What Fabric to Use When Reupholstering a Chair

Planning

• Consider the overall decor of your home, including the colors and textures you want to highlight, bring out or contrast with. Upholstery fabric doesn’t have to match your decor, but should play in with some part of the theme. For example, a classically decorated room with Chippendale-style or antique pieces and warm colors would welcome a chair done in rich fabrics such as jacquard, tapestry or velvet -- regardless of color.

Types

• You can find upholstery fabrics in an endless variety of colors, fibers and textures, from natural -- such as cotton or leather -- to man-made microfibers or acrylic tweeds. While natural fibers give an organic look to your chair, they tend to be less durable and harder to clean than synthetics. Consider the traffic your chair will see; if it will be used often or you have children or pets, you will want to consider a tightly woven synthetic for maximum durability and ease of maintenance. If the chair will be more of a showpiece or reserved for special occasions, a more delicate or soft fabric. In all cases, the higher the thread count, the more durable the fabric, even if it is a thinner silk dupioni or velvet. If you are unsure how a fabric will wear, take home a swatch and test its stain resistance and how easily it cleans and tears.

Amount

• Measure the amount of fabric you will need before shopping, and use the measurements to help drive your budget. If you only need a small amount of fabric, you can spend more; however, when choosing a patterned fabric, remember you may have to purchase extra yardage to match the pattern at any seams. Seams may also come into play if the chair is very large, as, according to Upholstery Magazine, most bolts of upholstery fabric are about 54 inches wide.

Sources

• Fabric and craft stores usually carry a selection of upholstery-weight fabrics, but better selections can usually be found on the Web, manufacturer catalogs or through design centers in your area. Some design centers have showrooms that are open to professional designers, but even those showrooms have designated times when they are open to the public. More and more, large home-furnishing retailers, such as Crate & Barrel, Dania and Ikea, sell a selection of fabrics that match their other products and lines.