Hello Christine,

This is an excellent question and is not so mysterious as may seem.

Manufacturers of upholstered furniture purchase large amounts of fabrics from various mills, both in and out of the country, for covering their frames. Each of these fabrics contains a different type of fiber, a different scale of pattern and is more easily or less easily obtainable. Each of these items will factor into how they 'Grade' their own fabrics and each manufacturer is separate from the other in their grading strategy as each has different frames to cover. If a fabric has a more expensive fiber in it, it will be a higher grade as it is more expensive for the manufacturers to purchase. If a fabric has a large scale pattern it will be a higher grade as it requires more yardage, and therefore more waste, to cover a particular frame. If a fabric is less easily obtainable it will, obviously, be a higher grade.

For your purposes it is not necessarily the grade of the fabric with which you should be concerned, but whether a linen will support your needs. If it is a true linen, for a headboard it should be a heavy weight linen, not a light weight, which will last much longer and wear better. Linen has a strong tendency to 'droop' after a short period of time, so as you rest your head in one place night after night as you read your book in bed, that spot will, over time, become looser as the fibers are relaxing. This is just the nature of linen. The heavier the fiber content the longer it will last.

The weave also has a lot to do with the structure of the fabric and a twill weave will last longer than a straight weave. If Dwell offers samples of the swatches you might think about obtaining one prior to ordering to determine if the fabric is heavy enough for you.

Best of luck and please let us know if we can be of any assistance,

Elizabeth Cabell, ASID, CID
Cabell Design Studio