FAQ

We are asked many questions and are attempting to create a list of the more popular enquiries here. We have a strong belief that educating our clients serves us both well and will lead to more beautiful spaces.

If your query is not below  please email us HERE and we’ll do our best to answer your questions quickly and comprehensively.

Fabrics

> How strong does my fabric need to be, what rub counts will I require? Rubs are made by a machine essentially rubbing the textile until it frays or forms a hole.

There are two types of machines that calculate rubs: martindales usually in Europe and wyzenbecks in the USA, there is no relationship between the two.  For residential upholstery we usually say 20,000 martindales is enough, for commercial projects usually 35,000 should be more than adequate. However rub counts do not tell the full story, different companies stop their machines at different times. Many Italian companies stop early. Some polyesters have very high rub counts but the fabric is not robust. Linens traditionally have lower rubs but quality linens made with long fibres will outlast and out-wash many other fabrics

> Will my fabric fade?

Different fibres and dyeing techniques will affect the sun resistance of the fabric. The weather in tropical climes is hard on fabrics, not just the sun but the humidity can literally suck the colour out.  We try to anticipate which fabrics might fade and can offer advice from experience but sometimes we cannot predict.

> Which fabrics are sustainable?

Linen and hemps are more sustainable as do not require insecticide or much fertiliser to grow. When manufactured in Europe they must follow EU strict guidelines to ensure minimum impact on the environment.

For outdoor fabrics polypropylene/polyolefin is recyclable and uses less energy to manufacture, as well they require little cleaning product.

> Are the images on the website accurate?

All screens are different and sometimes the colour is not true. Do not rely on digital images for colours.

> Are the colours on samples or hangers accurate?

Often not. Different manufacturing batches will vary, for example the time of the year a natural fibre is harvested may mean the fabric will dye differently. More artisanal dyeing techniques result in beautiful textiles but the colours can vary. Do ask for batch samples.

> Which fabrics are the coolest?

Linen and hemp – they thermo-conduct heat thus stay fresher. Also their smooth fibres mean that they stay the cleanest too as they do not collect the dust.

> Do you have fire retardant fabric? And can my fabric be treated for FR?

Yes we have a good selection and many do not contain toxic FR chemicals. Trevira CS is a high-end polyester that is FR. If you want to treat a fabric then ask us first.

> Will velvets mark, how strong are they?

BODE has many velvets and much experience with their performance, here are a few things to note:  Velvets are generally tough and will last a long time. Velvet still on the roll should be stored suspended and not standing up to prevent creasing.  Creases can be removed from many velvets by steaming on the reverse. Do not iron or steam the front. Viscose velvets look and feel amazing but they do not like liquids and spills will mark, this can look worse on new ‘perfect’ velvet. Over time the velvet will get a patina and you may not notice. Cotton velvets can fade but are very cleanable. We have a good selection of stain resistant or fire retardant velvets.

Re-upholstery of furniture

Do look in our ‘Stories’ section for our article “From faded & drab to contemporary & fab” for all the reasons why so many re-upholster nowadays

> What is the process if I want my furniture re-upholstered?

We have many many textile options, thus visiting us is always best first. Perhaps bring photos and dimensions. We will guide you on your fabric selection plus discuss other requirements for your project. Once selected we will send to the upholsterers for their quote and advice on the job. If you are happy we place the order with our suppliers (note we have some fabric in stock, but not a lot). When this arrives we organise for upholsterers to pick up the furniture and do the workmanship.

Note the process is similar for making your own bespoke furniture.

> Can you rejuvenate my old piece?

Within reason furniture can be fixed, legs replaced or re-stained, foam, feathers etc can be replaced making furniture look virtually new.

> How long will it take?

This is the million dollar question and hard to answer accurately, we try for 3-6 weeks. But it is dependent upon fabric stock, shipping schedules (we airfreight) and how busy the upholsterers are. In the case of urgent projects we can airfreight very fast and ask our people to fit you in if possible.