8 types of upholstery to give your old couch a brand new makeover

If you are interested in home decor and renovation then you must be aware of the term upholstery. Upholstery is a great way to renew old furniture without spending a lot of money on buying new furniture. There are different types of upholstery fabric availabe in market. So if you are planning to give your old couch a brand new makeover, you should be aware of the durability of fabric, its easiness to clean, its resistance to dirt and fading.

Linen Upholstery

Linen is an eco-friendly fabric made from natural fiber. Linen upholstery is ideal for contemporary home decor. It imparts style and sophistication to furniture. It is regarded as the cleanest fabric which is anti-bacterial in nature. Linen dyes easily, holds color well and resists fading. It is also resistant to pilling and remains lint free. This fabric is also suitable for all types of weather condition. On the downside, it is prone to wrinkles, fire and soiling. (Picture source: www.parna.co.uk )

Cotton Upholstery

Cotton is a popular upholstery fabric. It is made from natural fiber. The upsides of cotton fabric is that it is resistant to normal amount of sunlight and fading. It dyes easily and holds color well. Cotton is soft to touch and stays cools in warm weather condition. It is also resistant to moths. The drawbacks of cotton fabric is that it wrinkles and soils easily. It also shrinks easily when it is wet. It is not very resistant to fire. (Picture source: www.blog.emilyziz.com)

Wool Upholstery

Wool or wool blend is a strong, elastic and durable upholstery fabric. It is resistant to wrinkle, fading and dyes easily. Wool can withstand heavy traffic and weight and still looks beautiful. It is an opaque fabric which has excellent soil hiding capacity. The downsides of wool is that it does not perform well in sunlight. Due to high absorbency it stains easily. It is also sensitive to alkaline chemicals. Wool upholstery is expensive and requires high maintenance. (Picture source: www.justfabrics.co.uk)

Leather Upholstery

Leather fabric gives a clean and modern look to the furniture. It is easy to clean and wipe. A damp cloth is all that is needed to clean a leather upholstery furniture. It is a durable material and can last long if taken regular care. The downsides of leather is that it can get scratched very easily. It is not suitable for all weather condition. Leather covered furniture require protection and care during rainy season when moisture content is high. It is also cold to touch during winters. It does not have much color choice as fabric. (Picture source: www.thechesterfieldcompany.com)

Silk Upholstery

Silk is a natural fiber that is inherently light, soft and delicate. It gives furniture a touch of royalty and luxury.  It is resistant to moths, mites and bacteria. The down side with silk fabric is that it requires great maintenance, is expensive and stains easily. It must be professionally cleaned if soiled. (Picture source: www.img.archiexpo.com)

Nylon Upholstery

Nylon is one of the strongest upholstery fabric. It has high elasticity. This fabric can stretch and still regains its original shape. It is very resistant to wrinkle and pilling. Nylon regains its original shape even after being crushed.It is non-absorbent and dries quickly. It is a very good option for the furniture that used very often. Nylon fabric is easy to take care. The only downside with nylon is that it is not very resilient to sunlight. (Picture source: www.wayfair.com)

Rayon Upholstery

Rayon is the oldest fabric used for upholstery. Rayon is durable and cheap. It is resistant to moth and mites. But there are many downsides of rayon. It wrinkles easily, prone to catch fire, shrinks easily when wet and extremely inflammable. (Picture source: www.images.neimanmarcus.com)

Olefin Upholstery

Olefin is a light weighted moisture resistant fabric. It is also difficult to get stained. It is good option for outdoor furniture. Olefin is chemical resistant and most chemicals and bleaches do not damage it. It is also resistant to fading. It is a cheap fabric and easy to clean. There are several downsides of olefin. It is prone to wrinkle. It also crushes easily and does not regain its original shape. This fabric is very difficult to dye. (Picture source: www.galleryhip.com)

Whatever upholstery you choose for your furniture, it is very important to take care of the fabric and protect them from wear and tear. Sunlight and moisture are rivals of most fabrics.

If you wish to stylize and give your old couch a brand new makeover with upholstery, book a case for  upholstery work.

For more information on furniture repair  and maintenance and home improvement ideas, visit  Ideas by Mr.Right

Team Mr.Right