Walking into a fabric store can be completely overwhelming with all the different color, style and finish choices. How can you be sure that you'll still love the fabric you choose now in six months? Reupholstering your furniture is a great option for changing up a piece of furniture that is still in great shape, but it's still a minor investment. You need to know that the fabric you choose will work great for your particular application and that it will stay looking great into the future. Here's a room by room overview with some hints for getting the right fabric for your next project. 

Formal Living Room

Upholstery for the furniture in your formal living room may be a little more delicate than what you would use in other parts of your home. If you keep the area under lock and key away from kids and pets, there are some truly gorgeous fabrics such as silk, linen, and leather that can be safely used. Formal rooms, in general, don't receive the daily traffic that a traditional living room or television room receives, so damask cotton and other stunning fabrics that require professional cleaning are ideal. 

Television Room or Man Cave

These high-traffic areas need a particularly sturdy material that will hold up over time. In this case, look for fabric to upholster that has a high Martindale (single rubs) or Wyzenbeek (double rubs) rating. These scores are a way of rating the durability of the material, based on rubbing two pieces of material together. Look for Martindale ratings of 30,000 or more, while anything greater than 25,000 is a good range for a Wyzenbeek rating. Polyester or nylon blends are some of the strongest fabrics that also resist wrinkling, but may pill or fade. However, they're still good bets for areas that are likely to receive some rough usage or spills.

Best Bets for Pets

Your furry friends are an important part of your family, but you don't want to advertise that they're spending time on your fabric-covered furniture. So, what's the ideal solution for pets? Moisture-resistant styles are best, and patterns can hide a lot of problems too. If your pets don't have sharp claws (or fangs!) leather may be a good option as it quickly wipes clean. Avoid silk and chenilles, which are too delicate for your four-legged friends and look for something marketed as "performance" fabric.

Selecting the ideal fabric for your next upholstery project isn't rocket science, but it is important to get the right matches so your project turns out as great as you imagine it! The professionals at CushionWorld have many years of experience ensuring that homeowners are pleased with their final project. Come in today to learn more — mention this blog and you'll receive 20 percent off of your labor costs when CushionWorld handles your upholstery job!