Upholstered Furniture 101

What to know and how to get the most value for the price

Written by Nancy A. Herrick • Photographed by C.R. Laine Furniture

The perfect piece of upholstered furniture can do so much to enhance a room—add color and texture, provide a focal point, and reflect your sense of style. But the range of options are vast in terms of price and style.

Even a first-time buyer can notice some of the hallmarks of quality: straight seams, tight stitches, centered and matched patterns, snug-fitting cushions, tightly sewn fringe and buttons. But there’s more to an upholstered piece than meets the eye. If you’re in the market for a new sofa or chair, here are some of the finer points to keep in mind to get the best value for your money.

Construction
Top quality frames are made from hardwoods such as oak, maple or alder that have been kiln-dried so that they won’t crack or warp as they age or when the humidity changes. Wood is better than metal because it hold screws better, which improves solidity.

The joints of the best furniture are doubledoweled and glued. Corner blocks that are both glued and screwed into place provide increased stability. Frames held together with staples should be avoided. When you sit down, the frame should not wiggle or shift, and there should be no creaking or wobbling. When you reach between the cushions and the frame, you should feel plenty of padding instead of wood.

The number of springs and how they’re reinforced— both in the seat and the back of the piece—help determine a piece’s quality and cost. Eight-way hand-tied springs (in which each spring is connected to its neighbor) enhances comfort, support and durability and is considered the highest quality. Sinuous Sshaped springs running front to back and affixed to the frame also are good.

Cushions
Cushions, which sit on top of the spring system, contribute significantly to comfort. Most are made of a high-density foam core that, in the best pieces, is wrapped with feathers and down. A down substitute or soft polyester also may be used as wrapping. They should be sewn into cotton cases to help them keep their shape and to ensure smooth upholstering.

Until recently, the core of most cushions was made from petroleum-based polyurethane foam. With the growing interest in green alternatives, some furniture manufactures are now using a more natural and affordable choice for fill that contains 20 percent soy to help reduce the petroleum-based content of cushions. Latex cushions are another earth-friendly option. In addition to being all natural (no petroleum products), latex is harvested without killing the rubber tree, so it is a completely renewable resource. However, latex tends to break down more quickly than other types of foam.

Fabric
When it comes to the outer fabric or “cover,” the most important decision is between natural or synthetic fabrics. Natural fibers include cotton, linen, silk and wool; synthetic fibers include acrylic, nylon and polypropylene.

Generally, the tighter the weave and more durable the fiber, the better the wear. Synthetics and synthetic blends generally can withstand the stress of an active, young household. More delicate fabrics, such as satins and damasks, are best used on furnishings that don’t get a lot of wear. Most fabrics are pretreated with a stainresistant finish to keep them looking better longer. Some synthetics, such as Sunbrella’s indoor/outdoor fabrics, are specially designed to resist fading and shrug off dirt and stains.

Leather is the most durable of all natural choices, and has become more affordable in the last decade. While leather tends to improve with age, it can stain. Like all upholstered furniture, it needs regular vacuuming.

At most furniture stores, you can select a fabric from a manufacturer’s offerings to create the look you want. If you find a chair style you like, but want to use a specific fabric—something that matches your window treatments, for example—some retailers will upholster your piece in a fabric you supply for an extra charge. You may also be able to choose a variety of decorative touches, such as nailheads, fringe, piping or even wood finishes to customize your piece. If you can’t find exactly what you want, you may want to consider the custom route and use a designer. This can be much more expensive, but the choices are plentiful.

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