Velor for furniture: pros and cons

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Published: 02/07/2021

Reading time: 2 min

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Velor for furniture upholstery is a popular material, noble and aesthetic. Pile, made from natural or artificial fibers, creates an unforgettable play of color on any product. The fabric is practical and able to maintain an attractive appearance for a long time.

1 Description and features of the material
2 Proper use in interior design
3 Pros and cons of velor for upholstery
4 How to clean and remove stains
5 Reviews of velor fabric for sofas
6 Conclusion

What is velor

The fabric is characterized by the presence of dense, thick pile on the surface. The material is often used for upholstering furniture, as well as in the production of special soft wall panels. This is a very attractive, tactilely pleasant fabric with characteristic shimmers. It is produced using a combination of natural and synthetic fibers.

This combination provides the fabric with wear resistance, as well as an attractive, unusual appearance.

There are different types of velor upholstery:

smooth – it has a uniform structure, and the pile has a vertical orientation;
shaped with a non-uniform, pronounced pile - can be located on the surface with an inclination, have different heights and differ in shades;
with a printed color pattern that looks original and unusual;
with embossing, which is formed due to the special placement of the pile in different directions - this method makes it possible to achieve a fabric resemblance to expensive textures, for example, reptile skin;
plain painted - the most expensive, attractive in appearance.

It should be understood that without specialized education and work experience it is difficult to distinguish between upholstery furniture fabrics. They all have a velvety pile surface that shimmers in the light. But the main thing is that velor for furniture upholstery has a very dense, heavy structure with thick pile.

How to clean a velor sofa at home?

If stains from food and drinks, as well as other origins, appear on upholstered velor furniture, wet clean the surface. In doing so, observe the following rules:

Start cleaning immediately after a stain appears; the longer it remains on the surface, the more difficult it will be to wash;
Do not rub the surface under any circumstances, as you risk damaging the pile;
your movements should be careful in the direction of the pile;
do not use aggressive chemicals, acids and alkalis, or hard brushes for cleaning;
as a detergent, use a solution of laundry soap and water, moistening a sponge or soft rag with the product;
You can remove stubborn stains using a solution of alcohol and water; you can also apply a mixture of salt and soda to the stain, leaving the product on the surface for 2-3 hours.

Velor is a velvety material used as upholstery for upholstered furniture. The material attracts with its amazing softness and chic appearance. A velor sofa will add comfort and sophistication to the room. The material does not lose its qualities over a long period of time and requires simple but regular maintenance.

Properties of velor

the material has a dense, velvety, soft surface;
For furniture, a particularly dense material based on polyester is used. In some cases, cotton, viscose, spandex, and various synthetic fibers are added. A larger amount of artificial material increases the strength and service life of upholstery fabric;
fabric density ranges from 241 to 376 g/m2. This indicator indicates the total mass of thread per square meter. High density indicates resistance to external influences;
abrasion resistance according to the Martindale test ranges from 20 to 40 thousand cycles. The material manufacturer is required to indicate this value. After all, furniture is constantly exposed. Therefore, it is extremely important to test the fabric using friction.

Advantages and disadvantages

The latest production technologies make it possible to produce durable material that retains its original appearance for a long time. Modern velor is completely different from that material with bald spots on grandma’s old sofa. The fabric has acquired new properties: it does not stretch in the seating areas, does not fade or fray, even on the folds. And, accordingly, the sofa looks great for many, many years.

The impressive appearance is definitely a plus. But be careful when choosing upholstery fabric for a specific interior. For example, velor sofas in rich, deep shades fit perfectly into classic, empire, baroque and other styles where luxury is the main message.

The structural features of the weave of the threads prevent cats from ruining the sofa. But, at the same time, the pile perfectly collects pet hair. Therefore, get ready to clean your upholstered furniture regularly.

The downside is the relatively high cost. But if you count the years of service, then the price is justified.

And it is worth noting that velor requires care. The rules are not complicated, they are quite simple to follow. But more on that below.

Comparison of fabrics used

When choosing furniture, it is important to know which materials are of better quality. Comparative characteristics of the materials used in the production of upholstered furniture will help you buy the best sofa or chair:

Comparing chenille and velor, the surface of the first material is softer and more pleasant to the touch. This fabric has the ability to repel odors and dust, but absorbs water. But it fades under the sun and is not resistant to damage;
Artificial suede is made from a special weave of cotton or synthetic threads. This material, like velor, is resistant to sunlight, but is damaged by the claws of pets. In addition, faux suede is more expensive than velor.
Jacquard is offered natural and artificial. This material is wear-resistant and durable. But its surface is rougher. The cost of jacquard is higher.
Matting is a dense, rough material. Its structure is tightly intertwined threads. The matting is not so pleasant to the touch and fades in the sun.
Flock is similar to velor. This material is also wear-resistant and has a durable structure. However, its service life is limited and it wears out quickly.
Microvelour, compared to velor, is more wear-resistant and stronger. The surface of the fabric has a special treatment that repels dust and dirt. Microvelor does not require special care.

Velor is a material that is pleasant to the touch and beautiful in appearance. It is actively used in the manufacture of upholstered furniture. This fabric is resistant to external influences and abrasion. At the same time, the surface is not exposed to sunlight. Upholstered furniture covered with velor looks luxurious. This fabric shimmers in the sun.

