Before you take home that new sofa or upholstered chair, check the piece more carefully. This exercise can be confusing since there are so many different styles, construction techniques and quality characteristics. Fabric plays an important role in the beauty of upholstered furniture, but it's the undercover design that makes the difference in comfort. The following are important tips to consider before spending a fortune on sofa, chair or any other upholstery:

Fabric:

This is the first thing you see and is a major selection factor. The fabric has different grades which are determined by the quality, design and the amount of fabric needed to match patterns if it has a design motif. It's also important that the patterns and stripes match at seams. Patterns may be centered or checked. Fabrics should have no wrinkles or puckers at the seams, unless they are part of the design.

Today, the best quality frames are made of steel, plastic, laminated boards or a combination of materials. For the sofa and upholstered chair, a frame made from kiln-dried hardwood such as oak, alder, birch or maple will maintain its high quality and durability. Basically ensure that the frame is sturdy, sits squarely on the floor and the corners are well padded.

Cushions:

Cushions should be made from cotton or polyester fiber, foam or down. Cushion materials may also include urethane sheet material, fiber fills, polyester battings, springs, feathers. You may find a cushion containing one or a blend of these materials. Basically ensure that the cushion fits snugly and are resilient.

Choose something colorful, patterned and easy in cleaning. Save white or lighter colors for small accent pieces that don't get a lot of use or can easily be recovered at a small expense.

Padding:

This is important in determining the quality and comfort of a chair or a sofa. Better quality pieces have two or three layers of padding. Types of padding include polyurethane fiber, down, and natural latex foam rubber.