Get Design Advice: Upholstery Furniture

Once you've chosen a style and determined the dimensions of the space to be furnished, it's time to shop! It's important to shop for quality upholstered furniture, with beauty and comfort that will endure. This section will explain what to look for when shopping for quality home furnishings.

Silhouettes

The overall shape and profile of an upholstered piece is referred to as its silhouette. Silhouettes vary depending on the general style of the sofa or chair, its arms, its cushions and the manufacturer. The following is an overview of some common silhouettes:

• Scatterback: This boxed-cushion, bench-style design is named for its loose or unattached, large-scale matching or coordinating back pillows. May be skirted or unskirted.
• Lawson: A fully padded, generally skirted design characterized by square seat cushions and trim, lowered arms accented with a slight roll. Often associated with transitional styling.
• Tuxedo: Reinvented by contemporary styling, a tuxedo silhouette features high, straight or flared arms that match or nearly match the height of the back.
• Camelback: One of the most traditional silhouettes, this 18th Century tight-back style is distinguished by a curve (resembling a camel's hump) along its back, often with exposed wood framing.
• Inverted camelback: Resembling butterfly wings, this silhouette has a tight back with a inverse, downward curve in the middle.

Construction

At Havertys, we understand that the "bones" of an upholstered piece of furniture really determines its value. We pride ourselves on providing the best quality of construction and materials available.

Kiln-dried hardwood frames with joints that are double- or triple-doweled, corner-blocked, glued and screwed for superior support are considered to be high quality frames because less moisture is left in the wood.

Next, consider the spring system. It should provide firm, comfortable support. The most commonly used springs for furniture are coil springs and sinuous or no-sag springs.

As a leading industry standard, coil springs are tied to the frame by hand in eight different places to produce a firm, uniform seat. This eight-way hand tied construction allows the springs to maintain a perpendicular position essential for proper support. Tied springs also help to distribute weight evenly.

Zigzag-shaped sinuous (or no-sag) springs are also commonly used in seat construction, as well as to provide back support in upholstered furniture. Attached to the frame with steel clips or tacks, sinuous springs are then connected by helical springs. These offer comfort and support derived via the springs' resiliency.

Cushions also vary in material and construction. Feather-down or down-blend fillers are some of the most luxurious materials, creating loose, fluffy cushions that tend to pack down easily. Alternatively, high-density foam cushions provide comfortable, resilient support. Combinations of foam core cushions wrapped in layers of soft material such as batting or down-blends are often used to add crown and softness to seat cushions.

All upholstered furniture belongs to one of two major categories: fabrics and leather.

Fabric Upholstery

All fabrics are made from fibers either natural, synthetic or both. Some common natural fibers are cotton, linen, wool and silk. Synthetic fibers include acrylic, polyester, olefin, nylon and rayon, which is actually a combination of natural cellulose and synthetic elements.

Natural fibers have long been valued for their "hand" or feel, while synthetic fibers are known for their durability and stain resistance. Today, technological advances have increased the wear and stain resistance of natural fabrics. Similarly, advances in yarn-making now produce softer, more comfortable synthetic upholstery fabric such as microsuede and micro fibers, which are produced when polyester or nylon fibers are finely spun.

DID YOU KNOW? A human hair is more than 100 times the size of some micro fibers.

Fabric care:

• To prevent soil and dirt from embedding into upholstery, vacuum or lightly brush fabric weekly.
• Turn and fluff cushions weekly.
• Avoid direct sunlight, as it will fade most fabrics.

Leather Upholstery

As one of the most durable upholstery materials, leather exceeds the life of fabric upholstery by four to one. Leather offers luxurious comfort year-round, becoming neither hot and sticky in the summer nor cold and stiff in the winter. It also Resists Tearing and cracking, does not readily burn or melt, and naturally repels liquids and oils. With proper care, leather will improve with age and become more supple while developing a rich patina.

TYPES OF LEATHER

Collectively, the term leather refers to all hides and skins that have been tanned. However, leather can be classified into many different categories based on how it is processed. No two pieces of leather are ever alike, as each hide has individual characteristics that may include scratches, scars or shade variations. These markings are natural and do not affect quality.

Top-grain: This type of leather is the uppermost layer of a hide and is often referred to as full-grain. Full-grain leather has not been corrected, and its actual grain is intact. Top-grain leather is of the highest quality and is the most preferred for furniture. Only higher-quality leathers with few imperfections can be classified into this category.

