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How to Choose Upholstery
From sofas suited to busy family life to elegant occasional chairs, choosing the right upholstery to suit your needs, and your home can be difficult. With so many choices out there, The Conran Shop has compiled a handy guide on how to select your ideal fabric. Plus, you’ll find further information about our exclusive collection of fabrics.
Key Considerations
A luxury sofa, armchair or ottoman is not only an investment in your décor but also in the comfort and ambience of your home. As a result, it’s important to find upholstery that will continue to complement your furnishings and provide lasting comfort for its entire lifespan. Here are some key things to consider when choosing the perfect upholstery:
What colour will complement my room? Whether you’re wanting to make a statement or looking for something more subtle, it’s important to think about the complete look you want to achieve when selecting your upholstery. Don’t forget, you can accent neutral upholstery with statement cushions for a versatile aesthetic.
Which texture is right for me? Texture plays an extremely important role in any room so don’t be afraid to mix textures by experimenting with your upholstery and soft furnishings to create inspiring combinations. Soften leather upholstery with a cashmere throw, or pair natural linen upholstery with chunky knitted cushions.
How much wear and tear will my upholstery endure? If your furniture is going to be used in a high-traffic room, make sure you select upholstery that is durable enough to keep up. A fabric’s Martindale rub-count will help determine this.
What is the Martindale Test?
When selecting fabric upholstery, you are likely to come across the Martindale test. This clever test has been specially designed to show how much wear and tear a fabric will take before there is a change in appearance. The test’s results are measured in 'rubs' and are useful for determining the durability of a fabric.
10,000 rubs or less: A fabric with less than 10,000 rubs is recommended for decorative accessories, such as cushions, and is not suited to general use.
10,000 to 15,000 rubs: Ideal for light domestic use and perfect for upholstering occasional furniture.
15,000 to 25,000 rubs: This fabric is perfect for furniture that will be used every day. It is not suited to extremely high-use seating as repeated use will place unnecessary stress on the threads.
25,000 to 30,000 rubs: A fabric with this level of durability is ideal for heavy domestic use on furniture such as swivel chairs and sofas.
30,000 rubs or more: Fabrics with this standard of rubs are commercial grade and suited to heavy-use furniture in busy homes.
Key Leather Upholstery Terms
Aniline Leather: One of the most luxurious forms of leather, aniline leather is renowned for its soft texture and natural finish. Dyed using a water-soluble dye to ensure the leather’s grain remains visible, this leather doesn't have any colour coating on its surface for a natural, refined finish.
Corrected Grain: If a full-grain leather displays scratches or scarring, it is further processed in a process called correcting. This process simulates a natural grain pattern for a flawless finish.
Full-Grain: Full-grain leather is taken from the upper layer of animal hide and displays natural marking when left uncorrected. This is one of the hardiest and most durable forms of leather.
Natural Grain: When leather is described as having a natural grain, this means that the hide's original blemishes, follicles and scarring have not been corrected and can be seen on the leather. This lends the leather a truly authentic finish and texture.
Pigmented Leather: Pigmented leather is one of the most durable forms of leather. It is achieved by buffing the leather to remove natural blemishes and creating a new top surface using a coloured polymer coating which is then embossed to create an appearance of a grain.
The Exclusive Fabric Upholstery Edit
All of the sofas, armchairs and ottomans in The Conran Shop’s Build Your Own collection are upholstered in fabric from our very own fabric edit. Each fabric has been specially selected for its high-quality finish, durability and texture. Explore each of our upholstery options in further detail below, and if you'd like a closer look you can order complimentary samples of each fabric here.
