Advantages of fabric upholstery
Leather sofas are solid and durable, but at home many people prefer to have furniture with a fabric surface. And that's why:
- Many textile coverings do not require special detergents. But for leather ones they may be needed. And not only for cleaning stains, but also for regular regular care. After all, as you know, leather cannot be washed with plain water.
- The textile does not slip or stick to the skin, it is warm and pleasant to the touch. This means that it will be comfortable to sit on such a sofa during the day and sleep at night, if the model is folding. Relaxing on a textile surface is much more pleasant than on furniture made of non-woven materials or leather.
- Textile materials come in a huge variety of shades and prints, and also have interesting textures. There is always the opportunity to choose a covering that fits perfectly into the interior and matches the style of the room.
- Modern fabrics are impregnated with special compounds that provide additional dirt resistance. Caring for them is easy. Most often, you can do without dry cleaning services. It is only important to follow the recommendations for removing stains step by step.
- Textile coverings protect the internal parts of furniture quite well from dust and moisture. The filler, frame and mechanisms will last a long time.
- Most types of textile coverings are inexpensive. And elite, noble materials today have more budget-friendly substitutes. They are no worse in quality and are not inferior in beauty.
Suitable here
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Sofa Rozi double semicircular lilac P
93 067 rub.
buy
The upholstery of the sofa should be combined with its style and the style of the interior.
Primary requirements
In order for the fabric to be durable and its appearance to please you for a very long time, you need to take into account the following requirements for it:
- The coating should not absorb odors. This is very important for the kitchen, since the constant cooking process requires their presence. That is why the fabric should not absorb odors, otherwise the textile will create unpleasant living conditions;
- The fabric should not be exposed to moisture. This will help not only not to spoil the surface, but also create practicality during washing and cleaning;
- Cleaning should be simple and quick. Pay attention to the means that can be used for cleaning, what compounds can be used, whether it is possible to wipe the surface with a wet cloth;
- Wear resistance. The durability, reliability and appearance of a modern sofa depend on this;
- If there are animals in the house, then the coating must be resistant to abrasion and mechanical damage.
What is better to choose
Before purchasing new furniture or covering it, it is important to consider where it will be placed and how often it will be used. For a sofa in the living room you need one thing, for the kitchen - completely different.
Impregnated upholstery
When wondering which fabric is the most practical for upholstering a sofa, one must take into account that impregnation plays a big role. This protective coating improves the quality of the material several times.
Certain types of impregnations can protect against:
- dirt and dust;
- water penetration;
- statics.
Elimination of static is necessary so that the surface does not constantly spark from friction and does not attract dust.
Coverings for children's models
Which fabric is best for upholstering a children's sofa depends on the age of the child and his neatness. Flock is the leader in reviews on social networks and forums. It is easy to clean and has sufficient strength.
Suitable for a nursery and a tapestry - it is environmentally friendly and durable. And against its motley background, small spots, if any, will not be noticeable. The only drawback of this material is the risk of snags from sharp objects.
A bright blanket will make a children's sofa more attractive and at the same time save it from the need for dry cleaning
What fabrics can be washed
If you want to create practicality in cleaning, then you need to choose a sofa cover that will be easy to clean. Such fabrics include:
- Scotchgard. This is an excellent option for upholstering upholstered furniture for furnishing a kitchen. Spilled coffee or wine will not damage the surface. It is enough to wipe the coating with a damp cloth. The disadvantage of the application is the high cost;
- Microvelour. This type of fabric is quite difficult to clean, since the pile does not allow the coating to be washed. But the fabric is very resistant to various types of stains;
- Jacquart. This type of fabric is easy to clean and practically does not absorb unpleasant odors. This is an excellent upholstery option for a sofa in the kitchen. The cost of the fabric is low, which allows you to choose budget furniture models.
If there are cats in the house
Owners of meowing pets are better off choosing a material for the sofa that is resistant to claws. In addition, if there are furry animals in the house and they like to sit on the furniture, then its covering should not collect wool. The above requirements are met by such coatings as eco-suede, flock, velor. The covering should not be quilted - it is easy to pull the thread out of it. Fabric with an anti-claw effect does not have loops or other elements that a cat can get caught on and tear the material.
Smooth and dense fabric without loops is not afraid of cat claws
If there is a dog
No matter how obedient a four-legged friend is, he can play pranks. Puppies are especially distinguished by this - they chew the legs and corners of any furniture. But while the dog is growing, we need to find ways to protect things from it. We recommend choosing a sofa with metal legs. For example, Claudio Bellini. And it’s worth purchasing anti-vandal upholstery for the sofa. Here again the flock comes to the rescue - it is smooth and difficult to catch on with fangs. This fabric will also withstand the pranks of other inhabitants, for example, parrots.
Suitable here
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Gordon corner sofa modular gray
77 994 rub.
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Puppies are usually not interested in metal furniture legs
For the living room
What fabric to choose for a sofa in the living room? There are most options here. If you often have guests, choose the most durable fabrics that can be cleaned regularly. For example, jacquard, matting, chenille. And if the load on this piece of furniture is not very large, allow yourself the pleasure of having a covering made of magnificent velor, comfortable cotton or warm faux fur.
ADVICE. A popular technique is to place upholstered furniture from different collections, upholstered in different types of fabrics. This gives the atmosphere an effect of spontaneity and naturalness.
