Adding upholstery fabric to walls at home
Welcome visitors!
Are you looking to spruce up your home decor? Adding textured fabric to walls in one of your rooms is a great way to add interest and elegance to your entire home. Wallpaper and faux finishes can only do so much, and using fabric on walls creates a unique and sophisticated look. You have two choices – select an upholstery textile with patterns and colors, or keep it simple with a single color. Plain fabric works well in a busy room with lots of colorful furniture or artwork as long as it has texture.
So, select a space in your house and get creative with fabric wall coverings to give your home a stylish touch!
Choice of upholstery textile
In case you decide to go for a solid color for the walls in your home, I believe a great way to achieve this is by using fabric with a visible textured finish. Not only can it add visual interest to the space, but it can also create an inviting atmosphere by adding a tactile element.
Something needs to catch your eyes.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that once the fabric is stretched, it should feel like an upholstered piece. Because if it doesn’t, you could end up disappointed in the final result.
Additionally, if you choose not to invest in high-quality textured fabric, you may lose the fabric effect completely and your investment may go to waste. This advice applies also to upholstery fabric with a design, as the texture of the fabric can greatly impact the overall look and feel of the room.
Helpful tips
Let’s look at some facts.
When considering fabric for your room, it’s important to keep in mind that the amount of fabric needed can range from 40 to 50 yards and up. On top of that, labor costs for installation should also be factored in. Therefore, it’s crucial to pause and carefully think about your fabric selection. You need to make the right choice and select the correct upholstery textile.
Take into account the brand, material type, whether it’s cotton, linen, or silk, and even the weaving technique. Another factor to consider is the blend fibers used in the upholstery fabric. If you have any questions about using 100% silk fabric, make sure to check out our previous article titled “Silk on Walls.”
A helpful tip, we suggest is to order a large sample of the fabric you’re interested in and pin it to the wall to see if it meets your expectations before committing to a purchase.
Choosing wisely and taking your time during this process can ensure a successful room transformation.
I have made a few selection of fabrics. Most of them are in a solid color.
Below are some interesting variety of textured upholstery fabric. Some are plain textiles and other have a pattern too.
Velvets are thicker but have a softer surface making a mat and shinny effect. This powder room with tall ceiling has a dramatic gold and black theme. The black background has a short pile.
The light grey color brighten the small corridor. Walls of this library have a deep blue color fabric.
Ideas for textured fabric walls in modern interiors
CLEAN AND SIMPLE
In a contemporary interior, we installed a grey fabric in a dining room. This fabric is a linen with glazed finish. As a result, the shinny canvas adds further interest to the fabric. Something is now happening and, the light bounces on the walls.
Another material which picks up well the light is a taffeta. In fact it is a rather thin fabric. No special texture effect, but it is the threads that make this fabric shine. The fabric is woven using two different color threads.
The shade of color changes depending upon where you stand in a room. A taffeta is at its best in a medium or dark shade.
Small tip for you. Also, look how the fabric reacts to the light in your room. Turn the light on and off.
Additional images that includes texture. One is a cotton fabric with fun pattern. It is the weave that makes it stand out. The fabric is a damask weave making a large marble effect and, giving depth to the fabric.
The second installation is a single wall, and the colored circles shapes add texture and depth too. Other damask fabrics are shown in the portfolio.
Below on the left side, the image with 2 arched windows. The textile is a deep grey upholstery textured fabric. The stone washed look provides a unique and trendy touch, perfect for modern and sophisticated designs. It is also a durable fabric, designed to withstand daily wear and tear. cotton has the soft gentle touch. Brushing the fabric brings a darker shade a grey.
The last one is a thick weave linen like a canvas.
Selecting colors and texture for your home walls
LIGHT COLOR UPHOLSTERY FABRIC
Next example is also a light grey but a doupion mix silk on this bedroom wall. I would recommend a much deeper color as the texture is only visible when close to the fabric. So you loose the doupioni effect (horizontal embossed lines) when standing in the middle of the room.
