Dress up your project with the perfect materials. Are you seeking fabric that is stain resistant for a high use kitchen? Or do you want a luxurious design on a sofa or accent piece?
Don't worry. It might seem overwhelming, but we make choosing the right materials easy!
If you're reupholstering an existing piece - can you send us a picture? If we're helping you design from scratch, then let's have a conversation to lead us in the right direction. Once we have an idea of the ideal look and feel, we'll begin choosing a selection for you to view.
From the Frame up
Springs, Burlap, Felt, cotton batting, foam, dacron, fabric
As reupholsters, its pretty exciting to strip down a piece of furniture until all we see is the the support system. Whether the piece was originally softened by 8-way-hand-tied coils, sinuous springs or webbing, we can then assess what needs fixing or updating. (It's also when we might find old dimes!)
We'll check the frame and make necessary repairs
We then use a padding layer system that includes:
1. Burlap - Burlap is a natural material, perfect for filling gaps from the springs or webbing support. It also provides a solid base to build the additional layers to come.
2. Blue felt - A dense padding provides excellent protection from hard metal springs or wood edges.
3. Thick Cotton - This provides an excellent and resilient layer before foam is placed on top.
4. Foam - Foam thickness, firmness and density gives a piece of furniture its style contours and feel.
5. Dacron - Dacron is used to achieve the final look and longevity required. It fills out fabric corners and helps the foam last longer.
Inspiration
Double Rub Count
Double Rub Count is a way of measuring the durability of fabric. Canvas is mechanically rubbed against the material. One back and forth movement is considered a "double rub". The higher the count - the more durable.
PU Leather (PU)
Polyurethane leather is often confused with leather. PU is also called: bicast leather, leather alternative or split leather. PU is vegan friendly and a less expensive option when the look of leather is wanted, but the cost is not. If you've seen the top coating of PU peeling, this is associated with poorly manufactured companies. Hint - We deal in high quality.
Polyester
Polyester is often associated with ugly shirts from that 70’s TV show! But in reality, polyester is a wonderful man-made fabric with hundreds of thousands of options in every pattern and and colour you can think of. The double rub count as well as the clean-ability are just a couple reasons why this fabric should be a part of your next design project.
Vinyl (PVC)
This isn’t your Great-Baba's vinyl. Vinyl is an excellent choice for high traffic settings. The extremely high rub count as well as its clean-ability make it the top choice for practitioners.
Leather and Suede
The very first sofa Mike designed twenty years ago was made out of steel grey suede. It's still in Katrina's sisters living room and even after cats and kids, looks and feels incredible. Hint - Be prepared for the cost as ordering leather is done by the hide.
Solution Dyed Acrylic (SDA)
Solution Dyed Acrylic is associated with outdoor furniture, but it's also an amazing fabric for indoors! Its properties resist UV damage and staining because the colouring is built into the thread, not dyed on top. Hint - SDA is like a beet coloured all the way through, versus an apple which is only red on the outside. Great for sunny window seating.
Patterns
Patterns are a beautiful way to bring in your design and are essential to a few eye catching pieces. Do be aware - flow and centre matching means additional fabric requirements and labour costs.
Bias Cut Piping
We think bias cut piping is the only way to pipe our work. It doesn't allow the material to stretch and provides a clean, wrinkle free detail to all finishing needs. Yes, it does take more time and fabric, but we know the end result is worth it.
Zippers
We use aluminum YKK zippers reinforced with end tabs for long term reliability. We believe this is the best way to close cushions and will provide you an easy way of removing the fabric for cleaning.
Here's a Sample List of a few of our Suppliers
We dedicate a lot of time to working with our suppliers to know what types of fabric choices and foam are available.