Split-grain: Split-grain leather comes from the bottom layers of the hide and is just as durable, though not as supple as top-grain.

Leather-vinyl match: An affordable, quality alternative to all-leather furniture, leather-vinyl match uses top-grain leather upholstery except on the sides and back, where a high-grade matching vinyl is used.

DYES

Once sorted into grades of top grain(s) and split(s), leather is dyed.

Aniline: Aniline dyes are transparent dyes used on the highest-quality leathers. Aniline dyes penetrate the entire thickness of the leather, enhancing the natural character of the hide and allowing the actual surface grain and markings to show.

Pure-aniline: Also known as full-aniline, naked-aniline or naked leather, this process has no additional coloring added. By far the softest and supplest of leathers and richest in natural color, pure aniline also has the least natural resistance to stains, so a protective treatment is strongly recommended.

Semi-aniline: Also called aniline-plus or protected aniline, this is aniline-dyed top-grain leather that has been coated with matching pigment and/or other topical finishes, like a clear sealant topcoat with a slight sheen, for color consistency and added protection. Semi-anilines are sometimes considered to be the best of both worlds, offering some degree of protection while still retaining the softness and natural beauty of the leather.

Pigmented: Also referred to as painted leather, pigmented leather is finished with a solid pigment coating that covers imperfections and produces consistent color and texture. While pigment coating increases the leather's durability and color consistency, while adding stiffness to the hide.

FINISHES

After leather is dyed, it may undergo additional processing or finishing.

Full top-grain: Aniline- or semi-aniline-dyed leather with no corrections or alterations to the natural grain.

Corrected-grain leather: Corrected leather has been buffed to remove imperfections, stamped to apply texture and/or embossed to simulate the grain of leather.

Suede: A heavier buffing process usually applied to stiffer split-grain leather.

Pull-up: A look associated with quality leather in which full-grain, aniline-dyed leather is waxed or oiled and then pulled, producing variations of lighter and darker areas.

In the oiled pull-up process, as leathers are stretched or "pulled," they "break" or "burst," creating stretch marks that are lighter in contrast to the surface. This creates a vintage character or aged patina and depth of color in the leather.

For a more rugged look, a waxed pull-up process enriches the patina beautifully and adds a higher degree of protection than is found in pure-aniline leather.

Sauvage: This process involves the blending of similar colors to create leather with a mottled, tone-on-tone effect for greater depth and character.

Distressed: Also known as antiqued, this technique artificially produces the characteristics of natural age and wear in leather.

Bi-cast: Bi-cast leather is 100% split leather topped with a durable polyurethane film coating that offers a high, glossy sheen along with a regular grain pattern. Bi-cast leather is less susceptible to staining due to the polyurethane film coating.

LEATHER CARE

While leather is extremely durable, it still requires protection and care to ensure years of enjoyment. The following tips are of a general nature. Please refer to the manufacturer's recommendations for more specific care instructions.

• Protect leather from direct, harsh sunlight to avoid fading.
• Clean leather periodically with a soft cloth.
• For regular cleaning, vacuum frequently using the soft brush attachment.
• Blot spills immediately with a clean cloth or sponge and let air dry. Never use a hair dryer.
• Keep pets' nails trimmed to avoid scratches and tears.

• Condition leather with an approved product.
• Consider using a humidifier to avoid drying.

Upholstery Quality Checklist

• Unzip a seat or back cushion and examine the padding. Added crown material and enclosed cushioning are indications of high-quality construction.
• Check the tailoring. Patterns should match up both horizontally and vertically, even on the back of a piece of furniture.
• Seams should be straight, neat and well-sewn without buckling or skipped stitching.
• Make sure the skirt hangs correctly on the frame and that fabric patterns are aligned.
• To test for comfort, have a seat or stretch out, as you would at home.
• To test resiliency, bounce up and down a little. The frame should not creak, nor should the springs "bottom out" (sink and touch the frame).
• Have someone sit with you. A well-made sofa should support two, without causing you to lean together or the seat to "bottom out."

Unlike wooden furniture, which is fairly easy to examine for quality, much of upholstered furniture's construction is hidden. Your best guarantees of quality are a reputable store and a knowledgeable sales associate.