How To Pick The Perfect Fabric For Your Next Project

Choosing the correct fabric for your home is very important; however, with the vast number of materials, textures, patterns and colours on offer, it can become an overwhelming task.

You will often find yourself asking a series of questions:

How do I narrow down my choice from hundreds of options?

Is practicality the most important factor to consider in my choices?

Will this fabric go with what I already have?

We have been helping our clients pick the perfect fabric for over 8 years, so we have put together a few points to help you with your fabric selection and focus on your decision.

1. What atmosphere do you want to create?

Fabrics create an essential role when attempting to achieve a specific atmosphere in a space. Whether that be a warm and cosy chamber or a light and uplifting room, your fabric must complement this. Choosing a heavier fabric like our Velvets or Faux Leathers are perfect for creating a dark and homely space whereas if you are looking to create a bright space opt for one of our lighter and brighter collections such as Arizona or Bilbao.

2. Warm or cold palette?

The colour palette of a room should depend on how you will be using the room. Warm colours such as reds, yellows, oranges are said to provide energy and positivity and are therefore best used in a home gym or kitchen, the places where you are most active. However, for rooms such as the bathroom or bedroom, a cooler colour palette would perhaps be more fitting. Allow yourself to unwind and relax with soft tones of creams, greys and blues.

3. Contemporary or traditional?

Whether you prefer contemporary designs or opt for a more traditional interior, there is no right or wrong way to style your home. It is important to focus on your personality and personal taste when designing your interior as we can sometimes let the trends of the times take over. If you take anything from this article let it be this; buy the fabric that makes you happy!

4. Pattern

Choosing the correct pattern can be difficult. A small print can be easily lost in a large, busy room but a bold and bright pattern could create a less formal feel to an interior. To choose the perfect fabric for your home, you must assess the other patterns, colours and furniture that will be present when the room is complete. Does it complement them or feel at odds with it?

View our wide range of pattern fabrics here.

5. Texture

Just like patterns, textures can hugely affect the overall feel of a space and should be carefully considered. If you are looking to create a more minimalistic interior, fabrics with less texture are often better as they create a smooth and bright appearance, making the space look very clean and spacious. Take a look at our Suffolk and Wiltshire collections for a softer texture.

However, if a warm and welcoming interior is more your style, use fabrics with weight. Visual weight can be a powerful tool when attempting to draw attention. Heavy textures can also help to create a warmer feel, therefore making a space feel more homely. If you are looking for a more textured fabric, we recommend our Antalya Fabrics or our Comfy Range.

6. Where will it be used?

One of the most important factors to consider when purchasing new fabrics is the use of the fabrics. Your material choice must be practical for its desired use and durability. When purchasing a fabric, it is helpful to know the rub-test of the fabric which is a measurement of the fabric's durability. The higher the rub-test the more durable that fabric is. For soft-furnishing upholstery, we recommend a rub-test score of 25,000 or more to ensure its durability. You can view the rub test of our fabrics on our website.

7. Do you have pets or kids?

You want your chosen fabrics to be able to withstand the wrath of your pets and children! We would recommend looking for easy clean fabrics. But if you can't find your chosen fabric with an easy clean option, you could add a specialised treatment to your fabrics which would add a protective layer and make them easy to clean.

Now let’s talk about pets. Are you sick of tiresome pulls appearing in your sofas and cushions from your pets' pesky paws? Our range of pet friendly fabrics are perfect for the lucky pets that are allowed on the furniture, meaning no more pulled fabric!

8. How we can help.

Our final tip of the day is to 'try before you buy' and make use of our sample service. Ordering vast amounts of fabrics can be daunting if you aren’t 100% sure that it is the right one so make sure you have got the perfect fabric by ordering samples through our website. If you would like to hear more about our sample service and how it works, click here.

We hope we have helped you to whittle down your fabric choices! However, if you have any further questions or would like advice on any of our fabrics, please contact us on Instagram, Facebook or email us at hello@yorkshirefabricshop.com