I am all for saving money whenever I can. I am a queen of budget shopping and always getting the best deals on furniture, accessories, and other home decor items.
However, there are times where I believe in splurging a bit on a item or two.
A family sofa is an example of where you should spend a little more money. This is definitely a worthwhile investment, especially for those of us with kids and pets!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that a click + purchase may result in a small commission for me, at no cost to you.
On our recent renovation, I did splurge on a few things, and our living room sofa is one example.
Let me explain.
If you have kids or pets, you know your sofa will get a ton of wear and tear. Your daily struggle is probably sticky, dirty toddler hand prints on every surface, muddy paws, spilled juice, pet slobber.... It's the ugly truth, and we all know the dirty details, so I will spare you with the descriptions.
But this was the exact reason why I wanted to invest into a quality sofa - and when I say quality, I don't only mean construction of the sofa, but specifically, fabric quality.
Today, many retail vendors offer higher end, pet and kid friendly fabrics. You just have to know what to look for, and you too can have a fabric sofa that you can actually enjoy and not dread over who will spill what on it.
I will share a list of retail brands that offer these fabrics below.
For a very customized look, you can always reach out to a designer. You'd be surprised to learn that you can actually order a high quality, trade only furniture for about the same cost as most retailers. When ordering with a designer, you have a choice of any color, any style, high quality, custom and tailored to your needs - and the selection a designer chooses will always work perfect in your space.
I will share the price I paid for our trade only sofa, so you can compare prices yourself.
Here are the top few fabric options you should look for when specifying a custom upholstery.
BRANDS:
CRYPTON
PERENNIALS
and
any good quality outdoor fabric
For our sofa, we had a choice of Crypton fabrics. What makes Crypton so very special?
This fabric is innovative, durable, earth friendly, offers a multitude of color/pattern options, and most of all it is:
stain resistant
beads liquid so you can quickly dab dry big spills
moisture resistant
rejects odors and bacteria
For our sofa, we selected a heavy textured, solid cream color fabric. It felt comfortable to touch and it had the perfect amount of texture that was needed in the space. We did upgrade the cushion firmness to their best option, because mu husband and I both like a firm seat.
Here is the sofa with all the upgrades:
If you were to purchase this sofa from me, (as this is a trade only item), your cost would be $1707.00. Compare this price to any other retailer to see price difference. (Dimensions are 88"L x 39"D, upgraded cushion and custom performance fabric selection).
Let's talk about PERENNIALS brand fabric:
Why is this particular fabric so great?
The company originally started as an outdoor fabric company. And we all know that outdoor fabrics must withstand severe weather changes and extreme weather conditions. Think boiling summer heat and torrential rain in south Florida. I sure know that weather all too well, that Florida heat is as extreme as it gets.
We purchased a Sunbrella fabric many, many years ago and we used their high preforming fabric on our outdoor cushions. Would you be surprised to learn that 10+ years later, the fabric (being outdoors the entire time) still looks like new?
The technology in fabric constructions has improved tremendously over the years. Today, PERENNIALS brand fabric is used both indoors and outdoors. Their quality, selection, comfort, and style are the reason why so many designers choose this brand for many interior design projects.
Some of the benefits using this brand:
fabrics are fade resistant
mildew- and mold-resistant
bleach cleanable
easily maintained
one to five year guarantee on quality
This is why when you shop for upholstered furniture, make sure you ask for a pet and kid friendly fabrics only. Ask for Crypton, Perennials, Sunbrella, or any good preforming outdoor fabric. And remember: Just because a fabric is listed as an outdoor fabric, you can and should use it indoors as well. Just make sure you obtain a sample to see the color in person, and to make sure it feels good and soft on your hand.
RETAILERS THAT OFFER Crypton and other higher end preforming fabrics:
Or trade furniture ordered through an interior designer.
I hope this helps narrow down the search and makes your upholstered sofa/chair/bed buying a bit easier. Knowing what to look for is sometimes all you need....and now you know exactly what to ask for when buying upholstered furniture.
Thanks for reading! For more design tips, tricks and solutions, joing my FB group, follow me here, and let's be friends here.
XO, Sonja
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