The Design House Performance Fabric Guide: Which Family Suits Your Home

The eight fabric families

How to choose between them

For a statement piece. Basket Weave or Shadow Weave add the most visible texture and depth, best suited to an accent chair or a sofa that's meant to stand out.

For everyday family rooms. Brushed Texture and Brushed Smooth are built for a cozy, forgiving feel that holds up to daily use.

For a refined, quieter look. Luxe Soft and Soft Grain read as more formal, closer to the feel of fine leather without the maintenance leather demands.

For a versatile base. Classic Flat Weave and Textured Weave are the easiest to pair with existing rugs, cushions and wood tones.

Every family carries the same stain-resistant performance technology, so the decision comes down to texture and finish rather than durability. Colour and texture settle differently in a room's own light than they do on a screen, which is why ordering a physical swatch, or seeing the full range in the showroom, is worth doing before committing to a fabric on a bespoke piece.

Matching a fabric family to a piece

The right family also depends on the shape of the piece it covers. A deep, loose-cushioned sofa like the ones in our modular collections shows off a tactile family such as Basket Weave or Shadow Weave particularly well, since the folds and seams catch the texture as light moves across the room. A tailored armchair with a tighter, more structured seat tends to suit a smoother family, Luxe Soft or Brushed Smooth, where the fabric's own texture doesn't compete with the piece's clean lines. For dining chairs and benches, which see the most friction from daily use, Classic Flat Weave or Brushed Texture generally wear more evenly over time than the softest, most delicate finishes in the range.

It's also worth thinking about how a fabric family reads next to the wood or metal finishes already in the room. A warmer wood tone, oak or walnut, generally sits well against Soft Grain or Brushed Texture, while a cooler metal frame, such as those used across the mirror and bench ranges, tends to pair more cleanly with Classic Flat Weave or Luxe Soft.

How to actually clean a stain, step by step

The Design House's published High Performance Upholstery care covers the common cases directly. For everyday marks like chocolate, coffee or ketchup, water or a white soap is enough, no specialist products needed. For anything solid, lift it off first with a teaspoon or a flat utensil rather than rubbing it further into the weave, then dab with water and work it out gently with a microfiber cloth. Heat is the one thing to avoid on any performance fabric, including a hairdryer to speed up drying, since it can set a stain rather than lift it. Let the fabric air dry instead.

Sunlight, fading and where each fabric holds up best

Like any upholstery, sustained direct sunlight will fade a performance fabric over time regardless of family, so a sofa or chair positioned in direct sun for most of the day will show more colour change over the years than one in indirect light, even with identical fabric. Rotating loose cushions periodically also evens out wear across a piece rather than concentrating it on the spots used most. None of this changes the stain-resistant performance of the fabric itself, it's a separate, general consideration for any upholstered furniture in a bright Dubai-facing room.

Frequently asked questions

Are all TDH performance fabrics stain-resistant?

Yes. All eight families are treated with the same advanced stain-resistant technology, with most stains lifting using just water.

Which fabric family is easiest to maintain?

Brushed Smooth and Classic Flat Weave are both built for daily wear, though every family in the range shares the same stain-resistant treatment.

Can a physical swatch be requested before choosing?

Yes. A swatch can be requested directly through The Design House's fabric swatches page before finalising a fabric on any bespoke piece.

What's the right way to treat a spill on a performance fabric?

Lift solids off with a spoon or flat utensil first, then dab the area with water or a little white soap and work it out gently with a microfiber cloth. Avoid heat, including a hairdryer, and let the fabric air dry.

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