Our customers are the curl-up-on-the-sofa types. They have kids and dogs and really live on their furniture. We often get the question "what fabric do I choose for kids?" or, "we are really hard on our furniture". Along with durability, our customers also want softness (a nice "hand" as it's called in the industry). And guess what? You can have both! Here are a few tips and some of our best wearing fabrics of choice.

• Choose a tightly woven fabric. The tighter the weave the more durable the fabric. You've heard of micro-fiber? Well these fabrics like our D'oro Suede are still great workhorses and new textures have updated their look. The American Leather comfort sleepers are a great example of this type of fabric looking great. We also love our Bella, a velvety, very soft and very durable fabric that comes in lots of colors. In the stores our Laura sofa wears it well. Also take a look at our Sonoma fabrics. These show less of a nap, have a slight texture, and still have all of the softness. Tip: Run your nail along these fabrics. Tight weave = no snagging!

Laura Sofa in Sonoma, Slate

Laura Sectional in Sonoma, Pearl

• Fabric backings add stability and strength. Some fabrics have either a sprayed on acrylic backing (it'll feel rough to the touch) or an attached woven backing. Both of these add to a fabric's durability. They are most commonly used on lighter weight fabrics that will be used for upholstery, but some of our more durable fabrics also have backings. Look for the Montage fabric, a linen-looking, soft fabric that comes in some great neutrals. The Key Largo line also has some nice choices.

 Monte Carlo Sofa in Montage, Wheat 

• Woven tone-on-tone and textured fabrics help hide dirt and wear. These fabrics give you a great look of color play and texture without you having to commit to a printed fabric you may grow tired of. Again, the tighter the weave the better.

 Arcadia Sectional in...

• Blends are Best. Engineered fabrics like Polyester, Olefin and Nylon, when blended together offer great stain resistance and wear well. More thirsty natural fabrics like cotton and linen will absorb spills and such but synthetics help repel them.

Still, even the most durable fabric will break down if you don’t maintain it. To help prolong the life of your upholstery do these two things:

1) Vacuum your furniture once a month. Dirt and dust that gets rubbed into your upholstery from the friction of use will wear down the fibers.

2) Go for the fabric protector! It not only helps with stains but adds to the longevity of your fabric. You'll be glad you did!

– The Harvest Team