MATERIALS / FABRIC
LIVING WITH FABRIC.
The weave decides how the sofa ages. Pick it for the household, not the swatch.
MATERIALS / FABRIC
THE SHORT VERSION
For a house with kids or pets, choose a tight performance weave or a removable loose cover. Linen creases and softens and suits calm households or people who love that look. Velvet and bouclé are more formal and need more care. Every upholstery fabric has a cleaning code. Follow it and you'll never make a stain worse.
What it is
WHAT ARE OUR SOFAS UPHOLSTERED IN?
Linen and linen blends, performance weaves, bouclé and velvet, with removable loose covers on some ranges. Most sofas are made to order, so the fabric is your choice.
The honest bit
WHAT WILL HAPPEN ANYWAY
Linen will crease and relax.
Feather-and-fibre seats settle within weeks. The showroom-taut look lasts about as long as new jeans. That's the point of linen.
Velvet will bruise.
Sit marks, arm marks, the shape of a sleeping dog. They brush out along the nap, and they come back.
Bouclé will pill and snag slightly
in the first months. Comb, never pull.
Everything fades in direct sun.
Through a big north or west window, a year is enough to see it.
Pale fabrics show life.
Denim transfer, sunscreen, dog. They clean, but you'll be cleaning.
Where it belongs
WHO EACH FABRIC SUITS
Kids.
Performance weave or a removable loose cover. Not pure linen in a pale tone unless you're relaxed about the look.
Instead: a linen-look performance weave gives the texture without the bill. Sofas →
Pets.
Tight, flat weaves claws can't hook. Avoid bouclé and open-weave linens.
Instead: performance weave, or leather for the least effort of all. Sofas →Leather →
Coastal.
Linen and cotton breathe; velvet holds moisture and can mildew in a house closed up for weeks. For a holiday home, performance weave or a linen blend.
Renting it out.
Removable loose covers in a mid tone, or a performance weave. Nothing pale, nothing with pile.
Instead of velvet: a textured performance weave gives the softness without the bruising. Sofas →
Entertainers.
Velvet and bouclé earn their keep here. Keep a soft brush in the drawer.
MATERIALS / FABRIC
HOW TO CLEAN A FABRIC COUCH
The routine for all fabric. Vacuum weekly with the upholstery brush on low suction; dust is the abrasive that wears fabric out. Plump and turn loose cushions. Blot spills in the first minute with a clean white cloth, from the edge in, never rubbing. Then check the cleaning code before doing anything else. Don't wet the cushion filling, don't use dishwashing or laundry detergent on fixed upholstery, don't scrub, don't dry in direct sun. A professional upholstery clean every year or so does more than any home product.
The cleaning code. Every upholstery fabric carries one from the mill, on the label under the seat and in the specifications:
- W
- water-based cleaner only, applied as foam, never soaking.
- S
- solvent (dry-cleaning) only. Water leaves a ring.
- WS
- either.
- X
- vacuum only; professional clean for anything else.
If you can't find the code, ask us before you clean.
Fabric protection. Some weaves benefit from a fibre protector applied at delivery. It slows absorption; nothing makes fabric stain-proof. Ask us whether it suits your fabric before you pay for it.
Linen
- What it is.
- A natural flax fibre, breathable, with a slightly slubbed texture. Pure linen is the most relaxed upholstery there is.
- What happens.
- It creases the moment you sit in it and softens with use. Seats settle. Pale linen shows denim and sunscreen. It fades in sun.
- Clean.
- Vacuum weekly. Blot spills. Most linens are W or WS: a foam upholstery cleaner on a cloth, never soaked, blotted dry, air-dried out of the sun. Loose linen covers are usually cold machine wash; see below.
- Don't.
- Don't rub a stain; linen fibres fray. Don't iron fixed upholstery. Don't put a pale linen sofa under a west-facing window without sheers.
- Normal vs not.
- Creasing, softening and slight colour variation between pieces are normal. A seam opening or fabric wearing through within a year is not: send us a photo.
Linen blends
- What it is.
- Linen woven with cotton or polyester. Holds its shape better than pure linen, creases less, costs less.
- What happens.
- Softens without collapsing. Less crease, less fade than pure linen. Still not a kids' fabric in a pale tone.
- Clean.
- As linen. Check the code; blends with polyester are usually WS.
- Don't.
- Don't assume it's washable; check the label.
- Normal vs not.
- Mild softening is normal. Pilling that won't stop is not: send us a photo.
Performance weaves
- What it is.