However, the material is quite expensive. At the same time, it tends to attract dust. Therefore, during operation, such furniture requires special care. This ensures the products have a good appearance and a long service life in their original condition. The material is great if there are animals in the house. Specialized weaving will save the surface of the furniture from damage by clawed paws.

Proper use in interior design

Noble velor is a fabric for expensive furniture, for lush classical interiors - palace style, baroque, rococo, gothic. The upholstery on modern interior items often looks tasteless, cheap, and simple.

There are several tricks that can expand the use of upholstery material:

Complex structural forms - a voluminous armrest, a twisted part, a decorative screed, the presence of massive parts - allow the canvas to demonstrate shine, shades, and reflection of light from different angles.
An advantageous color for a sofa, sofa, armchair, and other representative parts of the interior is the shade of a precious stone - bright ruby, rich emerald, thick sapphire.

Tip: Luxury furniture should not be framed in anthracite black, as it will absorb light, turning the piece into a dull hole.

Which to choose?

The choice of a velor sofa should be approached with great responsibility. The color of the product plays a very important role when choosing.

Designers recommend choosing the shade of the sofa that will harmoniously combine with other interior items and become its important component. In this case, it is necessary to take into account your lifestyle, as well as your character.

After all, some people like bright colors, while others are delighted with calmer shades.

Each interior style includes a combination of certain color schemes, which should definitely be taken into account when choosing a velor sofa. They all have individual characteristics:

Red . For some it can cause aggression, but for others it can become a symbol of romance and comfort. The most original way such a sofa complements interior design in the style of Art Deco, High-Tech, Constructivism and Techno.
Blue. Psychologists say that this color has a positive effect on the human psyche, conducive to relaxation and tranquility. They can often be found in a classic style.
Green. A velor sofa in this color can become the center of everyone's attention. It goes well with yellow, blue, pink and red items. This shade can cause drowsiness. It complements the Baroque style well.
Brown. The presence of such a sofa ensures the creation of comfort and coziness. It is used in Country, Empire, Renaissance, Classic and Rococo styles. It goes perfectly with beige, yellow, blue, lilac, orange.
Black. A beautiful velor sofa in this color looks original in bright and spacious rooms. It goes well with gray, red, yellow, turquoise and burgundy. It is often used in the Minimalist style.
Grey. A sofa in this color fills the room with clarity and conciseness. It goes well with yellow, red and purple. Used in gothic and minimalist style.
White. This sofa brings light and newness to the room. Therefore, it can often be found in the Art Nouveau style. Combines harmoniously with golden, beige and gray colors.

How to change old casing yourself?

Over time, the appearance of any upholstered furniture becomes not very presentable and the material needs to be replaced. You can change outdated upholstery at home or with your own hands. Although the process is not quick and very labor-intensive, anyone can upholster a favorite sofa or sofa.

In order for the result to meet expectations, you must follow the step-by-step recommendation.

First, let's disassemble the sofa. If the furniture design is very complex and replete with many parts, then to facilitate subsequent reassembly they can be numbered

To prevent fasteners from getting lost, they can be placed in a box. Next, we begin to carefully remove the old upholstery, carefully ripping out all the seams. As a rule, the upholstery is attached to the furniture using staples, and in older models using small nails

It is extremely undesirable to tear old upholstery from staples or nails, because an error of even a few millimeters will lead to an undesirable result. After the old upholstery is removed, you need to inspect all the mechanisms of the sofa. This will help identify broken elements, if any. If all parts and mechanisms work, then you can simply lubricate all connections with machine oil. After separating the upholstery material from the structure, it must be steamed. This is done in order to cut out all the elements accurately enough. Let's start the pattern. To do this, we spread the new upholstery material on a flat surface and lay out the steamed elements of the old upholstery on it, attaching them with pins for reliability. Then we outline each detail with a piece of soap, remove the fixing pins and cut out. Now we sheathe the parts and you can start stretching the finished upholstery onto the furniture. To secure the upholstery material to the frame, you must use a stapler. To ensure that the material sits evenly, at this stage it is better to involve an assistant: one will pull and the other will attach the material. When all the elements are attached, all that remains is to rejoice at the result.

We suggest watching a video lesson on this topic below.

Production of single web material

The main feature of velor fabric is the presence of pile. Velor material is produced by weaving 5 threads (two for the lower base and two for the upper), with a pile part. Furniture velor is made using warp-pile technology, the fleecy part is woven with warp threads. The fabric is produced in the form of one or two pieces of material.

Rolls of velor material

A rod is placed under the main fabric, resulting in loops. After creating the loops, the rods are removed. Further:

the loops remain intact - loop pile;
loop threads are torn - split.

Single-sheet version of velor material

Double-panel production

Fabric production using two-web technology is a more complex process. The warp is made with 2 warp threads, and additional weft threads weave another layer located above the warp. Both fabrics are joined with a single thread pile in a zigzag manner. Next, the fleecy part is cut and 2 parts come out, obtained using the five-strand method. With this technology, loop pile is not provided.

Double-panel version of velor material