February 3, 2022

 

As we’ve been doing a lot of reupholstery work lately, we thought we’d share the photos below of a tufted chair. Tufting became popular in Victorian England when it was originally used to keep the stuffing of a chair, mattress, or sofa in place. Eventually tufting was seen as a sign of wealth. A benefit to tufting is longevity since when fabric is reinforced with tufts, it’s less likely to sag. There are five common types of tufting: diamond, button, biscuit or bun, blind, and channel. Diamond tufting, the most popular, is shown in the before and after photos below and involves securing the fabric into a pattern of diamond shapes; this type of tufting is considered the most comfortable because of the extra stuffing pushed into the tufts.

Button tufting refers to upholstered pieces in which you can see buttons in a geometric pattern on the fabric’s surface. The primary difference between button and diamond tufting is that the securing stitches are lighter in depth creating shallower depressions between the tufts. Biscuit or bun tufting is when the stitches form a square pattern, which can be either shallow or deep; this is a more recent design and is common in mid-century modern or contemporary furniture. Blind tufting is characterized by a lack of buttons and is secured from the back; since there are no buttons to pull or chew off, this is a popular option for those with young children or pets. Finally, channel tufting features stitched lines that are usually vertical, such as in the last photo above. Consider, too, that tufting is not just for chairs and sofas, but can be used on headboards or ottomans. This may be more than you ever wanted to know about tufting, but it’s another decision to consider in addition to the choice of fabric when you decide to reupholster!

We hope you have a great month! We’ll be open President’s Day in case you’ll be in the area taking advantage of the many things to do in Western Loudoun. Hope to see you soon.

 

Bob & Lynne McCann