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Page THE HALTON HILLS HOMESTYLE Saturday September 22 1990 Upholstered furniture Consumer must search for undercover information Since the inner construction of a sofa or chair essentially is hidden from view the consumer shopping for upholstered furniture has to search for the under cover lnforma tion But in the consumer s favour is the fact that what is visible that is the colours pattern and texture of the upholstery fabric plays the key role in aesthetic appeal and value of the design The upholstery covering provides the single most important clue to what the consumer is getting for her money because it affects the price of the furniture more than other component For example an iden tical sofa can range in price from to SI depending on the fabnc selected It s not unusual for retailers to carry a selection of fabrics so that a chair of sofa can be covered ac cording to individual choice Fabric selections frequently are organized by gnde which is the turer s tode for the price range which ultimately affects the price of the furniture it covers Retailers should be asked for in formation on the durabtlitv of the fabric that is whether it is ap propriate for delicate light medium or duty For example delicate and lightdutv fabrics and colours such as pale pastels and white can give good service in living rooms used mainly for formal enter taming However rooms used more fre quently require furniture upholstered with sturdier fabrics There are man light to medium duty brocades and velvets that con tribute to an elegant appearance and at the same time give good per formance In rooms where food and dnnks are served stain resistant finishes important Spills on fabrics made of synthetic fibres such as olefin nylon acrylic and polyester usually can be wiped clean Heavy duty upholstery fabrics are advised for family rooms and dens where all members of the famih of all ages pursue their and w here pets have access It is important to remember thit light colours show dirt dark col ours show lint dust and pet hairs Medium coloured fabrics especially in tweed effects and prints hide a multitude of sins Leather and vml often are chosen for family rooms because they can be wiped clean Ontario furniture urge consumers shopping for upholstered furniture to look for designs with the gold hang tag stands for the Upholstered Action Coun trade formed to lead the search for new methods and materials for the manufacturing of furniture that is more resistant to cigarette ignition The hang tag signifies that the furniture design is highly resis to cigarette burns which means added value to the consumer Most upholstered furniture manufactured in Ontario meets all construction criteria Some consumers concerned about safety are rephcing old fur with upholstered pieces that meet specifications Most industry experts agree that sound furniture should last through the original fabric and at least one No mot how carefully the was selected it eventually will show wear In choosing between reupholster ing an old piece of furniture and buy new replacement it should be remembered reupholstenng is not inexpensive Co for reupholster ing one chair can range from or more depending on labour charges and the type of upholstery fabric being used In some cases it would be possible to new chair for the same amount of money However if you paid handsomely for the piece or if it an unusuil design a particularly good form or a type featuring distinctive or elaborate details the reupholster ing approach seems isable Details such as tailoring with neat even stitches enhance the quality image How well the fabnc is matched provides another clue about quality For exam pie if the left arm of a sofa or chair has a stripe down the centre the arm should have the same stripe in the identical place Vertical stripes and patterns should match from the top of the sent back down to the front of the frame Horizontal stripes should line up too Industry standards allow a half inch margin for error in matching patterns in medium priced product More ex pensive items reach for perfection When patterns such as bold florals are featured the dominant element of the pattern should be centred on the cushions The pattern should flow smoothly from seat back through seatcushion and the front of the frame to the skirt with all flowers fully matched from panel to panel For a quality look velvet upholstery fabrics must be cut so that the nap goes in one direction The nap of velvet should he flat and feel smooth when brushed in one direction When brushed in the op posite direction it stands up and feels and looks uneven The direc of the nap also the depth of colour lis good idea to check the reverse side of the cushions to make sure the fabnc match is the same on both sides For maximum wear cushions should be reversible when design layout of fabnc allows How well the seat cushions fit into the seat frame is another measure of quality The cushions should fit snugly between the arms lying flat without gaps between themselves and the front rail A slight overhang onequarter to a half inch creates an appearance of better fit The stitches of seams holding pieces of together reveal much about the quality of the fur niture The stitching should be so tight that the thread is barely visi bie When are thick such as some woven or excep tionally smooth such as types made of olefin the stitching should be checked carefully because even stit are difficult to achieve in these constructions Furniture featuring traditional styling frequently has decorative welt scams achieved by covering cord with on the edges of the seat backs arms cushions and pillows For a neat well tailored ap pearance the stitching should be very close to the cord and the welt seaming should appear straight and crisp Special attention should be paid to corners since they can be a problem area Some contemporary styling features basketball seams a single line of decorative stitches on each side of a structural scam The decorative stitches should be straight and an equal distance from the structural seam Additionally they should not be so tight they cause the fabnc to pucker The skirt frequently used as finishing touch at the base of a chair or sofa almost always is lined in quality furniture It also may have weights to make sure it hangs evenly all around A skirt with pattern that matches also is essential for a quah ty image The degree of matching can define the quality The quilting effects featured in some of the light weight covering designs mainly in the traditional or country mood follow two main directionb a random pat tern or an outline of a component in the print Consumers are advised to check the quilting for broken If not done well the quilting which commands a premium can tum into a detriment rather than an asset ANITA MIKE Business 8761156 Residence 873 4729 OPEN HOUSE Sunday Sept 23 24 bedroom storey house on 1 12 acre lot with beautiful mature trees SUPER PRICE 19600 3 bedroom semi that has tots of potential OPEN HOUSE Sunday Sept 24 p m 349000 Beautiful bedroom country home Directions On off Steetes Ave Ontario St MILTON ONTARIO 8761156 A SEPTEMBER SPECIAL QUALITY HOMES PRICED homes AT Dont miss this opportunity to live in Scenic Rockwood Only minutes west of the air port Follow signs from Hwy 7 at south edge of For information call 519 824 6185 or 51 9824 0848 Closed Sundays