The Smith Brothers style #376 sectional The Smith Brothers style #8143 sectional, from the "Build Your Own" 8000 series The Smith Brothers style #324 conversation sofa The Smith Brothers style #388 sofa group Smith Brothers offers more than 900 different fabrics, which sounds exciting at first... but when you start to dig into all those choices, it can start to get pretty overwhelming! While it's great to have options, you may want a little extra help in finding that perfect fabric for your new furniture—especially considering that there's a lot to fabric beyond what color works Here is a brief guide to choosing fabric for your furniture. While this is not an all inclusive list of contents found in upholstery fabrics, these are the basics. Knowing the pros and cons of each will help you select the fabric for you. Natural fibers generally feature flat weaves that are ideal for prints. They are softer, and tailor well for upholstered furniture.
being a natural product they can fade in direct sunlight, and may be susceptible to pilling. Pilling is when a fabric begins to develop little balls of fiber on the surface. is a natural characteristic of many fabrics. Not all fabrics pill, but it is difficult to predict which ones will. Most pilling can actually be shaved off with a fabric shaver.Made from the cotton plant, this is soft, absorbent, and fades easily.Made from the flax plant, linens tend to have a lot of hard plant fibers and For a textural look, designers make yarns with irregularities, producing the characteristic uneven surface of the finished fabric. Sometimes, this creates a regular pattern in the fabric once it is woven together, but it can also be a natural characteristic of the fiber that shows up occasionally in the fabric. Linen, cotton and silk tend to have natural slubs.Made from animal hair, wool is warm, and not often used in upholstery.Made from the cocoons of silk worms, silk has strong fibers and a natural shine, but can be damaged by sunlight.
Also known as viscose, rayon is made from wood pulp and designed to be shiny like silk. Synthetic fibers are made by extruding chemicals into fiber strands. They are more durable and (in general) more resistant to staining and fading than natural fibers. Synthetic fibers are just as likely to be susceptible to pilling, however. There are several different ways to turn yarn into fabric. There are a great many types of patterns in upholstery fabrics, but here are some of the more common terms. Examples from left to right: floral, stripe, chair pattern, and a body cloth If you've bought fabric upholstery before, you know that the fabric is often the first thing to show signs of wear and age. Most likely, the quality and longevity of the fabric is just as important to you as the construction of the furniture itself. Fortunately there are a number of industry standard tests that a furniture manufacturer can use to ensure that the fabrics they put on their furniture will last.
At Smith Brothers, we use each of the following tests before we introduce any new fabric—though we impose much stricter threshholds than most manufacturers would allow when we determine whether a fabric passes these tests.This test rubs either a screen or a piece of cotton against a fabric in a "double rub" motion. rubs the fabric can withstand without yarns breaking, the more durable it is.This test rubs a fabric in a circular motion, mimicking normal wear. We then give it a rating based on the amount of pilling or fuzzing that appears after the test is complete. Dynamic Seam Fatigue Test. This test stresses a seam sewn between two pieces of the same fabric. If the seam fails too quickly, we reinforce the seams on that particular fabric while upholstering. If a fabric satisfactorily passes both the Wyzenbeek and the Pilling tests, we allow it to be used on recliners. Fabrics that do not satisfactorily pass one or both of these tests are restricted to stationary pieces.
This is because recliners create a lot more friction and cause fabrics to wear out more Fabrics that do not pass this rating are not necessarily bad—they just need to be saved for stationary pieces of furniture. An example of the process of coordinating multiple fabrics for a single application: the style #375 sectional While there really are not any set-in-stone rules for mixing fabrics, here are a few guidelines that may help. Once you have selected all your fabrics, decide where they should go. Usually, the body cloth goes on the sofa/sectional. The biggest scale pattern usually goes on a chair and/or pillows. The stripe or smaller scale pattern should go on a second set of pillows, a second chair, or an accent ottoman. Also, decide if you want to contrast the welt on any pieces of furniture or the pillows or select any decorative fringes or cords. In general, you can put any fabric on any of our frames. However, there are some things to keep in mind about how patterns and
With all of that said, of course, rules are meant to be broken. Sometimes deliberately bending or breaking these rules can create a very eclectic design that you will love, and that will look great in your home. The choice is yours!There's a little bit of treasure hunter in each of us. It's the part that can look at a tired old chair, rescued from a tag sale or dusty attic, and see its hidden potential. Though it may look faded, moldy, and out of style, sometimes all that's needed to revitalize a solid, good-quality piece of furniture is simple reupholstering.For any reupholstering project, your most important task will be choosing fabric -- you must determine not only the style of the material, but also how much of it you'll need. Determining fabric amounts is tricky, so it's essential to consult a professional before you make a purchase. But it's nice to be able to make at least a rough estimate, and to understand the factors involved -- the shape of the piece, the pattern of the cloth, any extras such as a skirt or welting -- before diving into a project.
