Cosmos Upholstery

Re-upholstery is the removal of a piece of furnitures’ top fabric and then adding to, or replacing some of the wadding or stuffing. The upholsterer will often have to ‘open up’ a chair or sofa before advising how much work is required.

Sofa and chair cushions can be made from a wide variety of different materials. The type of material used affects the comfort, cost, look, and durability of the piece of furniture. Your upholsterer will be able to advise you about the best way to meet your needs.

If you are considering having the foam in your upholstered furniture replaced, it’s recommended that you go for the higher density material. Basically, higher density foams are going to last longer because they will retain their shape longer over time.

When used as upholstery, linen is best suited for formal living rooms and gathering areas, as it both soils and wrinkles easily, and won’t withstand heavy wear. However, linen is excellent in its resistance to pilling and fading.

When used as upholstery fabric, wool and wool blends are sturdy and durable, and they offer good resistance to pilling, fading, wrinkling, and soil. In most cases, the wool is blended with a synthetic fiber to reduce the possibility of felting.

Did you know that there are a number of industry standard tests used to ensure the quality of upholstery fabric? This includes the pilling test, which runs the fabric in a circular motion and then rates it based on the amount of pilling or fuzzing that occurs.

Before the invention of spring coils for armchairs and sofas, upholsterers used flock, feathers, straw, hay, and horse, hog, or cow hair. In contrast, modern upholsterers often employ synthetic materials for their durability, including dacron and vinyl.

Did you know that having the foam replaced in your upholstered furniture can actually add years of life to it and save you money in the long run? It’s recommended that when you do this you upgrade to high density, fire retardant foam for durability and safety purposes.

Flexible polyurethane foam is a popular kind of cushion filling as it’s relatively inexpensive, comes in a variety of different thicknesses, and has various degrees of firmness, making it ideal for both seat and back cushions.

In upholstery foam, one factor that’s considered is density, or the weight of 1 cubic foot of the foam. Basically, the better the foam quality, the longer it will last and spring back. The density rating of the best quality foam will be between 1.8 and 3.2.

Did you know that the polyurethane foam used in upholstery is comprised of cells that can either be opened or closed? Open cells will literally open into the neighboring cells, while closed cells do not, enabling this type of foam to float longer and making it ideal for marine applications.

Upholstered wing chairs can be identified by the wings or side panels that frame the upper portion of the chair back. Originally, these extensions helped shield the occupant from drafts or heat from a fireplace.

Flat-surfaced fabrics like damask, brocade, and satin show the effects of abrasion because the long yarns on the surface are subject to wear. Pile fabrics, like plush and velvet, withstand abrasion quite well as they are made of firm yarns, with deep and close pile that is firmly held to the ground cloth.