Linen
Woven at a family-run mill in Belgium using locally grown flax, this high-quality 100% linen fabric is ideal for contemporary, everyday furnishings. Durable, breathable and sustainable, it uses little water during growth and requires minimal chemical treatment.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 100% Linen
Country of origin: Belgium
Martindale rubs: 25,000
Suited to: Daily-use furniture
Texture: Soft and durable
Stonewash Linen
Woven and stonewashed at a family-run mill in Belgium using locally grown flax, this high-quality 100% linen fabric is ideal for contemporary, everyday furnishings. Soft, flexible and sustainable, it uses little water during growth and requires minimal chemical treatment.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 75% Linen 18% Viscose 7% Nylon
Country of origin: Belgium
Martindale rubs: 35,000
Suited to: Daily-use furniture
Texture: Soft and flexible
Textured Chenille
Woven at a mill in Italy using an unrivalled combination of industrial technologies and artisanal techniques, this soft cotton-blend fabric is ideal for upholstering relaxed sofas.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 40% Viscose 25% Cotton 23% Acrylic 7% Polyester 5% Other Fibres
Country of origin: Italy
Martindale rubs: 30,000
Suited to: Relaxed sofas
Texture: Soft
Bouclé
Woven at a 100-year-old mill in Northern Italy, this elegant cotton and wool blend boasts a chunky textural handle. The fabric is perfect for upholstering accent chairs.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 30% Wool 30% Polyester 25% Acrylic 13% Cotton 2% Nylon
Country of origin: Italy
Martindale rubs: 35,000
Suited to: Accent chairs
Texture: Soft and luxurious
Wilbur Alpaca Blend
Woven in Italy using traditional techniques combined with modern technology, this alpaca and wool blend boasts a naturally thick texture. This fabric is ideal for upholstering everyday sofas and chairs.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 26% Wool 25% Cotton 25% Acrylic 24% Alpaca
Country of origin: Italy
Martindale rubs: 25,000
Suited to: Daily-use furniture
Texture: Soft and naturally thick
Twisted Yarn Cotton Blend
Woven by esteemed textiles house Sahco in Belgium from a combination of twisted yarn and chenille, this textural fabric has an incredibly soft handle. Its unique, hardwearing nature is perfect for everyday furniture.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 52% Cotton 22% Viscose 14% Acetate 6% Linen 3% Nylon 3% Polyester
Country of origin: Belgium
Martindale rubs: 50,000
Suited to: Daily-use furniture
Texture: Soft and durable
Duro Velvet
Woven in Italy using 100% cotton, this incredibly soft fabric features a thick pile and is stain and crush resistant - perfect for extremely high-use furniture in dining and living spaces.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 100% Cotton
Country of origin: Italy
Martindale rubs: 70,000
Suited to: Extremely high-use furniture
Texture: Soft, thick pile that is stain and crush resistant
Strange Loves
An acrylic outdoor fabric crafted in Italy and resistant to weather conditions. Suitable only for outdoor use.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 100% Polyacryl
Martindale rubs: 24,300
Suited to: Medium and high-use furniture
Texture: Soft
Dolce
A waterproof and washable polyester blend from Spain. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 47% Polypropylene 20% Modacrylic 15% Cotton 13% Polyester 5% Polyurethane Fibre
Suited to: Medium and high-use furniture
Texture: Soft
Bora Bora
A hard-wearing polyester blend from Spain that is perfectly suited to both indoor and outdoor use.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 82% Polypropylene 18% Polyester
Suited to: Medium and high-use furniture
Texture: Rug-like
Alpaca Velvet
A luxurious, piece-dyed, deep-pile and robust cotton blend from Italy.
Technical Specifications
Composition: Composition: 39% Cotton 28% Alpaca 11% Polyester 9% Virgin Wool 7% Nylon 6% Viscose
Country of origin: Italy
Martindale rubs: 110,000
Suited to: Daily-use furniture
Texture: Deep and luxurious
Riso Bouclé
A yarn-dyed, jacquard-woven, highly abrasion-resistant larger-scale bouclé from Italy.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 33% Acrylic 32% Viscose 16% Wool 8% Polyester 7% Cotton 4% Linen
Country of origin: Italy
Martindale rubs: 50,000
Suited to: High-use furniture including beds and sofas
Texture: Large and abrasion resistant
The Exclusive Leather Upholstery Edit
Why not give your Build Your Own furniture a premium finish with leather upholstery from The Conran Shop’s very own edit? Each leather finish has been specially selected for its beautiful grain, durability and smooth texture. Explore each of the six leather upholstery options in further detail below and remember to order your complimentary samples here.
Brenta Leather
This extremely robust leather is produced in an Italian tannery using European cowhide with a corrected grain, a pigmented finish and a subtle texture for a uniform aesthetic.
Technical Specifications
Composition: European cowhide with a pigmented finish
Country of origin: Italy
Durability: Incredibly durable
Suited to: High-use furniture
Texture: Corrected grain with a uniform surface and subtle texture
Fermo Leather
Fermo is a high-quality aniline European cowhide with a velvety touch and subtle texture. Produced in an Italian tannery, the leather’s natural grain is enhanced by a wax-oil treatment that gets better with age.
Technical Specifications
Composition: Aniline-dyed European cowhide with wax treatment
Country of origin: Italy
Durability: Durable but susceptible to light and liquid absorption
Suited to: Everyday furniture
Texture: A velvety-like touch and subtle texture
Mustang Leather
This supple matte cowhide has been finished with a soft wax finish to achieve a cracked, matter finish. Mustang Leather is a typical pull-up leather, which means its slightly-contrasting base colour can be seen when the leather shifts position.
Technical Specifications
Composition: 0.9 - 1.0 mm thick leather
Durability: Robust with strong colour retention
Suited to: Everyday furniture
Romagna Leather
A premium soft natural leather with a visible texture, Romagna is produced in an Italian tannery using European cowhide. This aniline leather features a full-grain and is enhanced by a wax and oil blend finish.
Technical Specifications
Composition: Natural full-grain aniline European hide with a wax and oil blend finish
Country of origin: Italy
Durability: Incredibly durable
Suited to: Extremely high-use furniture
Texture: Soft and natural with a visible texture