How to choose the perfect fabric for your sofa
All our sofas are made to be customised by you and we know that one of the most difficult and important decisions when buying custom upholstery is what fabric to choose. We want to guide you in the right direction towards the sofa of your dreams and there are a few basic things you should look for.
Besides colour, design and style, there are a few more practical considerations you should be aware of, first thing to note is Martindale. Martindale is a term describing the durability of the fabric. The Martindale Test is widely used for testing upholstery fabrics, and a high Martindale rating simply means that the fabric has undergone abrasion testing and has endured a certain number of rubs to warrant its rating.
All our fabrics are tested to the highest standards, but if you want to make sure you got your durability covered, go for a fabric with more than 20.000 Martindale.
Of course, your new sofa deserves the best spot in your home. And if that particular perfect spot can’t be nowhere else than close to the window, so be it. Luckily, you can do your homework and go for a fabric perfectly designed for just that. Lightfastness, or colour fastness to light, describes the fabric’s resistance to sunlight and tells you how fast it tends to fade. If you choose a fabric with a lightfastness around 4-8, you are well covered.
Pilling describes the formation of small loose strands or balls of fibres on the surface of the fabric. Pilling can occur on upholstery fabric regardless of material, and has no bearing on fabric quality, functionality or durability.
Pilling is easily removed and isn't considered a fabric defect or fault, it’s simply loose fibres that have a natural tendency to move to the surface of a piece of fabric, where they are subject to friction. Pilling will reduce once the excess fibres are removed, but to avoid excess lint choose a pilling value above 4.
Our fabrics are all made from sustainable and honest sources, e.g. 100 % wool, recycled plastic bottles, recycled cotton, and we’re proud that most of our fabrics are OEKO-TEX certified. All fabrics are 100% free of heavy metals such as nickel, lead or chromium. Choose a sustainable upholstery like our Bergo, Ocean or Axus fabrics made from recycled materials in natural dyes, and if you are looking for leather, you should always choose a leather which is traceable like our Quattro.
Now you are all set to find the perfect fabric for the sofa of your dreams and remember that we are always here to guide and help you.