When it comes to designing a pet-friendly living space, finding the best upholstery fabric for your furniture is a paramount decision. Homes with playful pets require fabrics that can stand up to daily wear and tear while maintaining style and comfort.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the top upholstery fabric options that strike the perfect balance between durability, aesthetics, and ease of maintenance, ensuring that your upholstered furniture not only survives but thrives in the company of your beloved furry friends.
Say goodbye to the constant worry stains, and scratches, and say hello to a home that’s both chic and has pet-friendly fabrics.
Also Read – Custom Furniture from Calgary Interiors
Understanding Upholstery Fabrics
When you have pets at home, it is essential to choose the best upholstery fabric for your furniture. Durability should be at the top of your list to avoid the costs of professional cleaning or repair.
Microfiber is an excellent choice for pet owners. This synthetic fabric resembles suede, is simple to clean and maintain, and wears well. It’s also more affordable than leather and available in various colours to suit your taste.
Leather is another top contender for preventing a build-up of pet hair due to its smooth, weave-free texture. Its sleek look and feel make it easy to wipe away animal hair with a damp cloth, whereas other upholstery fabrics might trap pet hair, requiring vacuuming or lint-rolling the surface.
Polyester is a versatile fabric that works well on chairs, sofas, and cushions. It can even replace more delicate fabrics if you have pets at home. Its affordability isn’t the only benefit; polyester is also straightforward to clean, making it a favourite choice among homeowners.
When selecting the upholstery fabric, remember that your choice will greatly impact the longevity of your furniture and the ease with which you can maintain it. Consider both aesthetics and functionality to find the perfect fabric for your home that is pet-friendly.
Also Read – Fabric Durability Ratings
Pet Proof Upholstery Fabrics
Leather: A Pet-Proof Option
Leather is an excellent choice for pet owners, especially those with dogs. Its smooth surface makes it easy to clean pet hair and dander, simply vacuum or wipe it down with a dampened microfiber cloth. Additionally, leather is often resistant to claw marks and scratches, ensuring your furniture stays looking great even with pets around.
However, it’s important to note that not all leather types are equally resistant. Full-grain or top-grain leather tends to be more durable and scratch-resistant compared to bonded or faux leather. Additionally, regular maintenance and conditioning can help genuine leather furniture maintain its resilience over time. While a leather sofa is generally a good choice for pet owners, it’s not entirely scratch-proof, so some care and precautions may still be necessary, especially with more active or aggressive pets.
Microfiber: Preferred by Pet Owners
Microfiber is a popular pet friendly fabric for those particularly with cats. This fabric’s tight weave not only helps to prevent stray pet hair from sticking, but also offers some protection against scratches from claws. Furthermore, microfiber is known for its durability and ease of maintenance, making it an ideal choice for families with pets. Made from synthetic materials, this fabric is easy to clean with a vacuum or a lint brush, you can also use a lint roller to remove pet hair and dirt easily.
Crypton Fabric: A Pet-Friendly Choice
Crypton fabric is another pet-proof upholstery option that caters to pet owners’ needs. This fabric is specially designed to resist stains, prevent odours, and reduce the spread of allergens, such as pet dander. Its unique properties make it an excellent choice for households with pets, as it can withstand the wear and tear caused by claws and other pet-related activities.
Crypton fabric has a wide variety of textures, patterns, and colours, offering both smooth and more textured finishes depending on the design. It can mimic the look of traditional upholstery fabrics, such as linen, velvet, or woven materials, while maintaining its high-performance features. The appearance of Crypton fabric is highly customizable, allowing it to fit seamlessly into modern, contemporary, or traditional interiors, all while providing stain and moisture resistance for easy maintenance. Its look is versatile yet durable.
Denim and Its Durability
Denim is an excellent fabric for homes with pets due to its tightly woven structure, which makes it highly resistant to claws and everyday wear. Its natural durability can withstand frequent use, making it ideal for high-traffic areas. Additionally, denim is relatively stain-resistant and easy to clean, allowing pet owners to maintain a neat and polished look. The fabric’s rugged texture and classic style also add a casual, relaxed aesthetic to furniture, making it a practical yet stylish choice for pet-friendly homes.
Highly Durable Outdoor Fabrics
Consider using outdoor patio furniture fabrics, like Sunbrella, for your indoor furniture. These fabrics are designed for heavy usage areas and are usually stain-resistant. Outdoor fabrics can handle both pet-related accidents and kids’ spills, making them a practical choice for busy households.
Affordable Upholstery Solutions
As a pet and kid owner, finding affordable upholstery solutions can be a challenge. In this section, we’ll focus on the cost-effective and practical choices of fabric for your furniture, taking into account durability and ease of cleaning.
The Cost of Microfiber and Crypton Fabrics
Microfiber is a budget-friendly option for pet-friendly upholstery. This synthetic material is known for being easy to clean, resistant to scratches and tears, and long-lasting. You can effortlessly remove pet hairs with a vacuum or lint brush without causing any damage. Moreover, microfiber upholstered furniture is relatively low in cost compared to other high-quality fabrics.
Crypton is another affordable fabric designed for durability and is a high performance fabrics. It’s a patented, highly resistant material that offers built-in stain, moisture, and odour protection. While the initial cost of Crypton may be slightly higher than microfiber, it provides an excellent long-term investment due to its extensive protective features and low maintenance requirements.
For those on a tight budget, slipcovers can be an economical solution to protect your furniture. Both microfiber and Crypton slipcovers are available on the market, offering you the benefits of these fabrics without the need to reupholster your furniture fully. Slipcovers can be easily removed and washed, providing an added convenience in households with pets.
In conclusion, microfiber and Crypton fabrics offer cost-effective and practical solutions for protecting your furniture from the challenges of life with pets. By choosing either of these fabrics or using slipcovers, you can ensure your furniture stays clean, fully functional, and looking good for years to come.
Interested in getting a custom piece made or a piece of furniture reupholstered? We can do that for you! At Calgary Interiors, we’ve been designing and building furniture since 1962. We have in-house interior designers that can help guide you with fabric choices, colours and knows the top furniture trends and has designed comfortable and stylish pieces.
To receive an estimate regarding your home, commercial, or hospitality project.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most durable fabric for a sofa?
The most durable fabric for a family sofa is a heavy-weight, tightly woven fabric like canvas or denim. These materials can withstand daily wear and tear from pets, making them an ideal choice for busy households.
Which upholstery material is resistant to pet hair and stains?
Microfiber is an excellent upholstery material for resisting pet hair and stains. It is a synthetic fabric that is easy to clean and maintain. Another option is Crypton fabric, which is known for being virtually waterproof, a stain resistant fabric, and claw-proof.
How to choose pet-friendly furniture fabric?
When choosing pet-friendly, consider materials that are durable, easy to clean, and resistant to stains, scratches, and pet hair. Examples of such materials include microfiber, Crypton, and outdoor fabrics like Sunbrella. Look for tightly woven fabrics as they tend to be more durable and resistant to wear and tear.
Are microfiber and Crypton fabrics suitable for households with pets?
Yes, both microfiber and Crypton fabrics are suitable for households with pets. Microfiber is hypoallergenic, scratch-resistant, stain-resistant, and easy to clean, making it a popular choice. Crypton fabrics are known for their waterproof, stain-proof, and claw-proof properties, making them an ideal choice for homes with pets.
