Date the letter of credit expires, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

No definition available.

Name:	culp_LetterOfCreditExpirationDate
Namespace Prefix:	culp_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The additional amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	culp_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAdditionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	culp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The percentage of equity interest pledge as collateral under the credit agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	culp_LineOfCreditFacilityPercentageOfEquityInterestAsCollateral
Namespace Prefix:	culp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount represents maximum amount of letters of credit that can be issued.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	culp_MaximumAmountOfLettersOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	culp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The reference rate for the variable rate of the debt instrument, such as LIBOR or the US Treasury rate and the maturity of the reference rate used, such as three months or six months LIBOR.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of cash paid for interest. Includes, but is not limited to, payment to settle zero-coupon bond attributable to accreted interest of debt discount and debt instrument with insignificant coupon interest rate in relation to effective interest rate of borrowing attributable to accreted interest of debt discount.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98513485&loc=d3e4297-108586

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 25
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3536-108585

+ Details

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

- Definition

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Date the credit facility terminates, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityExpirationDate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The effective interest rate at the end of the reporting period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityInterestRateAtPeriodEnd
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Description of the interest rate for the amounts borrowed under the credit facility, including the terms and the method for determining the interest rate (for example, fixed or variable, LIBOR plus a percentage, increasing rate, timing of interest rate resets, remarketing provisions).

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the noncurrent portion of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99376301&loc=d3e1314-112600

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99376301&loc=d3e1336-112600

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_US
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=culp_ThirdAmendmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_CN
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_ForeignLineOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Lines of Credit - Narrative (Detail)	12 Months Ended
Lines of Credit - Narrative (Detail)	Apr. 29, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2017 USD ($)	May 01, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 29, 2018 CNY (¥)	Aug. 03, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 01, 2016 USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Interest paid during the year	$ 181,000	$ 114,000	$ 95,000
United States [Member] \| Third Amendment to Credit Agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum amount of letters of credit						$ 7,500,000
Letters of credit outstanding, additional amount	$ 1,250,000				$ 5,000,000
Letter of credit expiration date	May 15, 2018
United States [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 30,000,000
Interest rate description	Interest was charged at a rate as a variable spread over LIBOR based on our ratio of debt to EBITDA.
Applicable interest rate at end of period	3.36%	2.45%		3.36%
Expiration date	Aug. 15, 2018
Reference rate on which the interest rate is based	LIBOR
Percentage of common stock in subsidiary pledge as collateral	65.00%
Outstanding amount	$ 0	$ 0
Letters of credit, outstanding amount	250,000	250,000
China [Member] \| Revolving credit agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 6,300,000			¥ 40,000,000
Interest rate description	This agreement bears interest rate determined by the Chinese government
Expiration date	Mar. 02, 2019
Outstanding amount	$ 0	$ 0		¥ 0