| Before you take home that new sofa or upholstered | | | | from kiln-dried hardwood such as oak, alder, birch or |
| chair, check the piece more carefully. This exercise | | | | maple will maintain its high quality and durability. Basically |
| can be confusing since there are so many different | | | | ensure that the frame is sturdy, sits squarely on the |
| styles, construction techniques and quality | | | | floor and the corners are well padded. |
| characteristics. Fabric plays an important role in the | | | | Cushions: |
| beauty of upholstered furniture, but it's the undercover | | | | Cushions should be made from cotton or polyester |
| design that makes the difference in comfort. The | | | | fiber, foam or down. Cushion materials may also |
| following are important tips to consider before | | | | include urethane sheet material, fiber fills, polyester |
| spending a fortune on sofa, chair or any other | | | | battings, springs, feathers. You may find a cushion |
| upholstery: | | | | containing one or a blend of these materials. Basically |
| Fabric: | | | | ensure that the cushion fits snugly and are resilient. |
| This is the first thing you see and is a major selection | | | | Color: |
| factor. The fabric has different grades which are | | | | Choose something colorful, patterned and easy in |
| determined by the quality, design and the amount of | | | | cleaning. Save white or lighter colors for small accent |
| fabric needed to match patterns if it has a design | | | | pieces that don't get a lot of use or can easily be |
| motif. It's also important that the patterns and stripes | | | | recovered at a small expense. |
| match at seams. Patterns may be centered or | | | | Padding: |
| checked. Fabrics should have no wrinkles or puckers | | | | This is important in determining the quality and comfort |
| at the seams, unless they are part of the design. | | | | of a chair or a sofa. Better quality pieces have two or |
| Frame: | | | | three layers of padding. Types of padding include |
| Today, the best quality frames are made of steel, | | | | polyurethane fiber, down, and natural latex foam |
| plastic, laminated boards or a combination of materials. | | | | rubber. |
| For the sofa and upholstered chair, a frame made | | | | |