Accounts Receivable - Allowance for Returns and Allowances and Discounts (Detail) - Reserve for returns and allowances and discounts [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Apr. 29, 2018	Apr. 30, 2017	May 01, 2016
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure [Line Items]
beginning balance	$ (1,220)	$ (962)	$ (738)
provision for returns and allowances and discounts	(3,295)	(3,061)	(2,825)
credits issued	3,082	2,803	2,601
ending balance	$ (1,433)	$ (1,220)	$ (962)

Total of allowances and reserves, the valuation and qualifying accounts that are either netted against the cost of an asset (in order to value it at its carrying value) or that reflect a liability established to represent expected future costs.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-09)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e24092-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesBalance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of increase in the allowances and reserves, which consist of the valuation and qualifying accounts that are either netted against the cost of an asset or that reflect a liability established to represent expected future costs, from charges to costs and expenses.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesChargedToCostAndExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total of the deductions in a given period to allowances and reserves, the valuation and qualifying accounts that are either netted against the cost of an asset (in order to value it at its carrying value) or that reflect a liability established to represent expected future costs, representing receivables written off as uncollectible and portions of the reserves utilized, respectively.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesDeductions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationAndQualifyingAccountsDisclosureLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationAllowancesAndReservesTypeAxis=culp_ReserveForReturnsAndAllowancesAndDiscountsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: