A Guide To Our Sofa Fabrics and How To Choose The Right One For Your Home

When it comes to choosing the right fabric for your sofa or armchair, deciding which is the right fit for your space can be a tough choice. A good quality sofa is likely to last you up to 15 years, so it’s important to consider all the factors from the aesthetic to practical elements. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the different types of fabrics we offer to help you decide what’s right for your living room.

Velvet

This fabric choice is one of our best-sellers, so we’ve made sure there’s a versatile range to suit whatever your interior preference might be.

Standard Velvet

The most popular option and a timeless classic comes in the form of standard velvet. This fabric has all the characteristics you’d expect. It’s short pile, flat and smooth in feel which works beautifully with contemporary and traditional sofa styles.

Why you’ll love it: 

•   Versatile and easy to style 
•   Widest range of colour choices
•   Some are stain-resistant - making it pet and child friendly. 
•   Has a smooth, soft finish

Eco-Velvet 

Eco velvet is new to the furniture scene, and we’re really excited about it. This sofa fabric is made up of recycled fibres, so it does good things for the planet and even better things for your living room. The feel of this one is the same as standard velvet - flat, soft and unbeatable comfortable.

Why you’ll love it: 

•   A more eco-friendly option 
•   Doesn’t compromise on style 
•   Looks great in a variety of settings
•   Feels super soft to touch

Mottled Velvet

Newer to the sofa game is mottled velvet. This velvet fabric is still dense in its pile but has the added benefit of a printed overlay, which creates a beautiful dappled effect. It’s a real conversation starter and looks brilliant in rooms with pockets of natural light.

Why you’ll love it

•   Has an organic, relaxed look
•   A chance to experiment with a less common fabric
•   Creates an interesting addition to interior textures

Chenille

Chenille is absolutely making a comeback, and it’s not just for curtains anymore. This updated version of velvet fabric has a subtle, barely-there texture that still maintains that classic smooth, velvety feel - everything you want from a sofa.

Why you’ll love it:

•   A great way to add more texture variation
•   Easily styled with other velvets 
•   Helps to accentuate the details

Royal Velvet

Aptly named, royal velvet is a serious contender if you want to bring a little more of a luxury feel into living room spaces. This velvet takes texture up a notch with a slightly thicker pile and a visible woven design that’s an elevated version of crushed velvet sofa fabrics.

Why you’ll love it: 

•   Creates a unique ‘sheen’ that loves natural light 
•   Great for a striking, stand-out look 
•   Works well when used on statement sofas

Linen

Linen is a fabric that’s been extremely popular for sofas for thousands of years and was one of the first materials Swyft offered when we first launched. With its natural, fresh and chic look, along with how practical, versatile and sustainable it is, this material appeals to many homeowners. 

Why you’ll love it: 

•   A hard-wearing material that will stand up to a lot of wear and tear
•   Easy to clean and maintain
•   Naturally cooling

Faux Leather

A timeless fabric that’s been loved for years. Faux leather’s got a new, softer, matte look that really does feel like the real thing, without any hide needed. It’s soft, supple, and surprisingly warm to the touch - perfect for lazy lounging.

Why you’ll love it: 

•   A great investment piece which never goes out of style
•   They’re versatile, easy to style no matter your interior taste
•   Long-lasting, no chance of loose fibres getting caught and pulling

Suede

Although suede sofas feel similar to velvet, they’re more closely related to faux leather, which can be seen in the extra movement of the fibres. A timeless fabric like leather, but much easier to clean which makes it one of our most loved fabrics at Swyft.

Why you’ll love it:

•   A great way to move towards a retro interior style
•   Densely woven fabric means it’s not prone to wears and tears
•   Soft-to-touch

Boucle

As a relatively new fabric to the scene, boucle has grown in popularity, and fast. It’s one of the softer-to-touch fabrics and is great for introducing another layer of soft texture to your living room. Although it’s a little trickier to clean than other fabrics, it can withstand a lot of every day use without any issues.

Why you’ll love it:

•   The most tactile feel of all the sofa fabrics
•   Brings a contemporary touch to your home
•   Low risk of piling, making it durable

Wool

Wool is a naturally derived fabric that holds comfort at the top of its agenda - ideal for sofas and armchairs. If you’re looking for a sofa to give your living room a warm and cosy feeling then this might just be the fabric for you.

•   A more eco-friendly choice
•   Keeps you and your home warm
•   Looks and feels luxurious long-term

If you need to feel all the material options before making a decision, order your free swatch box now.