Sofa upholstery

Every time you are going to buy upholstered furniture, you have to face many questions and doubts about how to choose the right upholstery. Virtually every home has at least one sofa. This piece of furniture is at the same time a place of rest for body and soul, an object of realization of designer fantasies, an indicator of prestige and good taste. Upholstery is the most catchy part of any sofa, its choice depends on many factors. Successful acquisition is possible only if we take into account all the conditions in the aggregate and choose the most suitable options.

Among the huge variety it is possible to select the most practical and suitable model for you, but only when analyzing the following conditions:

• Harmony with the overall interior. The room where the sofa will be located can be kept in the same style. It is very important to choose upholstered furniture so that it looks harmoniously with the overall decor and other interior details.
• The presence of pets. Lovers of pets will be better to sheathe the sofas so that the pets do not damage the upholstery with claws or teeth. Especially often cat owners complain about such problems. Especially for them, the fabric "anti-claw" - the best reinsurance from tricks of domestic animals. This fabric is very variable, among all types you can find the most suitable for your home.
• The presence of children. If your family has small children, then for them there is a special number of fabrics made from natural materials. Such upholstery will not cause skin irritation, it is hypoallergenic and may include a variety of design options suitable for a child's room. Feature of furniture for kids is its ability to repel dirt and easy to clean.
• The place where the sofa will be. The choice of upholstery adapts to the purpose of the furniture. Significantly different fabric solutions for home and office. The priority can be as an external effect (to create representativeness), as well as comfort, comfort.
• When choosing upholstery, you should think about your health. People who are prone to allergies, you must carefully choose the fabric, give preference to natural materials and ease of care for furniture.
• Stopping the selection on certain tissues, analyze the degree of illumination of the room. Some types of materials are prone to fading, so they are not recommended for use in very bright rooms, where the windows face the south side.

Selecting the upholstery for a stylized interior, the first thing you should pay attention to is the color and ornament of the walls in the room. The choice is based on two principles: color compatibility and contrast.

The proximity in color implies the choice of either a warm or cold shade of upholstery - close to the wallpaper, but not blending with the tone of the walls. Perfectly combined turquoise, blue, dark green colors. Cold brown and purple look very elegant. If you choose warm shades, then beige, burgundy, warm brown, peach, gold shades will find harmony among themselves.

If the room has plain walls, it is permissible to sheathe the sofa with a cloth with an ornament. Sometimes the ornament of the upholstery can be in harmony with the pattern of the curtains.

Fabric sofas combined with leather inserts will be an exclusive option.This design originates in Western countries, but finds many interpretations around the world. You can choose an ornament for fabric areas, in harmony with the color of the skin - depending on the leather inserts. You have complete freedom in choosing the color of fabric, print and texture. Leather material involves many options for combinations with fabrics, the choice depends on what the purpose of the operation of the sofa.

Sofa for the living room is better to sheathe chamois, flock and other fabrics that are resistant to wear. Velor, chenille and tapestry upholstery is perfect for the bedroom.

When you pick up a sofa under the old interior, it is advisable to bring a photo of your room on electronic media. In furniture stores you can simulate the look of your room with various sofa options and, based on a good example, make a choice.

If your apartment is designed in a particular style, you should take into account the shape of the furniture, its size and role in the interior. For fans of the traditional style, a rectangular sofa is suitable - with a single-colored upholstery or a not very catchy ornament. Such a choice is allowed in the Empire and Baroque styles.

Exquisite and trendy art deco style can be perfectly embodied in black or plum tones. The curved lines of the sofa's frame will harmonize amazingly with the geometric ornament. The classic version is realized with the help of monochromatic fabrics (using different materials - from silk to velor).

Style avant-garde inherent bright flashy shades. Upholstered furniture is not bulky, but color accent is often made on it.

The main feature of the English style are sofas with leather upholstery. Acceptable fabric design in restrained colors - green, brown, gray.

The main fabrics for lining the bed in the Oriental style - silk and velvet. The ensemble of gold and blue colors perfectly emphasizes the dark green tone, purple and burgundy shades of upholstered furniture. All this makes the interior luxurious.

Fashion trend is the design of the room in the African style. It is upholstery that adds a peculiar note to this outrageous design. Upholstery prints with imitation of animal skins dominate. Leopard, brindle and zebra patterns have become classics of the African design genre.

