Off the sample wall
Designer upholstery fabrics in Kaneohe
Thousands of design choices, indoor and outdoor, 100% cotton to commercial grade, chosen at the shop or from a photo.
Match the cloth to the piece
The shop offers designer fabrics with thousands of design choices, in styles that run from modern and sleek to tropical and casual. The question that matters first is not the pattern, it is how hard the piece is used. A dining chair, a family sectional and a guest-room accent chair ask different things of a cloth.
100% cotton is soft and natural and suits pieces that see gentle use. Commercial grade is made to take heavy traffic, and it is the usual choice for a family sofa or any seat that works hard. Fabrics also carry a rating for how much rubbing they take, so ask what a cloth is rated for before falling for the print.
Indoor and outdoor cloth are separate lists. Outdoor fabric is made for sun, rain and humidity, which is what a lanai chair lives in. An indoor cotton on a porch will fade and hold moisture, however good it looked on the wall.
Tropical fabric samples in palm, banana leaf and bird of paradise prints hanging on the shop's bamboo-mat wall
Pick it off the wall, or by photo
The sample wall at 46-138 Kahuhipa St in Kaneohe is where most choices get made. Hold a swatch against the piece, look at it in daylight, and see how the print reads at full size. Rocky Rawlins wrote in a Google review that Ryan was very helpful answering questions about fabrics.
Large prints and stripes take planning. The motif is centered on the seat and matched across the back and arms, and that takes more cloth than a plain weave. Say early if you love a big pattern, so the yardage is figured for it.
If you cannot get to Kaneohe, send a photo of the piece with its dimensions and describe the look you want, anything from modern chic to coastal living. The one-to-two-week turnaround starts once the fabric is chosen and here at the shop.
Keeping the cloth looking new
Sun is the main enemy of color. Rotate loose cushions, draw the shades through the afternoon, and expect the seat nearest a bright window to fade first, especially in a bold print.
Look for the cleaning code on the fabric. W means water-based cleaners, S means solvent only, WS means either, and X means vacuum only. Test any cleaner on a hidden spot first, and blot spills rather than rubbing them in.
Island humidity favors mildew on damp cloth. Let anything that gets wet dry fully in open air, and keep upholstered pieces a little off walls that sweat.
John's Upholstery, Kaneohe: family-run since 1964. Bring a swatch question to 46-138 Kahuhipa St or call (808) 236-2218.
Great selection of material samples.
Linda Donoso, Google review
Three cloths on three chairs
A palm frond on a carved koa arm, an aqua coral print on cane barrel chairs, a cream palm leaf on a koa chair: the same wall supplies all three looks. Once the cloth is picked, the foam underneath is cut to size, and the cover goes on as full furniture reupholstery or as new cushion covers. Hotels and resorts can choose commercial grade for large-volume runs, and a photo of your piece with dimensions starts any of them.
Koa-arm loungerBlue and green palm frond
Cane barrel chairsAqua coral print, piped
Koa chairCream palm leaf