Buying Upholstery

“Buying new upholstery is a major investment. We want you to be completely happy with your choice, so take some time to think about the best options for you and your home, before you buy. We are here to help you to make an informed decision”.

The shape and design of your upholstery has a huge impact on the look and feel of your room. Clean lines create a contemporary space, while formal decorative scrolls give a traditional feel. A sofa can be softened and relaxed with lots of scatter cushions. Some styles are more versatile and can look fabulous in both traditional and modern rooms. It's all down to personal taste.

What to consider?

• Frame: Frames have to be tough, strong and durable to cope with demands of everyday life. Made from a combination of timber and manmade substrates, different shaped frames give structure and style to the furniture.
• Support: Not all sofas have traditional springs. A seating platform may be constructed of highly durable synthetic strips known as webbing or include serpentine or zigzag springs, suspended front to back across the frame. Depending on the gauge and tension of the wire used, serpentine springs can offer a whole spectrum of comfort levels. Where greater support is required, a sprung edge, or sprung front rail may be used. It softens the impact you feel when first sitting down, because you don’t sit directly on the hard frame. This also gives greater durability to the suite.
• Fillings: It may not be uppermost in your mind, but the filling in your chosen sofa does give a different feel and needs different maintenance.
  • Foam upholstery will feel firm and supportive, and lends a more tailored appearance to a sofa. It will recover well and all you'll need to do is turn the cushions occasionally to allow even wear. Over the years, the foam will compact and lose volume a little, though this process is much slower with high resilience foam.
  • Fibre, or foam with a fibre wrap, will give a softer look and feel to sofas and chairs. Just plump and turn cushions occasionally to maintain comfort and wear.
  • Feather-filled upholstery will have a more relaxed, casual look and a "squishier" feel - ideal if you like to curl up on the sofa. You'll need to plump up cushions daily.

The final and for many people the most important choice is the final cover, the two basic choices are leather or fabric. We have ranges in both fabric and leather; there are many types of each:-

Leather (hide): One of the oldest natural materials known to man, leather is synonymous with quality and the finer things in life. Only leather upholstery can claim to improve with time, developing a character all of its own.(It has been said “ Leather wears in, fabric wears out”). Improved processing methods and increased demand for leather products means leather is no longer an expensive option. Each hide is unique and there are several methods of leather production process to create different looks.

• Corrected grain: Most commonly used in upholstery, the top layer of the hide is buffed off to reduce imperfections. Colour is applied to the surface, and a roller embosses a grain-like pattern on top of it. Suites in corrected grain leather are easy to recognise because of their even colour and matt finish. Particularly durable, this hide is easy to care for, and excellent for a family environment.
• Semi-analine: The production process for this leather often involves more than one colour. The hides have been through-dyed. The resulting leather is very soft to handle. It is not unusual to have a sheen or gloss to it, and customers should be aware there will be some shade variations between the panels used to make an item of furniture. Semi-analine can bring a real sumptuous feel to your furniture.
• Analine: This is leather in its most natural state with little or no surface-coating to hide the natural features of the hide. You see all of the unique characteristics that are the hallmarks of this natural product. It is very soft to the touch.
• Natural leathers: These include Nubuck suede, oiled and waxed finishes. We also offer a range of hand finished hides which look aged or distressed to create a fashionably casual appearance.
• Natural characteristics such as scars, shade variations and blemishes are what makes real leather a unique, natural option.

Fabrics: Fabrics are available in a vast range of colours and textures that enhance the look and feel of your sofa. There are two types of fabric suite: fixed cover and loose cover.

• Fixed cover: If you cannot take the fabric off the frame of your furniture, it is fixed cover. Even cushions of fixed cover suites should not be washed. Fixed cover allows the fabrics to be pulled tight to the frame. Arms are tailored for a contemporary look, or pleated for a more traditional style. The choice of fabrics is much greater than for loose cover. You can choose between formal velvets, soft chenille, hard wearing microfibre, faux suede and woven designs.
• Loose cover: These are removable covers which can be either machine washed at low temperatures or professionally cleaned. Loose cover sofas are often more casual in style. Fabrics used for removable covers are often made from natural fibres such as 100% cotton. Always have all the covers of your suite cleaned together as it is quite normal for some colour to be lost during the washing process.