Income Taxes (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended							3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	24 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		36 Months Ended	9 Months Ended					9 Months Ended
	Jan. 27, 2013	Jan. 29, 2012	Jan. 27, 2013	Jan. 29, 2012	Oct. 28, 2012	Apr. 29, 2012		Jan. 27, 2013 Deferred Income Taxes Net Noncurrent [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 Income Taxes Payable - Long-Term [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 Mattress Fabrics [Member]	Oct. 28, 2012 Mattress Fabrics [Member]	Jan. 29, 2012 Mattress Fabrics [Member]	Oct. 30, 2011 Mattress Fabrics [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 Mattress Fabrics [Member]	Jan. 29, 2012 Mattress Fabrics [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 U.S. Tax Authorities and Poland Tax Authorities [Member] Deferred Tax Asset Loss Carryforwards [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 U.S. State Tax [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 U.S. State Tax [Member] Deferred Tax Asset Loss Carryforwards [Member]	Apr. 29, 2012 Poland [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 Poland [Member] Culp Europe [Member]	Oct. 28, 2012 Poland [Member] Culp Europe [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 Poland [Member] Culp Europe [Member] Deferred Tax Asset Loss Carryforwards [Member]	Oct. 28, 2012 U.S. Tax Authorities [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 U.S. Tax Authorities [Member]	Jan. 29, 2012 U.S. Tax Authorities [Member]	Apr. 29, 2012 U.S. Tax Authorities [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 U.S. Tax Authorities [Member] Canada and China Subsidiaries [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 China [Member]	Apr. 29, 2012 China [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 Canada [Member]	Apr. 29, 2012 Canada [Member]	Jan. 27, 2013 Canada and China [Member]	Jan. 29, 2012 Canada and China [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Income tax rate			(1.30%)	(13.40%)
Income taxes	$ 1,700,000	$ 1,075,000	$ (188,000)	$ (1,168,000)
Statutory rate			34.00%	34.00%
Increase (decrease) in effective income tax rate from the change of valuation allowance for net deferred income tax assets				(50.00%)																1.00%				(84.00%)	(50.00%)
Income tax expense (benefit) related to changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets				(4,400,000)													103,000			207,000			(12,200,000)	(12,100,000)	(4,400,000)
Increase in effective income tax rate from the establishment of a deferred tax liability for undistributed earnings			46.00%																								46.00%
Income tax expense (benefit) from change in treatment of undistributed earnings			6,600,000																								6,600,000
Reduction in income tax rate from the lower statutory income tax rates in foreign jurisdictions compared with the U.S statutory income tax rate			(6.00%)	(7.00%)																												(6.00%)	(7.00%)
Increase in income tax rate from an increase in unrecognized tax benefits			5.00%	7.00%
Increase in income tax rate for stock-based compensation and other miscellaneous items			2.70%	2.60%
Valuation allowance																926,000		719,000				207,000				12,800,000
Operating loss carryforwards																										59,900,000
Income before income taxes	4,523,000	2,877,000	14,426,000	8,705,000																	(1,100,000)		3,400,000			11,900,000
Net sales	63,695,000	60,450,000	198,439,000	178,733,000						35,513,000	77,700,000	34,719,000	67,400,000	113,175,000	102,130,000
Percentage increase in net sales											15.00%
Operating income	4,863,000	2,993,000	15,010,000	9,040,000						4,166,000	10,300,000	3,134,000	7,000,000	14,512,000	10,087,000
Percentage increase in operating income											49.00%
Undistributed earnings from our foreign subsidiaries that will be distributed to the parent company					55,600,000
Accumulated earnings and profits from foreign subsidiaries	56,300,000		56,300,000
Domestic and foreign withholding taxes	21,900,000		21,900,000
Income tax credits	15,100,000		15,100,000
Operating loss carryforwards, expiration period																				5 years
Deferred tax expense from expected future year losses of operating loss carryforwards																				115,000
Deferred tax expense from expected current year loss of operating loss carryforward																				92,000
Current deferred tax asset	4,098,000	2,767,000	4,098,000	2,767,000		2,467,000	[1]																	3,800,000		2,100,000		329,000	405,000
Non-current deferred tax asset	4,172,000	3,903,000	4,172,000	3,903,000		3,205,000	[1]												115,000					3,400,000		2,100,000		793,000	1,000,000
Non-current deferred tax liability	856,000	659,000	856,000	659,000		705,000	[1]																							856,000	705,000
Unrecognized tax benefits	13,100,000		13,100,000					8,900,000	4,200,000
Unrecognized tax benefits that would favorably impact effective income tax rate if recognized	4,200,000		4,200,000
Expected increase in unrecognized tax benefits related to double taxation under applicable tax treaties with foreign tax jurisdictions	$ 821,000		$ 821,000

[1] Derived from audited financial statements.