Let's be honest. Velvet upholstery, as suggested by its opulent appearance, can be one of the most high maintenance decisions one could make when decorating a space. Velvet requires a great deal of careful living as it can wear out quickly and be difficult to clean. But do the cons outweigh the pros?
Aside from being a super comfortable fabric, a well-selected velvet piece can instantly raise the stakes in a room with its rich and luxurious feel. Even pieces that do see a little wear and tear can ultimately add unequivocal character to a room's overall look. From custom upholstery jobs in high end homes to vintage pieces in industrial lofts, we've seen velvet furniture incorporated in all kinds of ways throughout our House Tours—proof that the look can be used across a wide range of decor styles.
But what about your kids? What about that sloppy friend sloshing around that glass of red wine?? Could you actually live with one of these photogenic beauties?
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"Velvet upholstery, as suggested by its opulent appearance, can be one of the most high maintenance decisions one could make when decorating a space. Velvet requires a great deal of careful living as it can wear out quickly and be difficult to clean. "
This is just plain erroneous. I have a velvet sofa and a velvet arm chair. And cats. And dogs. And no, we don't have a fur-lined house. Yes, velvet takes more effort than, say, leather. But it wears well, is as easy to vacuum as say, chenille or microfiber -- in fact, it's easier to keep clean than the microfiber faux suede sofa that attracted cat better than a pet-hair roller.
There is a similar myth about silk, that is, that it's somehow especially delicate and high maintenance. It's a protein fiber and wears very well. It doesn't hold super-saturated dyes as well as plant fibers, but that's a different issue altogether.
Sigh. A velvet sofa sounds like it would be a dream to sit on, or more likely take a nap on. I too had heard though that it wasn't too bad to clean, like microfiber...I wasn't sure if that was "not to bad to clean if you are an uber cleaning nut who also has white carpet and follows who ever walks on it with a vacuum...so next to the white carpet, yeah it's easy." or if it would be easy to clean for me, who is, shall we say...cleanliness challenged...or at least, low maintenance focussed. Glad to hear from urbancricket that it's not so bad. I also love the look of long, puddling silk curtains. A little pricey for me but maybe some day...on a small window.
Urbancricket is correct - Velvet is just as easy to take care of as most anything else...
It has a classic appearance and cool, plush feel that you just aren't going to get with Microfiber - and it can always be slipcovered in the summertime if that's your thing.
There is nothing more dreamy than a dove gray velvet sofa...
Mmmmmmm....purple velvet......
I remember that purple velvet sofa. T.T I still want to have a small settee upholstered in purple velvet some day; it's just a matter of finding the right frame....
I really like the proportions of the pink chair, too.
that grey sofa is AMAZING!
my cats were able to do far less damage to velvet dining chairs in 7 years than they did to the leather ones in 3 months!!
I love all of these. Velvet is so sumptuous. I wish I could afford (or find second-hand) pieces that looked like these.
I love velvet. My dining room chairs, my desk chair and my bedroom drapes are all moss green velvet. I found the fabric at a discount warehouse and did the upholstery myself. I used a scotch guard on it and vacuum it once a week. it is easy to keep clean and I have a white Persian cat.
Love the grey sofa... perfection.
I want one....
I found a tufted white CRUSHED VELVET loveseat at the salvation army and it's been a staple of my living room for years. only 39.99 - the deal of my life!!!
If I could, I would have every piece of furniture be velvet- it's super comfortable, easy to clean (pet hair anyway), and suits most decor styles. We found our 8ft long vintage velvet green couch on Craigslist, and I am forever hooked.
oh, I love all of this velvet furniture, the sofa, the green chair, the pink chair.......love it!
I found a white crushed-velvet loveseat - tufted to perfection at the Salvation army of all places. 39.99....It's prob from the 60's or 70's but so clean and comfy. best find of my life to date....