Like a good bed, people have definite preferences for what makes them comfortable when sitting on their upholstered furniture. However, while the quality of construction of your sofa or chairs bears on the seating experience it’s how the back and seat cushions are made that makes the real difference.

Let’s say you have a 20-year old sofa. With an objective, honest eye you think, it has to go! The back and seating have no support and even boast ‘potholes’, the cushions are lumpy, the fabric is faded and threadbare, plus your dog has made your sofa his bed.

Visiting a local furniture store for ideas then exploring online leaves you overwhelmed. You thought you’d be making an easy replacement decision so that in a few weeks you’d have a new sofa. Surprise. You quickly found that there are scores of choices out there. Who knew that buying a piece of upholstered furniture could be more challenging than buying a new car? There are so many aspects and options to consider, and among the most confusing is the choice of your back and seat cushions.

The essential question is, ‘ to be down, or not to be down’.Renaissance Custom Upholstery can make any shape, any size, any type of back and seat cushion – made to your exact specs. We use only the finest thread count along with 25/75 or 10/90 poly/cotton down and feather proof ticking to create cushion fills of superior quality, always addressing the all-important consideration of what makes your seat experience comfortable.Our cushions are made from the finest quality materials in the following configurations:

BACK CUSHION FILLINGS

Back cushions are created with one of the following four fill options:

1. Back Cushions – All Down and Feather:

These are the softest and most luxurious cushions. Down and feathers are blown into sewn channels made using down-proof ticking. While very comfortable, down and feather cushions require frequent maintenance.

2. Back Cushions – Micro Down:

For these cushions we sew channels on the front and back to encase the down and feather blend. We then create a channel of micro down fiber in the center. In terms of fills, micro down is designed to provide a luxury goose down-like feel yet it is synthetic and hypoallergenic.While these cushions provide a feel similar to an all down cushion they are a bit firmer. Micro Down cushions also require regular maintenance.

3. Back Cushions – Down Blend:

Down blend cushions are made with a 50% down and feathers fill. The remaining 50% is made up of conjugated polyester fiber encased in a down proof ticking with sewn channels for better fill distribution.These cushions have a firm feel and may require some maintenance.

4. Back Cushions – Luxury:

Conjugated polyester fiber encased in a sewn channeled cover for better fill distribution is a good affordable luxury choice. This inexpensive fill style is available in several densities, but they easily flatten out. Soft polyester is smooth, durable and bouncy. “Ply-a” soft polyester is limp and does not bounce back. Faux-down polyester mimics the look and feel of down for less money. Cluster-polyester cushions contain tiny balls of fiber. This is one of the most durable, long-lasting types of polyester fillings.All these options are an alternative for people who have feather allergies. Comfort varies and regular maintenance is required to preserve cushion shape.

SEAT CUSHION OPTIONS

Seat cushions are created in one of the following four fill options:

1. Seat Cushions – All Feather & Down:

All feather and down cushions are the ultimate for softness, as well as environmental sensitivity. A channeled down-proof ticking is sewn then completely filled with high quality down and feathers. Frequent fluffing and rotation is required to preserve structure and appearance.

2. Seat Cushions – Spring Down:

A spring down cushion is ideal for those who prefer a seating feel that is not too firm or too soft. It is made with a coiled spring core, covered in foam then wrapped in channeled and feather-filled down-proof ticking. The foam and spring combination offers a resilient feel while the feather batting adds softness. You’ll have to commit to some regular fluffing and cushion rotation to maintain structure, but the maintenance is far less than with an all feather and down cushion.

3. Seat Cushions – Spring Fiber:

A more affordable yet plush seating experience is achieved using a spring unit enclosed in polyurethane foam then edged on the front with polyester fiber. This core is placed in an envelope filled on top and bottom with a blend of waterfowl feathers and white duck down. This seat offers comfort and softness, yet the springs help to maintain the cushion’s shape and crown.Spring fiber cushions should be fluffed and rotated periodically

4. Seat Cushions – Luxury Foam:

A less costly tight seat construction can be achieved using layers of polyurethane foam and polyester fibers.There are four grades of high-resilience density foam cores to choose from, each crowned with super soft high-resiliency foam that provides initial softness and deep seating support. This cushion filling is the best of both worlds with the resilience and stability of foam wrapped in channeled and feather-filled down-proof ticking.The foam cushion requires minimum maintenance and gives a neat appearance, though with age and use the foam will soften.