The Best Fabrics for Upholstery

Upholstery Velvet

• Upholstery velvet is a woven fabric. The fabric is woven with a loop face. The tops of the loops are cut off, thus leaving the soft texture of velvet. Upholstery velvet is at the top of the list of preferred fabrics. Whereas, the synthetic garment weight velvets will bruise when exposed to stress or heat, cotton upholstery velvet simply bounces back with a good brushing. The factor that deters many clients from buying cotton velvet for upholstery is not the maintenance. It is the cost of the upholstery labor. This fabric must be handled only by an upholstery expert. It is not an upholstery fabric for the layperson.

Upholstery Silk

• One of the reasons that the best museums in the world acquire and exhibit those ancient French and Italian sofas is because of the beauty of the fabric on the sofa. And that fabric is usually silk. After Europe began trading with the Orient, silk became the fabric of choice for the upholstery of palatial furniture. One reason is that silk was the strongest fiber in use at that time. No fabric looks more beautiful as it ages than silk. Cotton is a distant second. Expect to pay a high premium for upholstery silk.

Upholstery Jacquard

• Jacquard is a woven patterned fabric. The fact that the pattern is woven puts jacquard at the top of the list of upholstery fabrics. The patterns tend to be traditional or contemporary interpretations of traditional patterns. This is due to the very age of jacquard as a fabric. The exclusive design houses may carry contemporary patterns, but the cost is sometimes astronomical when compared to other upholstery fabrics and to other jacquards with patterns that have stood the test of time.

Upholstery Brocade

• Upholstery brocade is an embroidered work of art. And when brocade is the appropriate choice, any piece of furniture dressed in this fabric is also a work of art. The fine embroidery and the composition of the patterns make anything from an accent pillow to a Recamier the visual envy of the rest of the space. There is no such thing as cheap brocade. Like all excellent upholstery fabrics, the upholstery brocade has a starting price range of no less than $75 per yard as of 2010. Expect to pay much more if any of the fiber content is natural, whether it is the fabric face or the embroidery.