Calico

Nice folks overall. Good, but not excellent fabric selection. Nice furnishings and store.
Service inconsistent ranging from belligerent and insulting or apathetic/​uninformed to sharp, professional and crisp, depending on the day/​person.
Two issues on a simple custom project: production was a nightmare and took many months, over 35 visits/​calls/​emails and lots of personal time to straighten out a shoddy product that was expensive and took forever to get done. And the workmanship was very poor which surprised me given the cost.
Built for «ladies who lunch» and nonworking folks with lots of daytime hours to shepherd their project through; not for working professionals who expect efficient professionalism along with a professional finish on a custom project.
They did work with me on the issues, but it took way too much of my time and effort for a simple project.
I hope this experience changes so I can update this review more positively, as the manager and some staff really are quite good.

I was always put off Calico Corners by the name because I assumed it would be chock full of fabrics festooned with teddy bears and kitty cats. As I was parking for a pedicure at Embellish two doors down, I peeked in the window of Calico (they are going the way of KFC and World Market with their shortened-​name attempt at re-​branding) and was surprised to realize that they carry some lovely fabric for interiors.
Yes, they have several fabrics that might be described as «sumptuous» and fit better in a Tuscan estate than an Austin bungalow. However, they have quite a few modern options that drew me in. Unfortunately, the price point is high. Like, crazy mark-​up high. I recognized my fave Braemore pattern being sold for $ 10 more per yard than I’ve found elsewhere. And, the service was less than friendly.
After checking out multiple other spots around town and online, I couldn’t find anything I liked quite the same as a sample I pulled at Calico for one of my reupholstery projects. Fortunately, I hemmed and hawed long enough to time my purchase with a sale, so I combined a new customer coupon I found online with their sale, and actually ended up with a decent deal on a very high quality fabric. I opted to make my transaction via their website rather than return to their storefront in order to avoid the frosty salesperson.
All in all, Calico seems like a good place to go see and feel a wide selection of quality fabrics, but not a spot where I’d linger if I’m looking for warm customer service or bargain pricing.

Calico Corners has a beautiful and varied selection of upholstery fabrics, including nice Sunbrella prints for outdoor cushions and such. Their discounted sale prices can be really fantastic too, and they will ship you additional yardage at the sale price from other locations at a nominal shipping cost. Awesome!
They also have gorgeous catalogues and floor samples to give you inspiration for your own home, and if you’re lucky with your timing like I was once, you can purchase a floor sample for as little as a quarter of the retail price.
Their furniture is higher end on the price scale, but is also higher end on the quality scale. I have had one of their sofas for 4 years of heavy use, and its cushions and frame are still in great condition.

I was desperately looking for a pretty-​but-​not-​pricey sofa cover for Christmas. Someone recommended me this store. I found hundreds kinds of delicate fabrics and those very nice and helpful sales personnel who saved my bacon. Fortunately I found an appoximately same subtly fine fabric I had in my Beijing’s house as a sofa cover. It matched perfectly with my furniture and was on sale for $ 27/​yard. Thank you, Calico Corners.

Are you the typical suburban soccer mom? This store is for you!
Ok, maybe I’m being terribly stereotypical.
If I only had one word to describe this place, it’s LAME.

Definitely this chain has a bit of a branding problem, what with the name of the place soundling less Design Mecca and more Betsy Ross Quilting Bee, and there is that decidedly Ladies Who Lunch vibe going on. Despite all that I wouldn’t eliminate them from your shopping list.
You will pay more than other places but you do get really high quality merchandise here. I’m all about design on the cheap, but if you have more discriminating tastes, it’s worth a look-​see. While they’re not overloaded with contemporary fabrics, you will find enough of that sort of thing here to warrant a trip, which you would never know if you only judged them by their name.
One little minute touch I do love about them is that they have stickers they attach to the backs of whatever samples they cut for you, where they record the fabric pattern, color, and price. Sure makes it easy later when you’ve gone to 3 stores and can’t remember any of the details or which samples came from which store.