Since upholstery fabrics cost from about $20 to $250 per yard or more, knowing approximately how much you'll need before you make a choice is helpful.Even if you're comfortable with your own estimating ability, it's worth getting a professional opinion: Give your upholsterer a few snapshots of the piece, along with basic measurements. Easier than loading your armchair into the car and driving it to the shop, this will give you peace of mind before investing in fabric.An average club chair, for example, requires about 6 1/2 yards of fabric. Keep in mind, however, that this is a guideline, not a rule. Many factors -- including the fabric's pattern, the upholsterer's work style, and variations in individual pieces of furniture -- can influence the yardage. "I did a club chair recently that took 11 yards, it was so big and bulky," says upholsterer Tony Totillo. Totillo provided the estimates here, based on 54-inch-wide fabric with a short repeat.Totillo also provided estimates for sofas, based on 54-inch-wide fabric and assuming that the sofas are a standard 6-foot length.
Many sofas, especially modern ones, are longer than this standard. Whatever the length, all sofas are some variation on these five classic styles. Specific design details unique to your sofa may influence yardage.Choosing a FabricWhen shopping for fabric, you'll find a tremendous variety of sizes, patterns, and materials -- all factors that will affect how much you need.Fabric WidthThe most common width for upholstery fabric today in the United States is 54 inches; however, 48-inch-wide fabric is found both here and in Great Britain, and 40- and 42-inch widths are standard for many imported fabrics, like Indian silks. Other fabrics, such as garment textiles (less often used in upholstery), may be wider: Oxford cloth and gingham are frequently sold in 60- and 72-inch widths. If you can, choose 54-inch-wide fabric. It produces the least cutting waste, and upholsterers' yardage estimates assume this width.Pattern Solid fabrics are the simplest to work with: Stripes, plaids, and other patterns must be matched at the seams to be consistent.
Though this can be tricky for the upholsterer, a smaller stripe or plaid that is evenly spaced should not cause much cutting waste, so you shouldn't need to allow for extra fabric. If you want welting -- the cord that covers the seams -- from the same fabric, you'll need a lot more. "Welting on a chair with a striped or plaid fabric automatically adds an extra yard and a half," says upholsterer Carl Dellatore, owner of the D&F Workroom in New York City. "Welting is always cut on the bias -- a diagonal -- so it lies smoothly. Often, you can cheat a little and get welting from cutting excess, but a stripe or plaid won't look right unless it is cut on a complete bias." Some people choose a solid fabric for welting that complements their patterned piece. This makes the work simpler and usually saves money, since solids are generally less expensive than patterns.Repeat Some patterns will require extra yardage. "If you have a bouquet pattern with an 18-inch repeat, that means it will be 18 inches before you hit the next, identical bouquet," says Dellatore.
"To center the bouquet on the seat of a chair, on the back, and on the skirt, you'll need to cut away excess fabric and fit the pattern correctly." Some patterns have very small repeats, 3 inches or less; others are as large as 54 inches. "In general, an 18-inch repeat means you'll need about 20 percent more fabric; a 27-inch repeat, 40 percent more," says Dellatore.If You Run Out of Fabric:Never skimp on fabric and assume you will be able to go back to the store and buy more if necessary. This might seem like smart shopping, but it's not: Never expect to get an exact fabric match the second time around. "Dye lots change overnight," warns upholsterer Carl Dellatore. "You might buy an extra yard of fabric that looks the same, but if the dye is slightly different, it won't match the rest of the fabric."If you end up just a bit short of fabric, your upholsterer might be able to make it work by "cheating" a little in hidden places. One method is to use a false platform -- the fabric that covers the seat of the chair beneath the cushion.