General and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Detail)					9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Apr. 29, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 22, 2018	Jan. 31, 2021	May 02, 2021 USD ($) Segment	May 03, 2020 USD ($)	Apr. 28, 2019 USD ($)	Feb. 01, 2021	Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2017
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of Operating Segments | Segment						2
Equity method investment, ownership percentage						50.00%	50.00%	50.00%
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments						$ 24,000
Short-term investments (Available-for-Sale)						5,500,000	$ 923,000
Long-term investments (Rabbi Trust)						8,415,000	7,834,000
Amortized cost of held-to-maturity investments						4,300,000	6,300,000
Fair value of held-to-maturity investments						4,300,000	6,400,000
Advertising costs, discontinued operations							1,700,000	$ 2,200,000
Advertising costs, continuing operations						0	0	0
Interest costs incurred on long-term debt and lines of credit						51,000	190,000	65,000
Interest costs incurred, discontinued operations							84,000	30,000
Interest costs incurred, continuing operations						51,000	106,000	35,000
Interest cost capitalized						0	0	0
Asset impairment charges						0	33,914,000	0
Asset impairment charges from discontinued operations							20,200,000
Asset impairments - continuing operations	[1]						13,712,000
Goodwill - continuing operations						$ 0	0
Dividends received deduction percentage for earnings and profits received from foreign corporation						100.00%
Dividends received deduction, foreign corporation ownership percentage						10.00%
Accounts receivable - continuing operations						$ 37,726,000	25,093,000
Accrued expenses						14,839,000	5,687,000
Selling, general and administrative expenses						37,756,000	34,424,000	33,243,000
Right-of-use assets						11,730,000	3,903,000
Operating Lease Liability						9,557,000
Shipping and Handling [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Selling, general and administrative expenses						$ 3,900,000	4,000,000.0	$ 4,200,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Lease, practical expedients, package			true
Lease, practical expedient, use of hindsight			false
Right-of-use assets			$ 7,200,000
Operating Lease Liability			$ 7,100,000
Restatement Adjustment [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member] | Allowance For Sales Returns And Allowances [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Accounts receivable - continuing operations										$ 1,200,000
Accrued expenses										$ 1,200,000
Goodwill [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges							27,200,000
Trade Names [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges							6,700,000
Asset impairments - continuing operations							143,000
Investments (Held-To-Maturity) [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Investment maturity period						2 years
Short-term Investments (Available-for-Sale) [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments						$ 24,000	9,000
Long-term investments (Rabbi Trust) [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments						$ 122,000	$ (19,000)
CIH [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Majority ownership percentage acquired									100.00%
Equity method investment, ownership percentage											50.00%
Percentage of share earnings and losses					50.00%		50.00%	50.00%
eLuxury [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Majority ownership percentage acquired				80.00%
Noncontrolling interest				20.00%
Total net asset		$ 1,900,000
Loss on disposal of discontinued operation		$ 1,900,000
eLuxury [Member] | Shareholders' equity attributable to Culp Inc.
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Net income (loss) allocation percentage				70.00%
eLuxury [Member] | Non-Controlling Interest Discontinued Operation
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Net income (loss) allocation percentage				30.00%

[1] During fiscal 2020, we incurred asset impairment charges totaling $13.7 million, of which $13.6 million and $143,000 pertained to goodwill associated with our mattress and upholstery fabric segments and a tradename associated Read, respectively. Of this $13.7 million, $11.5 million and $2.2 million pertained to the mattress fabrics segment and upholstery fabrics segment, respectively.