- Tight polyester or polyester-blend weaves engineered for stain resistance and rub-count. They read as linen or wool from across the room. This is what the mills mean by "family fabric".
- What happens.
- Not much. Slight softening. Some show a faint sheen where you sit most. They're the sofas that still look new after the toddler years.
- Clean.
- Most are W or WS and many clean with water alone: blot, then a damp cloth with a drop of mild soap, then blot dry. Vacuum weekly.
- Don't.
- Don't use bleach or solvents unless the code allows. Don't skip the vacuum; grit still wears any weave.
- Normal vs not.
- Faint sheen and softening are normal. A pulled thread from a claw is wear, not a fault. Fabric splitting is not normal: send us a photo.
Bouclé
- What it is.
- A looped, textured yarn, usually wool or a wool blend. The loops are what make it beautiful and what snag.
- What happens.
- Light pilling in the first months, loops that catch on rings and claws, a slight flattening where you sit. Wool bouclé can hold odour in a damp room.
- Clean.
- Vacuum weekly with the brush attachment, low suction, in one direction. Comb pills off with a fabric comb. Tuck a snag back with a blunt needle; never cut it, never pull it. Blot spills; most bouclé is S or X, so use a dry solvent cleaner or call a professional.
- Don't.
- Don't use water on wool bouclé unless the code says W; it can felt. Don't use a beater-bar vacuum head.
- Normal vs not.
- Light pilling, a snag or two and flattening are normal. Loops pulling out in rows or a seam splitting are not: send us a photo.
Velvet
- What it is.
- A cut pile with a nap. Cotton velvet is matt and formal; polyester velvet has more sheen and forgives more.
- What happens.
- Sit marks, arm marks and crushing wherever there's pressure. They brush out along the nap and come back. Polyester velvet fades less than cotton.
- Clean.
- Vacuum gently along the nap with the brush attachment. Blot spills; never rub. Most cotton velvets are S; many polyester velvets are W. After any cleaning, brush along the nap while damp so the pile dries upright. Steam from a hand steamer held well away lifts crushed pile.
- Don't.
- Don't press, iron or lean anything heavy against it. Don't leave it in a closed-up humid room; the pile holds moisture.
- Normal vs not.
- Pressure marks and nap shading are normal. Bald patches or pile shedding in clumps are not: send us a photo.
Removable loose covers
- What it is.
- A slipcover over the sofa frame that comes off for washing. Changes the care conversation completely.
- What happens.
- Covers relax over time and can look slightly loose after washing; that's the look. Colour softens a shade with washing.
- Clean.
- Most are cold machine wash on a gentle cycle, no bleach, no tumble dry, line dry in shade, back on the sofa while very slightly damp so they dry to shape. A few are dry-clean only; check the label.
- Don't.
- Don't hot wash; they shrink. Don't tumble dry. Don't wash the seat pads themselves.
- Normal vs not.
- A relaxed fit and slight fading with washing are normal. Shrinkage from a cold wash, or zips failing, are not: send us a photo.
MATERIALS / FABRIC
IS THIS NORMAL?
- Linen seat softened and creased in the first month: normal.
- Sit marks on velvet: normal. Brush along the nap.
- Light pilling on bouclé or a wool blend: normal. Comb, don't pull.
- Slight colour difference between a sofa and an ottoman ordered later: normal; dye lots vary. Order together if it matters.
- A seam opening, fabric worn through in under a year, or pilling that won't stop: not normal. Send us a photo. Warranty →
Questions Worth Asking
FREQUENTLY ASKED
What's the best couch fabric for kids and dogs?
A tight performance weave in a mid tone, or a removable loose cover you can wash. Leather is the other honest answer.
Is linen a good couch fabric?
Yes, if you want the relaxed, creased, lived-in look and your household is calm. If you want it to stay crisp, choose a linen-look performance weave.
Can I wash my couch covers?
Usually yes, cold and gentle, but check the label; a few are dry-clean only. Put them back on slightly damp.
What does W, S or WS on my couch mean?
The cleaning code. W is water-based only, S is solvent only, WS is either. Using the wrong one turns a small spill into a ring.
How do I clean a bouclé couch?
Vacuum gently in one direction, comb pills, tuck snags. Most bouclé is dry-clean only, so blot spills and call a professional for anything else.
NOT SURE WHICH WEAVE WILL SURVIVE YOUR HOUSE?
Tell us about the kids, the dog and the sun. We'll narrow it to two fabrics in one call. Complimentary.
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