By: Keith Joyce
VP of Operations

If you’ve ever wondered why some sofas and chairs cost more than others, the reason might not be construction hidden beneath the fabric – it might BE the fabric.  Obviously some fabrics are more expensive… wools, silks, and fine cottons are more costly than most synthetics… but a major cost factor might be the PATTERN of the fabric.

Modestly-priced upholstery in patterned fabrics will usually center the fabric on each back cushion and each seat cushion but let the “chips fall where they may” on the rest of the piece.  Better upholstery will match the pattern from the bottom front to the bottom rear and everywhere in between, sometimes even matching the pattern on the welt cords of the piece.  The bigger the pattern, the more fabric it takes to match it up.  In the industry, we refer to the “repeat” of a fabric – how often the pattern repeats on the roll.  Fabric patterns can run “up the bolt,” meaning from side to side on the fabric as you unroll it – or “railroaded,” where the fabric repeats from end to end on the bolt.  Standard upholstery fabric is 54” wide, but it can be as narrow as 36.”

The method of producing the fabric can make a huge difference; woven patterns cost more than prints.  Hand-screened prints can be very costly.  Just remember… when you go into any furniture store to shop for sofas, take a long, hard look at how the pattern (if any) is applied.  Do stripes and plaids line up properly?  Do vines and flowers connect properly?  Is the pattern in the same place on the arms or cushions?  A fine sofa, like a fine suit of clothing, requires hand-cutting to a pattern and careful sewing… it’s labor-intensive and more of an art than a job.  Mass-produced sofa fabrics are machine-cut to maximize the yield from each yard with little attention to pattern-matching.

All that really matters is that your new sofa suit your needs and tastes… but I hope this helps you understand the difference!

Visit us at Bowen Town & Country Furniture in Winston-Salem, NC.  We are located at 1910 Mooney Street, right off Stratdford Road…near Hanes Mall.