How each ERYE fabric looks, feels and wears

Boucle: looped and textured

Boucle is woven from looped yarn, which gives it a nubby surface that looks soft from across the room and catches light unevenly. Under the hand it feels springy. The loops are its weak point: a claw, a zipper or a toy with a hard edge pulls them into snags.

In a home with a cat that climbs, boucle belongs on a piece the cat leaves alone, or under a throw on the arm. Lift crumbs with a soft brush or a vacuum on low, and blot spills rather than rubbing them, since rubbing roughens the loops.

Chenille: soft pile, low sheen

Chenille yarn has short fibers standing out from its core, so the woven fabric has a soft pile with a low sheen that shifts as you run a hand across it. It feels warm and dense on a cool evening.

Its pile holds pet hair and lint at the surface, where a lint roller or a rubber brush lifts it. Snip a pulled thread flush with scissors instead of pulling it further.

Corduroy: raised ribs

Corduroy has raised ribs, or cords, running down the cushions, and that ribbing gives many of our cloud couches their lined, relaxed look. It feels soft with a slight grip, and the ribs show light and dark bands where the pile lies in different directions.

Crumbs and hair settle into the grooves between the ribs, so brush along the ribs before you reach for a cloth. The front edge of a seat, where legs rub, is where corduroy shows use first.

Velvet, flannel and suede-like weaves

Velvet has a short, dense pile that makes color look deep. Flannel and suede-like fabrics share the same brushed face, and our pages group them in the same family.

Where people sit, the pile flattens and shows a lighter patch, and a brush in the direction of the pile lifts it again. Claws catch less on velvet than on boucle, because there are no loops, though they still leave marks in the pile.

Faux leather: wipes down

Faux leather is a coated fabric with a smooth, leather-like face. It wipes down with a damp cloth, pet hair slides off it, and a juice spill stays on the surface long enough to catch. Sit down and it feels cool for a moment, then warms up under you.

Its limits are sharp points and heat. Claws and belt buckles scratch the coating, and strong sun or a heater close by dries it out over time, so place it away from both.

Linen blend: matte and casual

A linen blend has a dry, matte hand and a slightly uneven weave that looks casual rather than tailored. It stays cool on a warm evening and creases where you sit, then eases out again.

Water rings and oily marks show on it more than on a pile fabric, so blot spills at once and keep coasters within reach of the seats.

Pets, toddlers and everyday cleaning

No upholstery stands up to claws, so the choice is about what shows and what cleans. Faux leather and velvet shed hair most easily, corduroy and chenille hold it until you brush, and boucle is the one to keep away from a pet that kneads.

Toddlers bring sticky hands and crumbs rather than claws. A smooth surface wipes, a pile fabric needs blotting, and a throw over the seat a child uses most saves a lot of both. For anything beyond crumbs and fresh spills, follow the care label that comes with your piece.

Labels on upholstered furniture

Federal rules require indoor upholstered seating to carry a permanent label that reads "Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability." California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment suggests looking for that label, and airing out new furniture made with composite wood in a well-ventilated room.

Which ERYE pieces come in each fabric