs test. This test measures the overall wear and is helpful in understanding the durability of a fabric. The higher the rub count, the more durable the fabric. Upholstery fabric is typically 15,000 rubs or higher. Anything above 25,000 is very durable and usually created for commercial use. You can find this number on the back of a fabric swatch or ask your retailer.
Material The composition of the fabric gives us both practical and aesthetic cues such as durability, cleanability and touch and feel. It’s important to know what look you’re aiming to achieve, for example if you have a coastal, relaxed home then linen is a beautiful drapery material. However, it does naturally crease and wrinkle, so if you can’t live with this look, then an alternative may be a linen-blend or a different material altogether.
These days there are also engineered fabrics that are flame retardant, or stain and fade resistant. They are highly cleanable and durable and have come a long way in recent years. These fabrics are perfect for outdoor use and family-friendly applications such as dining chairs.
Cleaning & Care It’s important to understand how to care for your fabric, and in fact this may influence your fabric choice right from the start. Does the fabric need to be professionally cleaned, or would you prefer to simply toss it in the washing machine? Perhaps you can wipe it clean? A loose slip cover for chairs and sofas is a great option – choose a fabric that is easy to maintain and the added bonus is a relatively quick and economical update when you’re in need of a makeover.
Design Lastly, the fun part. Once you’ve considered all of the above, think about colour, pattern, and texture. Are you going for a bold look, or more relaxed. Always come back to your design focal point – perhaps it’s a bedhead, a painting or even the view. Layering different materials and patterns will give you a more complex look, but this does take some practice and the key is having commonality and some consistency. Importantly, just like paint – take swatches home and check them in the light, against existing pieces of furniture and how they interact in your home.
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