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Because more and more people tend to go towards comfort and luxury upholstered furniture is getting popular due to the demand. While you can’t see what is inside in terms of materials, they do make a big difference when we compare the comfort of furniture.

Fabrics can always be changed because sometimes new trends appear or we get the materials that are better than the previous, it’s normal. Comfortable upholstered furniture can be something that you want to try and each of us wants to go home and relax for sure. But having a good environment to do so is important so let’s check what we can really get out of them.

What Is Upholstery, Anyway?

o15 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: fede_

Upholstery is actually the material that makes the soft coverings of chair, sofas and similar furniture. To define upholstery, we need to look at the fabric materials that get into furniture, they are responsible for making the experience more enjoyable.

o14 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: Alidad Ltd & Studio A

Upholstery meaning also refers to the craft that has evolved over many centuries like padding and covering chairs or seats. Before sewing machines started to appear or synthetic fabrics upholstery was the process that was being used.

o16 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: Krista + Home

Upholstered furniture has been done since the middle ages and grew a lot of popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries. It can be applied to the new or old furniture and can serve different purposes. You can use it to restore furniture that needs some repairment, you can use it to make your furniture more comfortable and to restyle furniture.

In terms of the interior materials, they also shouldn’t be looked upon as an afterthought. Even though they can’t be seen, the longevity of your furniture depends on them. Choosing high-quality inner layers can be sure to help you make the furniture that you have to last for a lot of years.

Upholstery fabric can be found easily but making the right decision for your furniture can be the challenge you face sometimes. The idea is that upholstery can be a blend of many or just a single type of fiber. So, you need to understand the design and aesthetic that you want to get from your furniture.

We recommend you check Kovi Fabrics, where you can browse a huge collection of upholstery materials and learn more about the best choice for your rooms and type of furniture.

How to Choose the Best Upholstery Furniture

o17 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: S / Wiley Interior Photography

If you want to go for high-quality furniture go for the best that you can buy. If you go for the cheap ones even if they look good now, they will get bad quite fast in a matter of years.

So, to make the best choice for a good long-term solution, follow these guidelines. Start with the two most important factors that are comfort and design. A big mistake that people make is that they consider how the fabric or leather is going to age over in time so make sur to check the label and ask all the questions that you have in mind when you are in the showroom.

You need to know what materials are used and how hard it is to clean. By making this you will get better upholstery furniture for sure. Depending on the fabric that you go also think about the interior that you want to do or already have, they need to be a match.

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Image source: Schell Brothers

Stain-resistant fabric is probably the best one to go with especially if we are talking about a family room. Cotton can also do the job because it is long-lasting and is quite comfortable. The investment that you are going to do needs to be done smart.

When you shop try to sit on each piece that you are considering and see how you feel indifferent position. Do your legs fit, does it feel comfortable when you are on your back, try all kind of positions while having in mind the upholstered furniture that you want to have in the end.

Before you purchase the upholstery furniture checks these tips:

  • the wood joints need to be sliding each one into the other
  • choose fabrics that complement both the furniture and the design of your interior
  • chairs or sofas don’t have to feel light because they might flip easily
  • larger pieces should not sag in the middle
  • check the frame pieces and make sure they fit well each other
  • consider the suitability of the fabric weight, a fabric with texture vs a smooth finish is less likely to require often cleaning
  • allergies, make sure to take into account the fabrics that you are going to use because of some deposit easier dirt, pet hairs and even more

Types of Upholstered Furniture

There are a lot of upholstered furniture models and you can play around with colors, design and different patterns. This means that you can get creative and you will be able to go for really cool choices.

We will show you some different types of upholstered furniture that have done well in the years.

Circular Ottoman

o1 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks goodImage source: Janet Scagel Design

They are upholstery furniture that was created in the 18th century by the Turkish Ottoman Empire. They are very elegant and look great as a decorative piece of furniture that brings a small dramatic effect. Some of them even have storage spaces so take advantage of this type of upholstered furniture

French Ottoman

o2 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: Garrison Hullinger Interior Design Inc.

The French Ottoman has different woodwork art that is made to look at a chair or sofa that comes from the same style. Most of the times you are going to see them in traditional, elegant spaces.

Wing-Back Chair + Modern Wing Chair

o3 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: Castanes Architects

This is a cool chair that also has some “wings” mounted to its back. The purpose of them is to enclose the head or torso areas of your body so that you can get better protection from drafts.

Club Chair

o4 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks goodImage source: Laura Hunt Design

Club chairs are usually big and have long armrests. They are upholstered in leather and although the style is outdated for sure you are going to see some variety of models in certain places.

Snuggler

o5 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: John Lewis & Partners

The Smuggler is cool upholstered furniture that fit two people and comes in a lot of styles and designs. However, its end goal is, of course, to let the people relax on it.

The modern Bespoke Sofa

o6 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: Georgina Gibson Interior Design

The best furniture companies always offer options that were not previously available especially if they want to keep their customer loyal. Semi upholstered furniture is a popular alternative today and you can choose the depth of what you want to do it.

Tub Chair

o7 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: Grafton Home

The name basically speaks from itself; it gives you a great comfortable vibe when sitting in a tub. The structure is perfect for relaxation and you can have great times while you are in it.

Fauteuil Chair

o8 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: Cecilie Starin Design Inc.

This simply means armchair in French and it goes to the old classic models that were done there. The arms are over-upholstered to match the seat and its back.

Bergere

o9 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: DOVETAIL DOMINIQUE

This upholstered furniture comes from the French style and it looks really nice especially if you want to get a more classic effect in your house.

Slipper

o10 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: Carmen

They are a category of low upholstered chair that are around 15 inches from the ground. The first style really became popular in the 18th century and also at the beginning of the 20th century.

Loose back/seat

o11 What is upholstered furniture and why it looks good
Image source: Beige

This is an upholstered furniture piece that matches perfectly a casual style and it allows you to flip the cushions from the front or the back depending on what you need.

Commercial Upholstery

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Image source: Kendle Design Collaborative

Commercial upholstery goes for different markets like hospitality, health and fitness, education and government buildings so we can really say that it has a big impact on the overall design of these spaces.

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