How to Choose the Right Upholstery Fabric for Your Home
Choosing fabric for a favourite chair or sofa is about more than colour. It needs to feel comfortable, suit your furniture and cope with everyday life. At Aberdeen Upholstery, we help customers across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire choose fabrics that bring together style and practicality.
Start with how you use your furniture
A family sofa, regularly used dining chair and occasional bedroom chair all have different demands. Before choosing a fabric, think about who uses the furniture, how often it is used and whether spills or muddy paws are part of daily life.
Tell us how your furniture fits into your home, and we can help narrow down the options.
Choosing upholstery fabric for children and pets
For busy households, look beyond the colour and consider the weave, texture and cleaning instructions. A tightly woven fabric can be a useful starting point, while easy-clean options may make everyday spills easier to manage.
No fabric is completely immune to stains or damage from claws. Choosing a suitable material—and following the supplier’s care advice—helps you get the best from your reupholstered furniture.
Balance comfort, character and durability
Velvet, wool, linen and textured weaves each offer a different look and feel. The right choice depends on the individual fabric as well as the style of your furniture.
You might want to keep the character of a traditional armchair, introduce a bold pattern or give a well-loved sofa a fresh, understated finish. We can help you consider how the fabric will work around curves, buttons and other details.
Look at samples in your own room
Colours can look different on a screen and change under daylight or artificial lighting. Where possible, look at a sample beside your flooring, curtains and other furnishings.
Take time to feel the texture, too. A fabric should be something you enjoy sitting on as well as looking at.
Check care requirements before deciding
Some upholstery fabrics allow spot cleaning, while others need specialist care. Easy-clean does not automatically mean machine washable, so always check the instructions for the specific fabric.
Understanding the care requirements before you choose helps avoid surprises later.
Need help choosing fabric in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire?
If you are planning to reupholster a sofa, armchair or dining chairs, we can help you find a fabric that suits your home, your furniture and your budget.
Send us a few photographs of your furniture and tell us what you have in mind. We’ll discuss the options and help you take the next step.
