Five tips for choosing the best upholstery for your furniture

Not sure which sofa fabric to choose? Follow?B&M CASA?guide to get it right...

1. HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO SPEND ON THE FABRIC FOR YOUR SOFA?

Setting a budget for how much you want to spend on a sofa is a good place to start because it will influence your fabric selection.

There are plenty of lovely affordable sofas available (see our budget-friendly sofa shopping guide for examples), and you can purchase them in some truly luxurious fabrics like velvet.

B&M CASA welcome your shopping: https://www.fb-bam.com/en/#p5.

2. WHICH SOFA FABRIC COLOR SHOULD I SELECT?

Do you want your sofa to stand out or blend in with the rest of the room? A sofa's fabric tone can make a big difference to a room, and you may create a bold emphasis by choosing upholstery fabric in a vivid colour. What's the drawback? It will be more challenging to change a color scheme.

Light colors show stains more easily, so if you have your heart set on a pale-colored sofa, be sure it has detachable, washable covers or, at the very least, that the upholstery is stain-resistant.

A grey or taupe-colored sofa?is a decent halfway ground. Both are versatile and black enough to disguise stains and markings in almost any color scheme. Choose a fabric with texture to add interest, and vary it up with interchangeable, bright accessories like colorful cushions and throws.

3. WILL YOUR SOFA SUFFER A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR?

The way you want to utilize your sofa will influence the fabric you choose.

Will your sofa be placed in a busy room where you entertain - and wine will undoubtedly be spilled? Or will it be tucked away in a home office?

Luxurious, textured wool blends, for example, are best suited to rooms that are rarely used. A smooth cotton fabric is great if you have children or dogs because it can be washed when needed. Unlike demanding materials like velvet or chenilles, durable textiles like corduroys or microfibre blends will function particularly well in a living room.

Splurge on luxury if you're searching for a sofa that will only be used by you, such as in a library or home office. Consider a high-thread-count cotton or a velvet sofa, but keep in mind that they will eventually require expert cleaning. The thread count does matter: the higher the number, the better the quality and the longer your sofa covers will survive.

4. HOW EASY IS IT TO CLEAN THE SOFA FABRIC?

If you plan to clean your sofa frequently, choose a fabric that is easily washable, such as cotton. Any natural blends, such as cotton-linen or cotton-wool, will require professional cleaning. A complicated fabric blend is likely to shrink in the wash because different types of materials react to water differently, so check before tossing your blankets in.?

5. UPHOLSTERY FABRIC: PLAIN OR PATTERNED?

A different fabric may be required for a two-seater sofa than for a three-seater. 'Larger couches look good in plain and textured fabrics, whilst smaller sofas look magnificent with a pattern,' says Tamasyn Gambell, textile designer and Sofa.com's design portfolio collaborator for 2018.

If your sofa will be used frequently by a large family, a patterned alternative, no matter how subtle, will be better at hiding stains.

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