Upholstered armchairs: what to know about upholstery

How an upholstered armchair is made: materials and upholstery

Upholstered armchairs are indispensable pieces of furniture after a hard day’s work. It must be comfortable, soft and have great aesthetic value. To make this happen, we must choose a high quality material for our armchair, restistant for the padding and an upholstery suitable for our needs.

Let’s find out what covers are available for upholstered armchairs.

Leather armchairs: the upholstery par excellence

In interior design, leather is always synonymous with elegance and refinement. Leather armchairs convey an appealing and timeless charm in the home.

To speak simply of leather is reductive. There are various types of leather, each of which has specific characteristics:

• grain leather: this is made from the upper part of an animal’s hide and is the most durable and valuable part.
• full-grain leather: even more valuable than full-grain leather, because it does not need any touch-up treatment of the coat. It is distinguished by its open pore (visible with a magnifying glass) and differences in grain and markings that accentuate its beauty.
• ecoleather: i.e. genuine leather of animal origin, which has undergone an environmentally friendly tanning process and therefore has a low environmental impact.
• Imitation leather: i.e. an industrial product not of animal origin, but obtained from cotton cloth or synthetic fibre on which a film of plastic material (generally polyurethane) is “smeared”. The typical roughnesses of the different leathers are then imprinted in order to perfectly imitate the characteristics of real leather.

Depending on the type of leather, the price also changes. For an upholstered leather armchair, it is possible to spend up to several thousand euros.

Fabric armchairs: the types of textiles

A fabric armchair is a modern style seat that can be customised in colours and especially in the most varied fabrics. When faced with the choice of purchasing a fabric-covered armchair, one of the first decisions to make is between natural fabrics or synthetic fabrics.

Natural fabrics are made from plant and animal fibres. The most common for upholstering armchairs are cotton, linen or wool. These are breathable and light, but susceptible to wear and tear and require some maintenance, especially wool.

Synthetic fabrics are obtained from artificial fibres, often derived from petroleum or plastics. We mention viscose, nylon, microfibre and polyester. These materials, compared to natural fabrics, are more resistant and easier to clean but less breathable.

The most obvious characteristic for fabric armchairs is that this type of upholstery is very versatile. A variety of fabrics with patterns, stripes, prints and geometric and natural motifs can be found on the market.

Velvet armchairs: elegance and refinement

Having a velvet armchair in the living room or bedroom is synonymous with wealth and nobility. Velvet is a fabric whose pile is less than 3 mm high. Again, there are many types of velvet. Generally speaking, it is divided into two broad categories:

• warp velvet produced from cotton, wool, rayon and blends.
• weft velvet, which in turn is divided into corduroy and plain velvet made from fabric cut by hand or with special machines.

Velvet lends softness and warmth to the room, making it pleasant to live in, alone or in company. The combinations that can be made with a velvet armchair are really varied and can offer truly special solutions thanks to their colours and original designs.

Upholstered cowhide armchairs: timeless appeal

Hide is a material that for years now has rightfully entered the world of interior design. From walls to floors, from sofas to armchairs, from decorative accessories to furniture: leather can be used in even the most unthinkable places. It is one of the most luxurious, refined and timeless materials.

It is a type of leather that is derived from original animal hides that have undergone a process known as ‘tanning’, making it rot-proof.

Furthermore, leather has a great insulating capacity. It is soft, easy to work and durable. Thanks to these specific characteristics, with time, this material manages to accentuate its charm thanks to an aged effect of great aesthetic beauty and charm.

The hidecow armchair is for lovers of vintage style, never out of fashion, with strong colours in shades of brown.

How to upholster an armchair? Do-it-yourself methods

If you have had an armchair for a long time and want to change the upholstery to match your furniture, there is no need to worry.

When choosing fabric for upholstered armchairs, be guided not only by the aesthetic aspect, but also by the use you want to make of it. Be careful when choosing fabrics with patterns and consider how these will run along the armchair!

Here is what you need to upholster upholstered armchairs:

• fabric scissors
• upholstery fabric
• black felt-tip pen
• trimmings
• fabric glue
• compressed air stitch gun
• sewing machine
• hood filter

Get help to measure the back, seat and armrests, create the patterns and run the sewing machine underneath to make the fold around. Once the chair parts have been created, cover the seat by cutting off the excess fabric, and tuck the seat between the back and seat. Using the stitch gun and glue, attach the upholstery to the frame of the chair by pulling it tight. Finally, turn the armchair upside down and finish the underside of the seat with hood filter and a white cotton cloth.