Since your upholstered furniture will be used in different rooms and will fulfill multiple purposes, it’s important that you select the right type of materials. This will help ensure that your furniture continues to look its best over time.

Natural Fabrics

These upholstery fabrics include linen, cotton, wool, silk, and leather. While linen and silk are both very luxurious, they must be professionally cleaned and should not be used in high traffic area or homes with young children. However, cotton and wool are both naturally resistant to stains, fading, and wrinkling. They often come in blends with synthetic fibers to make them even easier to clean. With proper care, leather furniture can be both incredibly comfortable and durable. It can be cleaned with a damp washcloth or leather conditioner and saddle soap.

Synthetic Fabrics

Over the years many synthetic fabrics have been developed to imitate the natural fabrics. These include acetate, acrylic, nylon, polyester, olefin, and rayon. Even though poorly made synthetic fibers tend to pill or wrinkle, there are also high quality options that feel almost identical to their natural counterparts but are even more resistant to wear, wrinkling, and fading. By itself, acetate (a good alternative to silk) is not a good choice for furniture that will see everyday use, while olefin is a very durable option.

When you’re choosing upholstery for your furniture, make sure to consider how the pieces will be used. Fabric for the dining room or outdoor spaces should be considerably more durable than those used in a formal living room or adult-only office space.