Suitable here
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Corner sofa green Denver L-Shaped
155 490 rub.
RUR
116,618 buy
Noble pine-green velor looks chic as upholstery for a living room sofa
Types of sofas for the kitchen
Models designed for kitchens and dining rooms differ significantly from classic sofas, which are usually placed in living rooms. First of all, the upholstery material is different. If velor, cotton and velvet are often used in models for living rooms, then in kitchen options preference is given to more practical materials that are suitable for the existing microclimate of the room. Decorative elements and complexity of forms also fade into the background. The main criteria are convenience, functionality and practicality. Kitchen sofa models are classified according to shapes, sizes and designs. The most popular are straight and angular models. There are also designs with drawers, with a sleeping place, sofa benches and models for bay windows.
Direct
The standard form, which is the most common. Depending on the area of the room, the model can be of different sizes, and the number of people accommodated can vary from two to five people. Such structures are usually placed against the wall, and a dining or coffee table is also placed nearby. In a studio apartment, such a sofa can serve as a partition between the kitchen area and the living room.
Corner
This form is the most convenient and is suitable even for the smallest kitchens. The corner design allows you to fully use the corner space of the room, and when installing a dining table next to it, you can organize not only a place to relax, but also a kind of dining room. Many models are equipped with spacious drawers or opening niches. This allows you to conveniently place large volumes of dishes and utensils that are not often used, and thereby restore order and unload the cabinets and shelves of the kitchen set. Corner sofas take up little space, but are quite spacious. A correctly selected model will fit perfectly into any interior style.
Bay windows
Models designed for installation in bay windows have a semicircular or complex broken shape. The bay window is a kind of balcony that is attached to the living space. Installing a sofa in the bay window allows you to rationally use the available space; combination with a dining table and chairs will create a pleasant atmosphere due to the abundance of light and space. It is recommended to order bay window sofas from furniture manufacturers. This way you can perfectly fit the design into the existing bay window, and at the same time choose your own cladding and filling materials, as well as the color and style of the product.
With sleeping place
If guests or friends often stay with you, but there is no free room in the apartment, then an extra bed will help you find a way out of this situation. The sleeping place is organized by folding out the sofa. The design can be either straight or angular, but the angular one is more preferable, since when unfolded it occupies almost the same area as in its normal position. Straight designs have more variability in transformation methods, but at the same time they require additional space. If there is a table in front of the sofa, then it will have to be moved. If you plan to frequently use the sofa as a sleeping place, then when choosing it you should pay special attention to the transformation mechanism.
Sofas-benches
For interior styles such as country, Provence and vintage, original models made in the form of a sofa-bench are often chosen. The design externally resembles a standard wooden or metal bench, but at the same time the soft upholstery of the seats and backs makes it quite comfortable. The use of decorative carvings or forged elements adds a special charm to the interior.
Color fastness and test to determine it
Color fastness refers to the ability of a fabric to remain bright even after exposure to light, water and friction. This property is influenced by the quality of the dye, as well as the method of dyeing the material. Of course, over time, every fabric, especially natural ones, loses color saturation. However, in the case of a high-quality product, the upholstery is more likely to get tired over many years of service than to fade.
Color fastness is not an abstract indicator, but a very specific one. There is a special test to determine color fastness. To carry it out, you need to take two identical samples of upholstery and rub one of them with a metal disk for a long time. First wipe with a dry cloth, then with a damp one. Next, this sample is compared with the shade table. It is assigned a certain score - from 1 to 5.
An indicator of 3.5-4.5 points is considered quite good. It is rare to find fabrics that deserve a higher rating. It is worth considering that dark fabrics fade much more noticeably. Especially if they are in a room with large windows or on a loggia. The materials that are most unstable to sun exposure are those that have a printed pattern. And fabrics with a uniform composition of fibers or pile have the greatest color fastness.
The most colorfast fabric is light
Wear tests
The criterion that reports the ability of upholstery to withstand friction, heating and cooling, stretching, moisture and other physical influences is called wear resistance . The degree of wear resistance is determined using a test. There are several ways to do this.
One of the most famous tests is the Martindale method test . Its principle is as follows: a fragment of material is fixed on a flat surface made of foam plastic, and then this material is rubbed with a rotating disk with an abrasive applied to it. The test continues until three threads on the test piece break, or until all the fibers, if any, are worn off. As a result, the material is assigned a certain coefficient. For example, viscose chenille can withstand from 6 to 10 thousand disc rotation cycles, and polyester velor - more than 50 thousand. This is more than enough for home use. A coefficient of 15 thousand cycles is suitable for a banquette in the hallway, a headboard, and so on. With a figure of 20 thousand, we can talk about sufficient reliability of the upholstery.
Another method, the Visinbeck test , is used mainly in the USA. The material is rubbed along a transverse thread in a special machine, simulating the friction from sitting on a sofa. The industry standard is 15 thousand friction cycles. This upholstery is optimal for use in residential areas. Higher rates are only necessary for furniture located in public places.
When choosing a covering for upholstered furniture, remember these numbers:
- for rarely used furniture, 12 thousand Martindale cycles are sufficient;
- the average operating frequency requires from 15 to 20 thousand cycles;
- Intensively used upholstered furniture requires fabric that can withstand 20 thousand cycles or more.
A practical gray sofa can be complemented with less practical bright pillows