In Georgian style, the main type of upholstery is tapestries.A country-style sofa is often sheathed with a checkered fabric or material with a different geometric pattern (with characteristic simplicity of lines). Cream, golden and other noble colors of upholstery material - the characteristic of sofas in classical style. Many of them are complemented by a pattern in the form of curlicues, like stucco on the walls.

Leather upholstery military, striped pin-up patterns, monotony of minimalism and restraint of functionalism - all these features are reflected in the upholstery of sofas. More than 70 design options, each of which is unique in its own way - all this combines the types of design of upholstered furniture that perfectly complement the atmosphere of any room.

In the modern world there are a large number of fabrics for upholstering sofas. All this set can be classified depending on the composition of the material. There are 4 main groups of upholstery fabrics:

• Natural. These fabrics are made from pure natural materials, without chemical processing and synthetic impurities. The most common representatives of this group: cotton, matting, wool.
• Synthetic. The basis of these fabrics is synthetic fiber. They are almost not used in pure form, but are part of many other upholstery materials. Such fibers are durable and easy to clean, they perfectly withstand cleaning and have high wear resistance. The main disadvantage of such a coating is that it accumulates static voltage. Nylon, polyester, acrylic - the main representatives of this type of fabric.

Polyester is an excellent option that is sometimes difficult to distinguish from natural. It is the basis of many materials for upholstery - flock, velor and other fabrics that are smooth to the touch. This material has many advantages: resistance to moisture, breathability, lightness, wear resistance.

Nylon fibers that are used in the manufacture of the flock are very elastic, resistant to chemical attack and repeated washing. With the help of this material is often made pile.

Acrylic can withstand even the effects of acid and alkaline solutions. He looks like wool, perfectly tolerates exposure to sunlight and laundry. Such material underlies the production of chenille coating.

• Artificial. A feature of these fabrics is the method of their production. With the help of industrial processing, natural fibers are converted into threads, from which upholstery is later created. Such materials easily pass air and absorb moisture.

The most common furniture coating of this type is viscose - soft fabric, pleasant to the touch. It perfectly retains heat, absorbs moisture and passes air. But its fibers wear out pretty quickly, especially with frequent contact with water.

• In modern production, a special place is given to the combined type of coatings. This option is in great demand and includes a variety of textures for every taste.
• The basis of the coating "antikoshka" may include various materials: flock, chenille, artificial suede, polymer base and even tapestry. Using any favorite option, you do not neglect the beauty of your home - and at the same time take care of the comfort of your pets.

Whatever composition of furniture cover you choose, there is a risk of “getting lost” in the variety of types of options with similar composition. The most popular are the following types:

• Cotton is breathable and eco-friendly fabric. A special feature of cotton is anti-static. It is pleasant to the touch, but quickly gives in to wear and deformation. Cotton upholstery fade and does not tolerate exposure to water. It is optimal to sheathe the sofa with cotton for a while or in a room where it is not necessary to frequently clean and handle the upholstery.

• Gunny called "fabric for furniture." It is rather coarse, it is an interlacing of linen threads. Often, synthetic material is added to the upholstery fabric. This material does not crumple, is well cleaned with water and soap or with a vacuum cleaner. With proper care, it is very durable.
• Goat and sheep wool often becomes the basis for creating sofa upholstery. Wool material can be of different density, and air permeability depends on it. This material does not absorb odors, gives additional comfort in the cold season, it is resistant to dirt.

• Silk is used as upholstery fabric. It is completely hypoallergenic, but easily wrinkled and deformed. Silk will add extra comfort in hot weather - unlike wool.It is pleasant to the touch, but less resistant to dirt. Clean this upholstery very carefully.

• Tapestry - upholstery fabric, which is a whole panel of patterns. The basis of manufacturing are silk and wool fibers. The undoubted advantage of the tapestry is resistance to wear and sunlight. However, this fabric should be protected from contamination, because it can be difficult to remove them.

• Durable material is chenille consisting of twisted fabric fibers. It has high strength and wear resistance. This material is chosen very often. This option can be embodied in a variety of colors that many consumers like.

• For the decoration of sofas used furniture fur. - it perfectly combines with fabric coatings of various textures and gives special piquancy not only to upholstered furniture, but also to the whole interior.

