Fabric Selection – the do’s, the dont’s and everything in between

There is so much ground to cover when it comes to fabrics, the dos, the don’ts, the maybes and everything in between. Luckily we happen to know a thing or two when it comes to navigating this topic!

Fabric selection is a key part of any furniture related decision and it is comprised of requirements that will vary from person to person depending on their needs. Colour, texture, and fabric durability are what post people focus primarily on.

In terms of colour, go bold or subdued? Colour is one of the most important reasons people select a fabric and there are many influences for it. Every season has its popular colours as trends come and go. Right now green shades like hunter, olive and lime are popular. With the upcoming arrival of winter, outdoors is beginning to lack the colourfulness of summer without the blooming flowers and green grass. As a result we start to see a rise in floral designs and green hues that remind us of that greenery and nature. It adds depth and brings the colours of outdoors and the warmth of the seasons back into your home.

As enticing as these colours may be, you need to remember that trendy colours come in and out of season and it’s important to ensure your color choice is one you can live with for a long time. Colour can impact the size of your space visually, it might not be best to use a very bold colour on a large piece of furniture in a smaller room. Consider how well your fabric choice is for fade resistance if the furniture will be placed in a room that gets plenty of sunlight or next to a window.  If you have young children, pets or a love of jeans,  light colours are not your best friend as you’ll constantly be taking care of stains. Do you find your tastes changes often? Neutral tones give you the flexibility to shake things up on a small scale as much as you want with the way you dress your furniture.

Silks and delicate fabrics are beautiful to look at and make for an gorgeous accent but they won’t work on your furniture. Woven patterns hold up longer than printed ones, as do higher thread counts and tight weaves. If your pets will also be sharing your sofa with you, consider a microfiber fabric or leather as these can withstand extra wear and tear. Fabric durability highly depends on the use of your furniture. Pieces going into more high-tragic areas of the home need to be much stronger than for pieces such as an occasional chair that is used more for its looks than any functionality. These are pieces you can indulge on with those funky patterns you’ve been eying or get a little creative with a combination of texture and colour. 

Start by thinking about what you like in terms of color, pattern and texture. Make sure to consider where you plan to put the piece, is there anything in that room already? For example if you have a neutral tone sofa already, you may want to do something more bold or patterned with your chair. Keep scale in mind as well. How big is your piece? Is it a small seat cushion? In that case, a broad pattern is probably not the best choice since you won’t see a lot of it. Picking something with a smaller pattern repeat will be better suited.

Sharon, owner of Layers and Layers, displaying one of the newest fabrics from Larsen.

Most importantly, fabric is way to express yourself, it’s your home to make into whatever makes you happiest! It’s no easy process to go through and we understand that which is why we are here to help. Planning can take months before you’re anywhere near ready to make any decisions. Whether you’re just in the early stages or ready to dive into the fabric books, give us a shout and we’ll lend a hand!

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