Choice is very important to us at Birchwood Furniture Galleries. When you shop with us, we want you to get exactly what you want and need for your home. Our manufacturers take care of the quality, but we take care of the details.
We have so many options for you that at times it can be overwhelming. But don’t worry – we’re sharing tips for helping you zero in on the fabric colour, pattern, strength and price point perfect for your needs.
Endless fabric choices
If it is your first time into our store, when you walk in, on the back wall in the middle of the main showroom floor is a curved wall, full top to bottom of fabric samples. These fabrics are kept in stock at the Birchwood Furniture factory for use on any custom order. Because they buy fabric in large quantities, you are getting designer fabrics and higher grades for more affordable prices when you select material from these walls.
Next, when you step inside the fabric center, you will see the very back wall has more fabric samples hanging and in books. These samples are our Designer fabric lines. We carry swatches of all the major Canadian fabric distributors – Joanne, Maxwell, Robert Allen, J. Ennis. These fabrics normally start at a Grade E and work their way up. These fabrics are custom ordered for your pieces.
Where to start?
Knowing what you are looking for is half the battle. Luckily our fabric samples are organized by color. Each wall inside or outside on the curved wall has an isolated color palette. The walls are divided into browns, reds, blue-greens, and greys. This makes it very easy to narrow down your search in seconds.
Not sure what colors or style of patterns you are interested in? Another easy way to search for fabrics is by zeroing in on your budget. The fabrics are all labeled with a grade. The grade of the sample indicates the price point. Lowest priced grades start at 1, 2, A, B C and the move their way up. The later the letter in the alphabet, the higher the price.
We often have clients with families request fabrics that will stand up to the wear and tear of their kids, grand kids or pets. If this is what you are after, you can start looking at the fiber content of the fabric samples. This shows you exactly what the fabric is made of. This will help you narrow down your search based on functionality.
For this purpose, you will want a fabric with a high percentage of polyester content, as it is the strongest and most durable fiber. It is also easy to clean and usually at the lower end of the price point spectrum. You won’t have to break the bank to get the durability you need.
We are here to help.
Don’t forget you are not alone in this process! Our team of design consultants are here to help you. If you are signed up for our newsletter, you might have started to become acquainted with some of them already.
Design consultants greet you at the door with a friendly smile, and offer assistance as you want it. Whomever first greeted you is the person you should ask for to help you select your fabric. They are at your disposal.
Our design consultants are knowledgeable and educated in home decorating, fabric types, frame styles and space planning. Ask them anything to do with your room in question, and they will do everything they can to help. Not sure of a direction? Share what is existing in your space, and they can help bring together your concept!
Most importantly, you can take home fabric samples to try out in your space. This is the best way to decide on which choice is for you. You can see the fabrics in the light of your own home, and have some time to contemplate your decision. No rushing necessary, we want you to love your new piece.
That’s it for the basics on how to approach selecting fabrics for your new furniture! When faced with our many choices, we hope these tips help make your process easier. Please feel free to use the help of our design consultants while in our store. They will have more insight on specifics to your needs. It is important to us that you get exactly what you want and need for your home.