• Not less often for upholstery used artificial suede. It combines simplicity and solidity. Its quality is determined by various factors: features of processing, weight, density of the material.
• Upholstery fabric on the basis of nap weaving is very beautiful and pleasant to the touch material.With the help of this technique they create velvet, velor and flock fabrics. In most cases, these fibers include cotton and polyester. The density of pile coatings varies depending on the ratios of these materials - for example, the flock is stronger than velvet. It is recommended that such coatings be treated with antistatic agents in order to facilitate the further cleaning process.

• Microfiber - a material made from polymer fibers. This is a great replacement if you do not want to choose suede. Microfiber is similar to the touch, but the price of such material is much more democratic. This type of coating is suitable for allergy sufferers, it is durable and allows for various design options.
• The ensemble of synthetic and cotton threads creates Jacquard - a practical lint-free upholstery. You can forget about the problems associated with pollution, if you choose this option. You can clean this upholstery by any means available. It repels water, so the appearance of the sofa will not spoil the accidentally spilled liquid on it.

• Velveteen upholstery is an excellent option for lovers of immersion in home comfort. This fabric is created on the principle of attachment to a strong foundation of small fluffy tassels. But in modern production, this technology has improved so much that it is difficult to distinguish velvet from velor - the material is very soft and pleasant to the touch.

• One of the achievements of the modern world is the anti-vandal upholstery of the sofa. It is designed for pet lovers. This coating is almost impossible to damage, it is resistant to external influences, to wear and dirt.

Buying a sofa, many buyers can not make a choice: leather upholstery or fabric. No matter how solid the material is made of leather, there are several reasons why you should stop the choice on the fabric coating:

• The leather upholstery of a sofa is much more difficult in leaving, than a fabric cloth. Contaminations from the fabric are removed with quite affordable means that are always at hand. In the case of a leather product, it is necessary to purchase additional products for care. The prices of such funds are sometimes quite high.
• Fabric products can be decorated with various prints. Leather coverings also suggest a variety of design sofas, but the choice of design solutions is not so wide.
• Leather sofas look very presentable but do not bring such tactile comfort as textile products. In the hot season, the skin may stick to the body, causing discomfort.
• An important advantage of fabric products is their low price. (compared to leather). You can even sheathe size sofa - and not face with serious financial expenses.

Decorating upholstery fabric pattern - a trend that has long been out of fashion. But not all the paintings ornament is applied in the same way. There are two main types of drawing on the upholstery:

• Woven pattern. To embody this technology, the threads are pre-painted in certain colors (according to the selected pattern). Only then they are intertwined with each other.
• Printed drawing. It is applied on a pre-woven canvas. When dyeing some fabrics (for example, flock), there are two types of printing patterns. When wet technique paint is applied through a special drum,from which it flows through the perforation, forming a pattern. Dry staining involves the application of a pattern on paper and the subsequent transfer to the fabric.

When choosing upholstery in salons, remember that the success of the purchase depends on the analysis of the quality of materials.

For each type of upholstery there must be an appropriate document - a quality certificate. It is attached as a label (to each product). It shows the characteristics of the material according to the most important criteria:

• Durability. It is determined in the process of repeated abrasion of the fabric in a circular direction. The total number of revolutions for friction is indicated. The lowest figure is ≥ 15000, the average exceeds 20,000, the best figure exceeds 30,000 (or even 40,000) movements.
• The density of the fabric. This indicator is basic. It depends on the number of threads per square centimeter of web. You should not take a product with an indicator of less than 200. It is considered more durable quantity from 200 to 300, but it is better to choose a fabric, the indicator of which is more than 400.
• Peeling The coating is checked on the pellets with a special device that exposes the fiber to friction.The degree of stability is determined by a five-point scale. Acceptable rate - from 3 to 5 points.
• The strength of the seam. It is measured by stretching stitched pieces of fabric, which is measured in millimeters. A good result is a stretch of no more than 3 mm.
• Tensile strength. The fabric is pulled in opposite directions and measures the force at which it breaks, as well as its elongation in percent. With a force of 350 N, the elongation should be no more than 50%.
• Color retention when rubbed also measured in points. A valid option is an indicator of 3-5 points.
• Material fire resistance measured by its interaction with open fire. Depending on how often the product will be exposed to fire, it is assigned a resistance class. Grade 1 - the highest, 5 - the worst.

Sofa - an important part of the interior of any home or office. And the choice of upholstery covering all the criteria and nuances will provide comfort, respectability and a favorable atmosphere.

Types of sofa upholstery - in the next video.