Choosing the right furniture is about far more than shape and size — the fabric you choose defines how your piece looks, feels, and lasts. The wrong fabric in the wrong room can mean a sofa that pills after six months, a colour that clashes with your walls, or a texture that simply doesn't suit your lifestyle. The right fabric, on the other hand, transforms a piece of furniture into something you'll love for decades.
At GraffitiWallArts.com, all our upholstered furniture is made to order — which means you choose the fabric and colour before we build your piece. To help you make that decision with complete confidence, we offer fabric sample swatches across all our fabric types, delivered to your door so you can see and feel the material in your own home before committing.
This guide explains every fabric type we offer, what makes each one special, how to choose the right colour for your space, and how to order your samples.
Why Fabric Choice Matters More Than You Think
Most people spend hours choosing the shape and style of their sofa — and then pick a fabric in five minutes. This is a mistake. The fabric affects:
✦ Durability — how well the piece holds up to daily use, pets, and children.
✦ Comfort — how the surface feels against skin, especially in warm or cool weather.
✦ Maintenance — how easy it is to clean and how quickly it shows wear.
✦ Aesthetics — how the texture and sheen interact with your lighting and decor.
✦ Longevity — whether the colour and texture stay looking fresh for years.
Taking the time to choose the right fabric — and ordering a sample first — is one of the best investments you can make when buying furniture.
The Fabric Types We Offer
🧵 Velvet
Velvet is the most luxurious and visually striking upholstery fabric available. Its dense, short pile creates a characteristic sheen that shifts with the light — giving velvet furniture a depth and richness that no other fabric can match. It's soft to the touch, warm in winter, and available in a spectacular range of colours from deep jewel tones to soft pastels and neutral shades.
Character: Glamorous, rich, statement-making. The fabric of luxury interiors.
Best for: Living rooms, bedrooms, formal spaces, boutique hotels, low-traffic areas.
Practical notes: Velvet can show marks from pets and requires occasional brushing to maintain its pile. It's best suited to spaces where it won't face heavy daily abuse.
Colour advice: Deep colours (emerald, navy, burgundy, charcoal) look spectacular in velvet. Lighter shades (blush, cream, sage) create a softer, more contemporary feel.
🛒 Order velvet samples: Velvet Fabric Samples – See All Colours
🛄 Shop velvet sofas: Velvet Fabric Sofa | Curve Velvet Sofa
🧵 Leather
Leather is the gold standard of durability and timeless style. Genuine upholstery-grade leather develops a beautiful patina over time — it actually improves with age, becoming softer and more characterful the more it's used. It's easy to wipe clean, resistant to everyday spills, and carries an inherent sense of quality and permanence that fabric simply can't replicate.
Character: Classic, durable, sophisticated. Gets better with age.
Best for: Living rooms, dining chairs, home offices, high-traffic areas, homes with children or pets.
Practical notes: Leather is easy to maintain — wipe spills immediately and condition periodically to keep it supple. Avoid direct sunlight which can fade and dry the leather over time.
Colour advice: Classic tones (tan, cognac, black, dark brown, ivory) are timeless and versatile. Bolder leather colours (forest green, navy, burgundy) make a strong contemporary statement.
🛒 Order leather samples: Leather Fabric Samples – See All Colours & Finishes
🧵 Chenille
Chenille is one of the most underrated upholstery fabrics — and one of the most rewarding to live with. Its name comes from the French word for caterpillar, a nod to its soft, fuzzy texture. Chenille has a subtle sheen and a plush, velvety feel that is incredibly comfortable against skin. It's warmer and cosier than most fabrics, making it ideal for living rooms and bedrooms where comfort is the priority.
Character: Soft, cosy, subtly luxurious. The comfort fabric.
Best for: Living rooms, family rooms, bedrooms, relaxed luxury interiors.
Practical notes: Chenille is durable and holds its colour well. It can snag on sharp objects, so keep it away from pets with claws. It's easy to vacuum and spot-clean.
Colour advice: Chenille looks beautiful in warm, earthy tones (terracotta, camel, rust, olive) as well as rich neutrals (stone, taupe, warm grey). Its texture adds depth to even the simplest colour palette.
🛒 Order chenille samples: Chenille Fabric Colour Card – Soft Plush Upholstery Swatches
How to Choose the Right Colour for Your Space
Start With Your Room, Not the Fabric
Before you choose a colour, look at your room as a whole. What are your wall colours? What flooring do you have? What other furniture and soft furnishings are already in the space? Your sofa or furniture piece needs to work within this existing context — not fight against it.
The 60-30-10 Rule
A reliable interior design principle: 60% of a room's colour should be a dominant neutral (walls, flooring), 30% a secondary colour (large furniture pieces like sofas), and 10% an accent colour (cushions, artwork, accessories). This means your sofa fabric colour should ideally sit in the 30% zone — complementing the room without overwhelming it.
Light Colours vs Dark Colours
Light colours (cream, ivory, blush, light grey) make a room feel larger and more airy. They work beautifully in rooms with good natural light but show marks more easily.
Dark colours (charcoal, navy, forest green, black) create drama and intimacy. They hide everyday marks better and work powerfully in rooms with warm, ambient lighting.
Neutral vs Statement
A neutral fabric (grey, beige, cream, taupe) gives you maximum flexibility — you can change your cushions, throws, and accessories seasonally without the sofa ever looking out of place. A statement colour (emerald velvet, cognac leather, burnt orange chenille) makes the furniture the focal point of the room and requires more considered styling around it.
Always Order a Sample First
Colours look different on screens than they do in real life — and they look different again under your specific lighting conditions. A fabric that looks perfect on your laptop may look completely different in your living room under warm evening light. This is why we strongly recommend ordering a sample before placing your furniture order.
Fabric by Lifestyle: Which Is Right for You?
Families with young children → Leather is your best friend. Easy to wipe, durable, and improves with age. Chenille is also a good choice for its durability and comfort.
Pet owners → Leather wipes clean easily. Avoid velvet and chenille if your pets have claws — both can snag.
Luxury & formal spaces → Velvet is unmatched for visual impact and tactile luxury. Leather in a classic finish also works beautifully in formal settings.
Cosy, relaxed living rooms → Chenille offers the best combination of comfort, warmth, and everyday practicality.
High-traffic commercial spaces → Leather is the most durable and easiest to maintain in hospitality and commercial environments.
Order Your Free Fabric Samples
We offer fabric sample swatches across all our fabric types — cut from the exact same material used in our furniture production. Order your samples, hold them against your walls, lay them on your flooring, and see how they look under your lighting at different times of day. Only then place your furniture order.
Visit our Sofa Fabric Types & Colours page to see the full range, or order directly from the links below:
- 🛒 Velvet Fabric Samples — Rich, lustrous, available in a wide colour range
- 🛒 Leather Fabric Samples — Premium upholstery-grade leather in classic and contemporary finishes
- 🛒 Chenille Fabric Colour Card — Soft, plush, and beautifully textured