Now, regarding thin silk fabric, it may require a knit backing. This is one of the very few fabric that needs backing. In doubt, ask a professional if the fabric you have selected is suitable for this purpose.
Will it work on the walls? Does it need a backing?
More information on the subject of silk fabric.
The process of wall upholstery
I would like to provide some important details that might help you understand the process of wall upholstery. Due to misinformation provided by some bloggers on the web, I need to clarify a technical aspect.
Firstly and foremost, all images on this website depict fabric stretched over padding placed on the wall. The padding layer is separate from the wall and has various thicknesses to fit and cover the wall. It is made from either natural or synthetic fibers. This padding allows for air circulation between layers. It is crucial to mention that no gluing is utilized on the flat wall surface. Besides its functional purpose, this layer adds cushioning which creates a padded look.
Therefore, we name it wall upholstery or upholstered wall.
Please note that our product is not fabric wallpaper, despite often being mistaken as such. The finish is significantly different.
Good Visual Finish
As you take a closer look at the image, you will notice that it showcases a bedroom. The panels are upholstered with the quality suede fabric. This textile carefully selected due to its nature, which creates an exquisite look with different shades appearing depending on the direction of the stroke.
The suede fabric, with its soft and silky texture, has a captivating appearance that looks very similar to velvet. Its luxurious appearance not only adds a rich touch to the room but also adds a layer of comfort.
Textured fabric to walls in home theaters
Home theaters are most likely to be in plain fabric. But pattern works too in these spaces. And in majority of cases, a darker color is selected from a medium to navy, burgundy or shades of grey.
In the picture below, the ceiling and walls are both upholstered in a thick weaved linen. It includes the deep crown molding.
Learn more on acoustical walls in special rooms.
Shopping for upholstery fabric ideas
Today we reviewed only a few types of fabric, suede, velvet, doupioni, damask, taffetas and linen canvas. But I forgot another important wall upholstery fabric that adds texture in a home, it is wool. It is really good choice of upholstery textile. If you are interested, see this article on tartan. I believe you will enjoy it.
Of course, there are many other kind of fabrics in stores. An excellent way to start is by looking at online platforms. Visit the website Houzz which is full of great interiors, browse through all the images to get ideas. Create an account and collect images that you do like. Instagram is another good place to start and the subscribers show ideas of fabric with character.
Remember the game is to add textured fabric to walls. Then, get some swatches of fabric. Take your time to collect samples too, and hang them on the wall. Sit for a moment in your future upholstered room and look at them day and night.
Get opinion from people around you, your circle of friends, family. After that if you still have no clue, seek for professional advise. First and foremost have fun searching.
Each home has its own character. The choice of upholstery textile is determine by several factors.
Firstly the colors you like and, feel comfortable with, also the style of your interior, the architecture and the light in your space.
Secondly do you have a theme?
Do not forget the other elements that will be incorporate in your future space. Whether you considering wallpaper, paint, Venetian plaster or any other finish, the process is still the same.
JUST A THOUGHT#
Well, this is how I see the all process. Let me make a little comparison with clothes shopping. You might think that looking for upholstery fabric is a bigger task than choosing a dress or a suit.
Pretend that you need to buy an evening dress. The dress is your main article like the fabric for your walls. Then you will not only look for a dress but for the proper accessories such as shoes, belt, handbag, and jewelry.
So every object selected will go perfectly together, same thinking for your interior. Instead you will dress the walls with upholstery fabric. All accessories represent what you add in a room like rugs, lamps, artwork and so one. If you can manage that, then you will be able to find a fabric for your home.
Keep in mind this experience should be fun and don’t forget to add textured fabric to wall sib your home.
Do you have questions?
Finally, if you are you still in the dark and wish to hire a wall upholster, try us. We may not be nearby but we do travel to make your dream come true!