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cplover

Sunbrella fabric for kitchen banquette cushion?

cplover
9 years ago

I have been trying to determine what fabric would be best for a kitchen banquette cushion. I have a small child, two cats and this banquette is where we eat all of our meals. Not sure if I should use an indoor/outdoor material like (Outdura/Sunbrella) or a slipcover type material (canvas/cotton duck) where the cover could be removed and washed. Thing is that I do not want to wash it all of the time. The only material I have ruled out is vinyl, which I know has great properties, but the negatives really both DH.

Has anyone used an indoor/outdoor material for a cushion? If so, how do you like it? Does it hold up well to spills, stains and daily abuse? Did you like the look and feel? Or do you wish you went with another type of fabric all together? Thanks!

Comments (17)

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    9 years ago

    We have a banquette cushion but our kids are older (middle schoolers). Sunbrella narrows choices a bit, and in our case it was not much fabric and easy enough to change out and staple ourselves, so we didn't care about durability.

    Elsewhere in our house we are big believers in slipcovers. We only have sunbrella outdoors and in our pool area, but I will say, yes, it is very stain resistant.

    HTH

  • cplover
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Mtnrdredux! Yeah, this will be a loose cushion otherwise I would not be worrying much about the fabric and at $200+ for the cost of both cushions PLUS fabric, I want to make sure this cushion stands the test of time. I wish I could have done the staple method like you, but it is just not possible. The sunbrella colors are not limiting for me, just finding a nice neutral and will spice it up with fun pillows and other decor items.

  • caminnc
    9 years ago

    I personally love sunbrellla and think it is well worth the price, which isn't even bad to me. I say go for it.

  • jshore
    9 years ago

    I had a window seat cushion made from Sunbrella fabric. I have 2 golden retrievers that are on this cushion all the time. It held up well, but I grew tired of wiping it clean all the time. It certainly cleaned up easily, even with a damp cloth. I ended up having a new cover made with a "leatherette" type fabric. Although I liked the Sunbrella much better, the new cover just doesn't get dirty. However, it does have small scratches from their nails. I should stress that these are 2 "exuberant" dogs are a very, very hard on the cushion. Luckily, they do not go on any other upholstery! I think you'd be quite happy with Sunbrella fabric; mine doesn't resemble outdoor fabric in any way.

  • sas95
    9 years ago

    We have a chair in our kitchen covered with Sunbrella. It has held up great with two cats and many food mishaps. It is very easy to clean.

  • smalloldhouse
    9 years ago

    We have a Ballard banquette with Sunbrella fabric. It has held up to a year of nightly destruction by 2 boys. I chose the Sunbrella almost by accident but if we had used some other type of fabric it would have been a disaster. I scrub my 5yo's place at the table almost every night.

  • clt3
    9 years ago

    You could also use Crypton. I just found a big stain on a bar stool (no telling how long it had been there) and used a damp microfiber cloth and every bit of it came right off.

  • kitchendetective
    9 years ago

    And another,
    I have Sunbrella Dupioni on a cushion that is on a bench in my mudroom. The bench faces a north facing French door and is used for sitting on when removing boots after ranch work, and, although it wasn't planned that way, for temporary dumping of mail, dog harnesses, coats, groceries, you name it. So, dirty stuff is regularly placed on it. Most either do not affect it or brush right off. Occasionally, I have to spot clean it with a dab of dilute detergent and water, then blot. Once in awhile, I take the cover off (it unzips) and wash it in the washing machine, then let it air dry before replacing. It looks brand new after five years.

    This post was edited by kitchendetective on Mon, Nov 24, 14 at 12:30

  • Sueb20
    9 years ago

    I have Sunbrella cushions on our screen porch furniture and it's amazing stuff. I happened to notice a couple of stains, what looked like spilled coffee, and wondered if it would actually come out. With almost no effort -- a couple of dabs with a sponge and dishwashing soap -- it came right out. We've had the furniture for just over a year and with lots of use by all members of the family, including a dog, it looks brand new.

    I am actually in the process of having my kitchen banquette cushions re-covered in Sunbrella.

  • bossyvossy
    9 years ago

    Another YES vote for Sumbrella indoors.

  • k9arlene
    9 years ago

    Yes to Sunbrella. Have it on my bar stools in the kitchen.

  • nanny2a
    9 years ago

    My customers often select Sunbrella fabrics for their banquette cushions, and have all been delighted with the results. Go for it!

  • cplover
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks everyone! Now I cannot even think of a reason not to use Sunbrella fabric. I just wish I could find samples close by of the materials I found I like online. The website that I found has awesome prices for Sunbrella by the yard, charges $5 per sample! I think I have it narrowed down somewhat. But its hard to see what the fabrics are like without having them in hand. These are the materials/colors that I am leaning towards (all Sunbrella):

    - Canvas (Taupe or Antique Beige)
    - Rib (Taupe)
    - Sailcloth (Sahara)
    - Meridian (Wren)
    - Malabar (Pebble)

  • Fori
    9 years ago

    I have the Crypton on my kitchen chairs and it cleans up nicely. (I'd been looking at Sunbrella but didn't find the color I wanted.) I think both Sunbrella or Crypton are great choices for the banquette.

  • kitchendetective
    9 years ago

    Just to complicate matters, Calico Corners had designer Sunbrella fabrics (that I felt were ridiculously expensive) that are an option if you cannot find what you are looking for online.

  • cplover
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Kitchendetective but I am going to keep it narrowed to these fabrics, in part because they are all under $17/yd and while I only need 5 yds of material, I still need to purchase a lot of things for this room to be done, so I am trying to save money on the cushion. I thought if it is neutral, I can change the wall color later, if I want to or buy new pillows.