Materials & Fabrics
Our Materials & Fabrics
The material you choose changes how a piece looks, how it feels underhand, and how it ages. This page describes each material we work with, what suits it best, and how it behaves over time, so you can choose with confidence before ordering.
Upholstery fabrics
Bouclé
A looped yarn woven into a dense, nubby surface with visible texture and a soft matte finish. Bouclé reads as sculptural and works particularly well on curved silhouettes, where the texture catches light along the form.
Best for: Low-traffic living rooms, bedrooms, statement armchairs.
Consider: The looped weave can snag on claws and sharp objects. It is our most delicate option in homes with pets.
Velvet
A short, dense cut pile with a directional sheen that shifts as you move around the piece. Colours read deeper and more saturated in velvet than in any other material we offer.
Best for: Rich, warm interiors; pieces intended to be a focal point.
Consider: Pile shading, meaning lighter and darker patches where the pile has been brushed in different directions, is characteristic of the material and not a defect. It settles with use.
Corduroy
A ribbed cotton-blend weave with visible vertical wales. Sturdy, tactile, and forgiving in daily use. Corduroy has a relaxed, lived-in character that suits low, wide seating.
Best for: Family living rooms, everyday seating, high-use pieces.
Consider: One of our most durable and practical fabrics.
Chenille
A soft, slightly fuzzy pile with a subtle lustre, midway between velvet and bouclé in feel. Chenille is comfortable against the skin and holds colour evenly.
Best for: Comfort-led seating, pieces you will use daily.
Consider: Resists everyday wear well while staying soft.
Suede and microsuede
A napped surface with a fine, matte, velvety hand. Suede gives a quiet, understated finish that recedes rather than dominates a room.
Best for: Restrained, minimal interiors.
Consider: The nap marks with directional pressure. This brushes out and is part of the material's character.
Leather
Genuine leather
Full hide leather with natural grain. Each hide carries its own marks, grain variation and tonal shifts, which is how genuine leather is distinguished from a printed surface. It develops a patina with use, softening and deepening in colour over the years.
Best for: Lounge chairs, statement seating intended to last decades.
Consider: Natural marks, scars and grain variation are inherent to the hide and are not defects. Leather pieces have longer delivery times, typically 30 to 35 business days.
Technical leather
A polyurethane-based upholstery material engineered to reproduce the appearance and hand of leather, with a consistent surface and no natural variation. It is easier to clean, more resistant to spills and scratches, and available in a wider colour range.
Best for: Homes with children or pets, high-traffic and commercial settings.
Consider: We describe this material as technical, artificial or faux leather. It is not animal hide, and we never present it as such.
Structural materials
Frames
Our seating is built on solid or engineered hardwood frames, assembled and reinforced at load points. Curved shells, such as those used on our lounge chairs, are formed from multiple layers of bent wood laminated under pressure, which allows a continuous curve without joints.
Foam and filling
Seat and back cushions use high-resilience polyurethane foam, in densities selected for each silhouette. Firmer densities go into seat cushions that carry weight; softer densities go into backs and arms. Some pieces combine foam with a fibre wrap for a softer outer feel.
Metal bases and legs
Swivel bases, star bases and legs are made from steel or aluminium with a powder-coated or polished finish, chosen to match the piece.
Stone
Table tops are made from natural travertine or marble. Each slab is unique in veining, tone and pattern. The stone you receive will differ from the photographs, which is inherent to natural stone. Stone pieces are heavy and have longer delivery times, typically 30 to 35 business days.
Choosing the right material
| Your priority | We recommend |
|---|---|
| Maximum durability and easy cleaning | Technical leather, corduroy |
| Pets in the home | Technical leather, corduroy, chenille |
| Softest feel | Chenille, velvet |
| Strongest visual texture | Bouclé, corduroy |
| Ages and improves over decades | Genuine leather |
| Deepest, richest colour | Velvet |
Colour accuracy
We photograph our materials under controlled lighting, but every screen renders colour differently, and natural fibres and hides vary slightly between production batches. Expect a small difference between the images on our site and the piece delivered to you. If exact colour matters for your project, contact us before ordering at Contact@dreamoa.com and we will send additional close-up photographs of the specific material and colour you are considering.
Samples
We do not send free swatch packs. If you need to assess a material physically before ordering, email us and we will tell you what is possible for your chosen fabric, including cost and lead time.
Care
Each material has its own cleaning method. See our Care Instructions page.
Questions about a material
Email Contact@dreamoa.com or message +33 7 80 02 55 10. Tell us how the piece will be used, who uses the room, and what matters most to you, and we will recommend a material. We reply within 48 hours.