Knowledge Hub - ICON Upholstery Collection

ClearClose

FAQ & more

Knowledge Hub

A working reference for the questions that come up before a piece is specified: materials, construction, care, and the details that decide how furniture lives with you.

Knowledge

Cushions & Comfort

How a cushion is filled decides how a piece feels on the first day and how it looks five years in.

Understanding foam density

Density measures material, not feel. A 1.8-density foam weighs 1.8 pounds per cubic foot. More material in the same space means more of the structure that holds a cushion's shape, which is why density is the number to look at when the question is how a cushion will hold up under daily use.

Firmness is a separate axis with its own scale. A dense foam can be built soft and a lighter foam can be built firm, so read the two together: density speaks to longevity, firmness to how the seat feels when you sit down.

Down & down-blend cushions

Down and down-blend wraps give a cushion a relaxed, lived-in surface. It breaks and settles rather than staying taut. Blends pair a foam core with a down or down-alternative wrap, so the core carries the support while the wrap softens the look.

The trade-off is upkeep. Down compresses under weight and does not spring back on its own, so a down-wrapped cushion needs regular fluffing to keep its loft. Choosing it is a decision about maintenance as much as about comfort.

Cushion maintenance

Rotate and flip reversible cushions on a regular schedule so wear spreads across every face instead of collecting in one seat. Fluff wrapped cushions and back pillows by hand, working the corners first and then the body, and the loft comes back.

All foam and fiber softens and takes the shape of the people using it. That is normal settling, not a defect, and it is why regular maintenance matters more than any single specification.

Explore our cushion fills

Materials

Choosing Fabric & Leather

The cover decides more about daily life with a piece than any other single choice.

How to choose the right fabric

Start with the room, not the swatch. Sunlight, pets, children and how often the piece is actually used narrow the field faster than color does.

Durability is usually quoted as a double-rub count from an abrasion test. Treat it as a guide rather than a guarantee: weave, fiber and finish all shape how a fabric ages, and a high count on a loose weave is not the same promise as a high count on a tight one.

Performance fabrics

Performance fabrics are engineered for cleanability, usually a solution-dyed or treated fiber that resists staining and fading and takes a wipe without leaving a mark.

They are the right call for high-traffic rooms, households with kids or pets, and anywhere the sun is relentless. The hand has improved enormously, and the gap between a performance weave and a traditional one is far smaller than it used to be.

Leather character

Leather is a natural material and reads like one. Healed scars, insect marks, brands and variation across a hide are part of the material rather than flaws in the cover, and they show most in the least-corrected leathers.

Aniline and semi-aniline leathers develop a patina. They soften, darken a little and take on the marks of use. Heavily pigmented leathers stay closer to how they arrived. The choice is really about whether you want the piece to change.

Customer's Own Material (COM)

COM means you supply the fabric and we apply it. It is the route to a specific mill, a discontinued pattern, or a designer's own line.

Each product page lists the yardage a style requires, so you can order the right amount. Confirm yardage and where to send the material with your ICON contact before it ships.

See customization options

Care

Care & Cleaning

Most upholstery problems are maintenance problems. A short, regular routine prevents nearly all of them.

Fabric cleaning codes

Upholstery fabrics carry a cleaning code that tells you which products the cover can take.

W — water-based cleaning agents.

S — solvent-based (dry-clean) products only; water will ring or shrink it.

W-S — either is acceptable.

X — vacuuming and light brushing only, since both water and solvent risk damage.

Check the code before you reach for a cleaner, and test on a hidden area first.

Leather care basics

Dust and wipe with a dry or barely damp soft cloth, and blot spills straight away instead of rubbing them in. Skip saddle soap, all-purpose cleaners and anything containing solvents or silicone, all of which strip the finish.

Keep leather out of direct sun and away from heat sources, which dry a hide until it cracks. A conditioner made for upholstery leather, used sparingly and occasionally, is the whole routine.

Everyday care

Vacuum with a soft brush attachment to lift the grit that abrades fibers from inside the weave. Rotate cushions, and rotate the piece itself if one end takes all the light.

Direct sun fades every fiber eventually, natural ones fastest. Pilling on shorter-fiber weaves is friction rather than failure; a fabric shaver removes it, and it slows down as the loose fiber works its way out.

Read our warranty

Construction

Construction & Suspension

What sits under the upholstery decides whether a piece is still comfortable a decade from now.

Suspension systems

Eight-way hand-tied coils are knotted to one another and to the frame in eight directions. It is the most labor-intensive system, and it gives a deep, gradual sit that stays even across the seat.

Sinuous springs are S-shaped steel wires stretched front to back and clipped to the frame. Well executed, they are quiet, consistent and long-lived, and they allow a slimmer seat profile than coils.

Webbing, elastic or jute bands woven across the frame, is the lightest system. It suits low-profile and platform designs, and its life depends heavily on the quality of the bands.

None of the three is automatically better than the others. The right system depends on the seat profile and the sit a design is after, and execution matters more than the label.

Frame construction

A hardwood frame, kiln-dried so the moisture is out before the wood is cut, is the standard that lasts. Green or under-dried lumber shrinks in place and joints loosen with it.

Joinery does the real work: corner blocks, double dowels, glue and screws at the stress points rather than staples alone. A frame you can lift by one corner without any twist is the practical test.

See how we build

Legs & finishes

Legs set the visual weight of a piece. A tall tapered leg lifts it, a short block leg grounds it, and the finish either ties into the room's wood tones or deliberately contrasts with them.

Browse leg finishes

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can be customized?

Most of what defines a piece can be adjusted: dimensions, cushion fill, arm and leg treatments, and of course the material. What is available varies by style, since some designs only work at certain proportions.

Start with the customization page for the range, then confirm a specific change with your ICON contact.

See customization options

Can I use my own fabric?

Yes. That is COM, Customer's Own Material. Each product page lists the yardage the style requires, so order enough before sending it, and confirm yardage and shipping details with your ICON contact first.

One thing to know up front: because COM is supplied by you, it sits outside our fabric warranty. Frame, suspension and construction coverage is unaffected.

See customization options

How do I clean my upholstery?

Check the cleaning code first, W, S, W-S or X, and match the product to the code. Blot spills rather than rubbing, test any cleaner on a hidden area, and vacuum regularly with a soft brush so grit does not work into the weave.

Anything beyond a fresh spill, and any fabric coded X, is worth handing to a professional upholstery cleaner.

What does the warranty cover?

Our written warranty is organized by component: frame and suspension, fabrics, seat cushions and seams. Each carries its own terms.

Rather than paraphrase it here, read the full text, which is the authoritative version.

Read our warranty

Where can I see the pieces in person?

We keep trade showrooms where you can sit on the furniture and handle the materials, which is the only reliable way to judge a seat.

Get in touch to arrange a visit and we will make sure someone is there to walk you through the line.

How do I become a trade partner?

ICON sells through designers, dealers and the trade. Send us an application and we will follow up about terms, materials and setting up your account.

Start a trade application

www.iconuph.com

www.iconuph.com is blocked