Vintage fabrics give your home a rare touch and an opportunity to furnish with clothes that belonged to a previous era. What makes vintage upholstery fabric different is that they are unique, the printing method, the print, material of the cloth, all were different from the modern machine weaved materials.
There is nothing as royal as retro and antique coordinated amazingly. Off lately the retro culture has swept the world of its feet again. The fabrics were pretty much out casted until recently. They have ceased to exist and have spent many years hidden away. Fortunately, we are up for the designs again. You ask why?
The fabrics and designs are perfect for genuine vintage furniture and decors. While the modern colors and designs don’t do much justice to retro.
A room decorated with antique pieces and furniture but modern colors and fabrics looks like heinous crime. It might look good, but you will have to put in a lot of effort to mix and match the modern with vintage. A fusion doesn’t always look great.
Old goes with old. Now, upholstering can be daunting and many are scared of just that. But once you are done with it, you will be more than happy to have that piece at your place.
There are some fabrics that only go with certain pieces. For example a vintage chair looks great in charcoal gray linen and might not look as pretty in any other color or fabric. You must have a good knowledge and very keen understanding of colors and linen. Linen, linen-blend, cotton- velvet and cotton blend are the best fabric material.
These can be also found in the market for cheaper price than other materials. If you want the best deal, you must discover the dark corners of the city and grab yourself a good bargain. Also, these fabrics are soft and sophisticated.
Who doesn’t want their elegance coupled with sophistication? Do not try very dark colors, since they fade faster. Neutral or natural colors do the magic pretty well.
Try smaller prints of fabric, because smaller ones look better on any piece. But the larger ones do not look great (rather weird) on smaller pieces. Do not put retro with modern classics. Keep it simple. Do not go for very flashy prints. Another, most important question is how much fabric do you need? It basically depends on how many pieces you have to upholster.
A sofa or settee can take, may be 10 yards to 13 yards, depending on the size. A chair can take 3 to 7 yards. Before you buy, you must be clear with the quantity, quality and color of the fabric that you want to buy. The most important thing about vintage upholstery fabric is the color.
Choose the color right and you can get the history right. A little mistake and you can make it really dull. Fabric durability and fabric style are important too. Fabric durability, because you do not want to reupholster your pieces in months.
Fabric style is important because you cannot place a piece and make it look like out of place. Choose a fabric that echoes your style, mood and everything placed at your home. Also, consider fade resistance, mildew resistance, allergies and pets.
Microfiber fabrics are lint-free and dust repellant, chances of allergies are less with them. If you love pets and have them at your home, don’t get the delicate fabrics available in market such as silk or fabrics which have lot of texture.
Unless the upholstery is great, it doesn’t really matter if you buy a vintage or modern. Vintage is always great. Just like how they say, old is gold!