General and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Detail)			3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Jun. 22, 2018	May 03, 2020 USD ($)	Feb. 02, 2020 USD ($)	Nov. 03, 2019 USD ($)	Aug. 04, 2019 USD ($)	Apr. 28, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 27, 2019 USD ($)	Oct. 28, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 29, 2018 USD ($)	May 03, 2020 USD ($) Segment		Apr. 28, 2019 USD ($)	Apr. 29, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 29, 2019 USD ($)		Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of Operating Segments | Segment											2
Short-term Investments			$ 923,000								$ 923,000
Long-term investments (Rabbi Trust)			7,834,000				$ 7,081,000				7,834,000		$ 7,081,000
Amortized cost of held-to-maturity investments			6,300,000				5,000,000				6,300,000		5,000,000
Fair value of held-to-maturity investments			6,400,000				5,000,000				6,400,000		5,000,000
Advertising costs, discontinued operations											1,700,000		2,200,000	$ 0
Advertising costs, continuing operations											0		0	0
Interest costs incurred on long-term debt and lines of credit											190,000		65,000	194,000
Interest costs incurred, discontinued operations											84,000		30,000
Interest costs incurred, continuing operations											106,000		35,000	194,000
Interest cost capitalized											0		0	100,000
Asset impairment charges											33,914,000		0	0
Asset impairment charges from discontinued operations											20,200,000
Asset impairments - continuing operations			13,712,000								13,712,000	[1]
Goodwill - continuing operations			0				13,569,000				$ 0		$ 13,569,000
Dividends received deduction percentage for earnings and profits received from foreign corporation											100.00%		100.00%
Dividends received deduction, foreign corporation ownership percentage											10.00%		10.00%
Accounts receivable - continuing operations			25,093,000				23,373,000				$ 25,093,000		$ 23,373,000
Accrued expenses			5,687,000				8,632,000				5,687,000		8,632,000
Cost of sales			44,333,000	$ 56,998,000	$ 56,024,000	$ 58,307,000	55,828,000	$ 60,054,000	$ 60,666,000	$ 58,998,000	$ 215,668,000		235,556,000	259,092,000
Lessee, Operating Lease, Option to Extend											renewal options for additional periods ranging up to 10 years
Right-of-use assets			3,903,000								$ 3,903,000				$ 7,191,000	[2]
Operating Lease Liability			3,821,000								3,821,000
Shipping and Handling [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Cost of sales											4,000,000		4,200,000	$ 4,600,000
Accounting Standards Update 2016-02 [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
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
Minimum [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Operating Lease Remaining Lease Terms											1 year
Maximum [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Investment remaining maturity period											2 years
Operating Lease Remaining Lease Terms											6 years
Investments (Held-To-Maturity) [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Investment maturity period											2 years
Investments (Held-To-Maturity) [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Investment maturity period											10 years
Short-term Investments [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments			(9,000)								$ (9,000)
Long-term investments (Rabbi Trust) [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments			$ 19,000				$ 40,000				$ 19,000		$ 40,000
CLIH [Member]
Organization And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Equity method investment, ownership percentage			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 were associated with goodwill 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.

[2] Amounts represent right of use assets and lease liabilities recorded in our Consolidated Balance Sheet in connection with the adoption of Topic 842 on April 29, 2019. These amounts include a right of use asset and a corresponding lease liability totaling $1.1 million that were associated with our former home accessories segment. As disclosed in Note 3 located in the consolidated financial statements, we sold our entire ownership interest in eLuxury on March 31, 2020, and consequently our home accessories segment was eliminated at such time. As a result, there were no right of use assets and corresponding lease liabilities associated with our former home accessories segment as of May 3, 2020.