Where to Get Upholstery Material

To the Trade Resources

• Access to high-quality (and usually expensive) decorator fabrics in a regional design and decoration building was at one time only possible if you were an architect or interior designer. No more. Now you can contact regional design centers directly to gain entry. Be prepared to pay an hourly fee to the design center and retail price for fabrics. The advantage to going this route is two-fold; you will be able to obtain swatches from the fabric showrooms to see how they work with your existing decor, and you will be able to work with someone knowledgeable with the fabric resources and who has a gauge on the prices and availability of various materials.

Upholstery and Window Treatment Resources

• In some communities, usually cloistered around antiques centers, you can find a workroom that offers upholstery and window treatment services. Typically these workrooms subscribe to various fabric houses' "books" or compilations of the vendor's seasonal offerings. By going this route, this you might be able to borrow some of the books to view in your home. You may be able to get a break on the fabric pricing if you negotiate with the workroom to do your reupholstery work. Otherwise be prepared for this resource to charge you the "net" (to the trade) price plus a markup percentage.

Websites That Sell Decorative Fabrics

• The most convenient way to shop for fabrics is on the Web. The advantages of this method include shopping at anytime from your home. Plus, the fabrics have deeply discounted prices. Resources such as www.iluvfabrix.com offer a wide array of fabrics which are usually discontinued items or overrun production from some of the better upholstery fabric suppliers. Samples of the fabrics are difficult to obtain from Web resources and they don't usually accept returns after the goods are cut and shipped, so get your upholsterer's advice on the correct yardage and appropriateness of the fabric before ordering. Reordering more yardage later can be next to impossible as these goods sell quickly.

Sewing and Notions Stores

• Sewing and notions stores have pretty much gone the way of typewriter erasers. but a few are still in operation. Their selections will not be as varied as those at other resources but if you are looking for hard-wearing fabrics for upholstery, such as denims or twills, then these suppliers can be a good alternative.

Helpful Reminders

• Discuss the fabric selections with your upholsterer before you make a purchase. The workroom can analyze your samples and offer advice as to whether the fabrics are suitable for the piece of furniture you wish to recover. Lightweight silks, although beautiful, will not hold up to rigorous use. Likewise, bulky tweedy fabrics may not be appropriate for chairs with more delicate lines. Your upholsterer can also advise whether the fabrics could be improved by adding knit-backing. This is a fabric mesh that is applied to the reverse side of a fabric to give it added strength, which can lengthen the life of the fabric for your reupholstered furniture.