How to Pick Fabric for Upholstering Traditional Chairs

Define the person who is likely to spend most of the time in your chair. Traditional furniture has a reputation for comfort. Its clean design lines and generous proportions make a traditional chair a logical choice as a "papa" chair or your favorite place for handwork or reading. Take into consideration the taste of the chair's main user. Not all men's chairs need to be striped like a necktie, but the beautiful hydrangea-covered print you love may make better throw-pillows than upholstery fabric.

Use your photographs to learn more about where your chair will be located in your decor. A high traffic area, like a den, suggests that one of the new easy-care microfibers, tightly woven fabric, a stain-hiding pattern and/or stain-repellent treatment should be among your considerations when choosing fabric. Save looser weaves and more fragile fabrics for chairs that get less use, like a guest room armchair or a part of formal living room furniture. Factor in sunlight; upholstered furniture fabrics exposed to lots of light need to be fade-resistant.

Choose the features that distinguish your chair from other traditional furniture. These can be tangible features like a wing chair's handsome scrolled wooden legs. A smooth satiny fabric with a tone-on-tone scroll-like motif makes a strong and coherent visual statement. Alternatively, a plain matte-finish wool or velvet subtly highlights the ornate legs by contrast. Intangibles can include the feeling of comfort you get by sitting in the chair. Scratchy-looking fabrics or those with angular geometric designs may lessen the visual appeal of comfort you want guests to experience. Combine comfort with formality in a satin stripe or toile print.

Bring home fabric samples to answer the question of how your chair fits into your existing decor. There is no substitute for seeing your fabric choice on site, in both daylight and artificial lighting. This will help you decide whether that edgy blue-green has enough blue or enough green. Pattern size can make your chair fade into the background or demand too much attention. A texture that looked intriguing in the store may look fussy in your room. Even small swatches of fabrics will help you make a big decision with confidence.