On average, a sofa lasts between 7 – 15 years if properly maintained. That is an excellent lifespan for a couch based on its usage. But even better, you can get more life from an old sofa with reupholstery. Rather than throwing away an old couch, you can swipe the old fabric and give it a new look and feel.
The look and feel you desire to achieve will depend mainly on the upholstery fabric you choose. But do you prefer? In this article, you will learn the key factors to consider when choosing upholstery fabric for your sofa.
Why You Should Consider Reupholstery
Reupholstery, by definition, is the process of replacing old with new fabric on furniture. We have realized that most of our clients have different goals they want to achieve from reupholstery. However, there are common patterns we have seen arise.
Change in fabric design is what most customers want with reupholstery. Others considered reupholstery since it’s cheaper than buying a new sofa. Another common reason people choose reupholstery is the need to preserve a durable sofa frame. Sofa frames from hardwood last longer than the cushions.
By and large, changing the old fabric has been the top reason many people opt for reupholstery. Therefore, there needs to be a lot of deliberation on the material to ensure a successful outcome. You should start by understanding the various types of fabrics.
Reupholstering requires expertise and experience, and it is often better to engage an expert like us for reupholstery services.
Types of Upholstery Fabrics
The reupholstery material you choose will impact your home’s interior design, longevity and usability of the sofa. As such, you need to select the best fabric if you want to maximize those aspects. From our experience, the following materials have left our past customers impressed by reupholstery.
Natural sofa reupholstery fabrics
Natural fabrics are acquired from animal skin (leather) or plant extracts. Due to their origin, they can be rare to find and thus expensive. Here are some common natural fabric examples for sofa reupholstery;
- Cotton. Most homeowners choose cotton as an upholstery material since it’s affordable and versatile. Cotton is the best sofa reupholstery fabric if you have many pets or kids running around the house.
- Leather. You can never go wrong with leather. Besides the luxurious look and feel, leather is durable, resistant to scratch, and easy to clean.
- Linen. Although linen is slightly hard to maintain due to easy shrinkage, it makes for a good sofa fabric for modern interior décor.
- Silk. Despite its durability and sturdiness, this fabric can be gentle and hence requires care when in use.
Synthetic sofa reupholstery fabrics
Synthetic fibres are the kind that is manufactured from chemical synthesis in a bid to replicate the behaviour of natural fabrics. Here are some examples of manufactured sofa fabrics;
- Microfiber. This fabric feels a lot like velvet and is the most commonly manufactured reupholstery fabric.
- Nylon. Several fabrics and chemicals are blended in the preparation of Nylon fabric. Nylon is preferred mostly due to its abrasion resistance.
- Acetate. This man-made fabric mimics the characteristics of silk. Thus, it provides a beautiful outlook but requires care to preserve its appeal.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Sofa Reupholstery Fabric
The ultimate decision of a fabric you arrive at will be determined by several factors. When looking at the different types of fabrics, we learned that some are easy to maintain, while others are not so much. Also, you will have to consider other factors such as cost and so on. Let’s look at them in detail.
Durability
For a sofa fabric to be considered durable, it has to last long without wear and tear under normal conditions. Since a sofa is a furniture that gets used frequently, you definitely want to choose a durable fabric. Durable fabrics such as leather should be your top priority in this case.
Existing interior design
Upholstery fabrics come in different colours, patterns, and finishes. These are design elements that you need to consider when choosing our fabric. Essentially, you want a fabric that blends in with interior colour, style, and character. A great rule of thumb here is to choose a fabric that is closely related to the old one if you plan on maintaining the existing style.
Maintenance
Fabric maintenance includes cleaning and stain and lint removal. Therefore, different sofa fabrics have guidelines on cleaning methods. These guidelines stipulate the cleaning equipment, detergents and so on. When choosing a fabric, you should also consider how it should be washed based on the usage of the sofa. Heavily used sofas should be reupholstered with materials that are easy to clean and maintain.
Cost of the fabric
For most customers, the cost is the ultimate determinant of fabric. This is because, in most cases, the price determines a fabric’s quality, durability, design, and ease of maintenance. Therefore, expensive fabrics are largely more durable than their less expensive counterparts. However, you can strike a balance between quality and affordability by choosing a fabric that compromises a minor element and focuses on a major one.
If you are in Singapore and is in need of an update for your couch to these fabrics, then contact us. The usual cost for reupholster/upholstery will start from SGD $1200 and above for a 2 seater or SGD $680 and above for an armchair. If you custom made a sofa in Singapore, the price starts from $3400 onwards. Ask for over stocked fabrics and you may even get a better price. Whatapps photos of your sofa and size to (+65 90305057 , Vince ) you can speak directly to us or email: info(at)centrepiece.com.sg to discuss your order. We don’t have call centres or customer service departments, you speak directly to the people making your sofa. Restoring beauty and beyond – Reupholstery SGShop @: Centrepiece Lazada Find sales/clear stock @ : CarousellStay Connected centrepiece
Contact www.centrepiece.com.sg or email: info(at)centrepiece.com.sg
Note: If you are a new customer, and you need the upholster to do home visit, a SGD $50 will apply for upholstery services. This amount can be factor into the total cost if you subsequently accept the quote and use our services. For existing customers, first time on site consultation fees may be waived.
