The Best Fabrics and Finishes for Furniture

Selecting the right pieces of furniture for your Library can be a daunting task.  But what you put on those pieces is where the real work begins.  Each Library will require different materials based on their own opinions for what works and what does not perform well, but mostly I get requests for easily cleanable fabrics that will last a good while.  And knowing which ones those are can help you get ahead of the game so you don't end up with furniture regrets.

If you're feeling overwhelmed about selecting the right fabrics for your upcoming furniture purchase, reach out to me and I can help you get started! Schedule a free call with me today and let's chat about it!

To begin with, I section off my furniture by overall location.  And contrary to what might make sense in this case, I'm referring to two very general categories; Front-of-House and Back-of-House.

All of your public spaces are considered Front-of-House in this case while everything used by staff and staff alone will be considered Back-of-House.  The reason for that is simple.  Public spaces are generally the areas that require the most cleaning and maintenance and staff areas usually do not.  

So in the case of staff areas, you can typically let your guard down a bit more and select softer, perhaps less utilitarian fabrics, while public spaces will undoubtedly require more durability.

But durability doesn't have to mean plain, boring vinyl.  In fact the commercial fabric industry has come such a long way and now offers durable fabrics that are often softer than non-vinyl with a highly diverse collection of patterns and colors.

SOFT SEATING

One of my favorites for soft seating is the Silica fabric line by Momentum Textiles.  These pieces are actually very smooth and comfortable for the end user (you really do have to feel them to know what I mean but I do not exaggerate when I say they are deceptively soft).  The patterns and color options are endless.  I have used Silica Jig (posted at the link above) on a government project in their cafeteria that serves multitudes of people on a daily basis and after a visit there last week to see how it's faring, I was so pleased to see that it is still in excellent shape.  It looks just as good as the day they installed it 4 years ago.

Here's another pattern in the Silica line called Silica Hoop.  Really good color line:

For public seating, I would avoid fabrics with deep texturing or light-colored non-vinyl fabrics.  Both will undoubtedly attract spills, stains, food particles and anything else you can imagine.  Stick with the patterned vinyls.  And I'm sure this one goes without saying, but don't bother with real leather.  Most budgets won't lend themselves to it anyway and the damage factor is too high.

HARD SURFACES

As for all the other pieces, like tables, chairs, desks and everything in between, you have several options to choose from.  You can go with plastic laminates, wood veneers or full wood when selecting finishes for your hard-surfaced pieces.  And you can always use poly shells for your plastic seating.  

Plastic Laminate is the most affordable and therefore most often-used material for your tables, desks, etc.  And these don't have to be boring either.  You can always go with a classic woodgrain or you can use fun patterns.  It just depends on what area you're working on in your Library and the overall design feel of your Library culture.  

If you have a more playful and relaxed environment, try more patterns for your hard surfaces.  If you're Library is more traditional, go with a classic wood tone.  And those doesn't have to be boring either.  The wood tones today are ENDLESS!  SO many shades and grains to choose from.  Here are a few from Wilsonart.

They also now offer tons of finish option so your textures don't even have to be boring. See what they offer HERE.  For some more playful ideas like the one you see below, try Nevamar's site HERE.

PLASTICS

For your plastic chairs, you can always go with a poly shell.  The colors aren't generally as infinite as the fabrics, but the options are often bright and bold with great neutral color tones as well.  And most of them give you an option of a full or partially-upholstered seat or back if you want to add a bit more interest to your pieces.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Don't settle for plain and boring.  Even if you're on a budget, you can add some of these textures and colors to your Library to create excitement and visual interest.  If you find that one fabric that is a bit more expensive than the others, you can use it in a single location to make the area pop.  It will make all the difference in the world.  So explore your options before you buy and make sure you tell your furniture dealer what you have in mind so they can help direct you.  Use your imagination and create something amazing for your community!