Monday, November 3, 2014

Upholstery Fabric Guide

The fabric of an upholstered piece is the most visible sign of quality and style. Upholstery fabric also is the part most likely to show wear and soil. When choosing upholstery, you should be aware of its durability, cleanability, and resistance to soil and fading.











+ enlarge image How will your upholstered pieces be used in your home? Sofas, chairs, and ottomans receiving only moderate amounts of wear will do fine with a less durable fabric.
However, pieces subjected to daily heavy wear need to be covered in tough, durable, tightly woven fabrics.
When purchasing upholstery fabric or upholstered furniture, be aware that the higher the thread count, the more tightly woven the fabric is, and the better it will wear. Thread count refers to the number of threads per square inch of fabric.

Natural Fabrics

Linen: Linen is best suited for formal living rooms or adult areas because it soils and wrinkles easily. And, it won't withstand heavy wear. However, linen does resist pilling and fading. Soiled linen upholstery must be professionally cleaned to avoid shrinkage.
Leather: This tough material can be gently vacuumed, damp-wiped as needed, and cleaned with leather conditioner or saddle soap.
Cotton: This natural fiber provides good resistance to wear, fading, and pilling. It is less resistant to soil, wrinkling, and fire. Surface treatments and blending with other fibers often atone for these weaknesses. Durability and use depend on the weave and finish. Damask weaves are formal; canvas (duck and sailcloth) is more casual and more durable.
Wool: Sturdy and durable, wool and wool blends offer good resistance to pilling, fading, wrinkling, and soil. Generally, wool is blended with a synthetic fiber to make it easier to clean and to reduce the possibility of felting the fibers (causing them to bond together until they resemble felt). Blends can be spot-cleaned when necessary.
Cotton Blend: Depending on the weave, cotton blends can be sturdy, family-friendly fabrics. A stain-resistant finish should be applied for everyday use.
Vinyl: Easy-care and less expensive than leather, vinyls are ideal for busy family living and dining rooms. Durability depends on quality.
Silk: This delicate fabric is only suitable for adult areas, such as formal living rooms. It must be professionally cleaned if soiled.

Synthetic Fabrics

Acetate: Developed as imitation silk, acetate can withstand mildew, pilling, and shrinking. However, it offers only fair resistance to soil and tends to wear, wrinkle, and fade in the sun. It's not a good choice for furniture that will get tough everyday use.
Acrylic: This synthetic fiber was developed as imitation wool. It resists wear, wrinkling, soiling, and fading. Low-quality acrylic may pill excessively in areas that receive high degrees of abrasion. High-quality acrylics are manufactured to pill significantly less.
Nylon: Rarely used alone, nylon is usually blended with other fibers to make it one of the strongest upholstery fabrics. Nylon is very resilient; in a blend, it helps eliminate the crushing of napped fabrics such as velvet. It doesn't readily soil or wrinkle, but it does tend to fade and pill.
Olefin: This is a good choice for furniture that will receive heavy wear. It has no pronounced weaknesses.
Polyester: Rarely used alone in upholstery, polyester is blended with other fibers to add wrinkle resistance, eliminate crushing of napped fabrics, and reduce fading. When blended with wool, polyester aggravates pilling problems.
Rayon: Developed as an imitation silk, linen, and cotton, rayon is durable. However, it wrinkles. Recent developments have made high-quality rayon very practical.

excerpt taken from http://www.bhg.com/decorating/lessons/basics/guide-to-upholstery-fabrics/

Thursday, July 3, 2014

What to look for when selecting an upholstery company


What to look for when selecting an upholstery company
Experience & Longevity
Companies in business for long periods of time develop the necessary expertise and demonstrate staying power.  They have a proven record of long-term reliability.  Valley Interiors has 35 + years in the upholstery business.
Workmanship Guarantee
Guarantees reduce the risk consumers face in the decision process.  Valley Interiors guarantees its workmanship for one year.
People
From the initial phone call through the selection of fabric to the actual upholstery and delivery of your furniture, you interact with people- the caring and competency of the people impact your overall experience with a company.  Valley Interiors’ people are committed to being the best.
On site workroom
You want the company you engage to be responsible for its workmanship and carry the necessary insurance; companies lose control when they broker or subcontract their work to others.  Valley Interiors carries the necessary insurance and has its own workroom and its own craftspeople; we invite you to tour our workroom, meet our crafts people, and observe our work.
Fabric Selection
Look for a company that can offer you access to the color and fabric options that are available today.  Valley Interiors carries thousands of designer fabrics from the finest fabric distributors.  You will also find hundreds of in stock fabrics purchased directly from the mill allowing us to pass 50-75% savings on to you, our valued customer.
One stop shopping & additional services
Investigate additional related services; custom window coverings, designer floor coverings, granite, furniture repair and refinishing, and remodel services.  Our qualified designers are always available to help you in our 12,000 sq.ft. showroom or by appointment at your home or office.

WHY UPHOLSTER OR REUPOLSTER?


Why Upholster?

Quality

If your existing furniture was constructed with quality materials by craftspeople using quality techniques, don’t replace it; Upholster it. 
 

Size & Style

You determine whether to maintain the current size and style of your furniture or make design changes for the new look you want. 

Comfort

Why trade the comfort of an existing piece of furniture for something that looks new?  Have the the best of both worlds – old comfort and a new look. 

Color & Fabric Selection

Take advantage of the technological advances in colors and fabrics, and all the new available options in patterns, textures, and materials
Sentimental Value

Continue the memories from generation to generation as pieces and stories are handed own. 

Environmentally Conscious

Save a forest. 

Antique Collector

Either as an investment or as a means of furnishing your home, refurbishing antiques can pay dividends. 

Dollar & Sense

Within the last 15 years, quality furniture doubled in price. Where it hasn’t, cheaper materials are used to make up for the increase.  When you combine the craftsmanship of the past with the latest advances in fabrics and materials, a good piece of furniture can be upholstered for between 25% and 50% of what it would cost to purchase like quality furniture.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Valley Interiors is a family owned interior design company spanning four generations. We invite you to visit our 12,000 square foot showroom, tour our onsite workroom and meet with our designers and skilled craftspeople. Whether you need one yard of fabric to take with you from our in-stock collection or require assistance with designing the interior of your home or office, Valley Interiors provides a one-stop shopping experience. 


    
Family Owned - Spanning Four Generations
    12,000 Square-Foot Showroom 
    One-Stop Shopping
    On-site Workrooms
    Qualified Designers
    Expert Craftspeople
    Professional Installation

Our Core Values:
    Honesty and Integrity in All We Do
    Respect the Individual
    A Serving Mentality
    Open Communication
    Teaming Approach
    Solution Centered Approach
    Do It Right the First Time
    Continuous Improvement
    Attention to Detail
    Enjoy the Journey...
    Have Fun and Wear a Smile