The Hart Design Selection Guide to Exceptional Upholstery Fabrics

ByCéline Vanier

Fabric carries the soul of an interior. It dresses a chair, lines a wall, falls from a window; it is touched every day, and it decides whether a room will age well. From Lyon silks to mohair velvets, from washed linens to technical outdoor cloths, choosing a fabric means choosing a fibre, a weave, a level of resistance and a way of living with it.

This guide brings together what you need to know to choose, combine and care for high-end upholstery fabrics, and leads to our detailed guides on each subject.

The great fabric houses

Pierre Frey, Rubelli, Dedar, Lelièvre, Prelle, Tassinari & Chatel, Zimmer + Rohde, Designers Guild: each house has its signature. In Venice, Rubelli keeps jacquard and velvet alive on historic looms; in Lyon, Prelle and Tassinari & Chatel weave the silks of historic residences; Pierre Frey draws on its archives for its re-editions; Dedar pushes velvets and fibre blends further than anyone. Knowing the houses means knowing where to look for quality.

High-end green upholstery fabric

FABRIC HOUSES

Upholstery fabrics from A to Z

ReadThe must-know upholstery fabric brands · Paris Déco Off 2026 · Fine upholstery

Materials

The fibre decides almost everything: hand, drape, resistance, reaction to light and humidity. Silk is the most luminous but fears the sun: as curtains, it must always be lined. Linen takes on a patina and creases with elegance. Wool is warm, resilient and naturally hard to ignite. Mohair makes the most hard-wearing velvets. Cotton is versatile, hemp robust and low-input. Man-made fibres, viscose or polypropylene, have their place when you know what you are asking of them. Less common, sisal and raffia, alpaca and horsehair each have their use.

Close-up of a woven upholstery fabric

TEXTILE MATERIALS

Noble and synthetic fibres

ReadThe textile materials guide · Velvet · Bouclé · Linen, wool, silk: natural luxury

Resistance and use

The Martindale test measures abrasion resistance in rubs. Usual benchmarks: 10,000 to 15,000 rubs for an occasional chair, 25,000 to 30,000 for a family sofa, above 40,000 for hospitality and public spaces. But the number is not everything: weave density, fibre and yarn twist matter just as much. A dense cotton velvet at 30,000 rubs often ages better than a loose weave rated at 50,000. On a seat, the quality of the upholstery beneath the fabric counts just as much.

Coloured upholstery velvet

MARTINDALE TEST

Resistance and use

ReadThe Martindale rub test guide · Upholstery foams

Care

Each material has its own gestures. Silk goes to a professional. Velvet is brushed gently in the direction of the pile. A pre-washed linen can be washed as a loose cover; otherwise, dry clean. Bouclé needs frequent dusting and immediate stain removal. When a stain appears: dab, never rub, from the outside in, with a white cloth. Against light, the first cause of fabric wear, sheers, linings and cushion rotation do more than any treatment.

Close-up of an upholstery velvet

FABRIC CARE

The right gestures

ReadThe practical upholstery fabric care guide

Outdoor fabrics

High-end outdoor fabrics are woven from solution-dyed fibres: acrylic, as at Sunbrella or Dickson, or polypropylene. Because the colour is inside the fibre, it resists UV; the fabric withstands humidity and chlorine and cleans with soapy water. Outdoor velvets, faux linens and bouclés are now beautiful enough to come indoors, and tough enough for restaurants and hotels.

High-end outdoor fabric

OUTDOOR FABRICS

Solution-dyed

ReadFocus on polypropylene outdoor fabrics · Outdoor trimmings

Trimmings

Braids, piping, fringes, tiebacks, cords: trimmings finish a chair or a curtain, hide the tacks, protect the edges and underline a silhouette. A tone-on-tone braid is discreetly elegant, a contrasting piping draws the volume, a bullion fringe adds movement. It is often the detail that separates good work from exceptional work. Houlès, Declercq Passementiers and Samuel & Sons carry this craft forward.

Curtain finished with trimmings

LUXURY TRIMMINGS

The art of detail

ReadLuxury trimmings · Declercq Passementiers

Combining fabrics

One simple rule almost always works: about 60% of a dominant fabric, plain or textured, to set the base; 30% of a secondary fabric in the same tonal range; 10% of a signature fabric, coloured or patterned, to give character. Patterns combine by scale: a large design at the windows, a medium one on seating, a small one on cushions. Five to seven fabrics are enough for a room; beyond that, coherence suffers. Trimmings tie them together.

Fabric on walls and floors

Fabric does not stop at seats and windows. Stretched over wadding on a wall, it brings warmth and silence; paper-backed, it becomes a wallcovering; woven in wool, silk or plant fibres, it makes the finest rugs.

To go further: fabric walling explained by a professional, the work of the London master Stephen Franklin, textured wallcoverings and our guide to rugs and carpets.

Frequently asked questions

Which fabric for a sofa used every day?

A dense fabric of at least 25,000 to 30,000 Martindale rubs: cotton or mohair velvet, wool bouclé, tightly woven linen and cotton blends. With children or pets, choose a tight weave without loops that snag, and a mid tone rather than a very pale one.

Should silk curtains be lined?

Yes, always. Silk deteriorates quickly in light; a lining, and ideally an interlining, protects it, gives it drape and extends its life by several years.

Can an outdoor fabric be used indoors?

Yes. Solution-dyed fabrics are highly resistant to stains, humidity and light; they suit hallways, kitchen banquettes, holiday homes and spaces open to the public.

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