Would I regret a cream-coloured sofa??

[TuMeke]

I’ve been looking for a new sofa and found one I like. The style is nice, it’s the right size, it’s a decent price in the sale, and it is really, really comfortable. But... it only comes in a cream-coloured fabric, and I’m worried it will look terrible within five minutes of me getting it home! The covers are fixed, so I can’t wash them, although I would treat them with Scotchguard or something if I got the sofa. For information, there are only adults living in my home, plus a few cats, who do go on the furniture whenever they feel like it We often eat and drink whilst sitting on the sofa (I know, I know...). Our current sofas still look pretty good so I don’t think we’re especially filthy in general, but accidents do happen, of course, as does normal wear and tear. I’m concerned I might be taking too much of a risk by buying such an unforgiving colour. But then I ask myself why would sofa manufacturers even sell cream sofas if they are easy to stain/ruin? Surely they can’t all be in pristine unused parlours??

I’m going back and forth on whether this is a good idea or not, so I’m looking for advice from wise MNetters who’ve lived with a cream sofa, successfully or otherwise. Am I being daft to even consider it??

We got one as part of a ex-display bundle. Scotchguarding helps a lot but isn’t a guarantee. We use a plethora of cushions and fluffy throws to protect it. If you don’t like throws or they would spoil the look of the sofa, I’d think twice tbh.

I had one, nightmare, never again!

Janet I’m not opposed to throws and cushions at all, so that’s good advice - thank you. Although I suppose it would be nice to not have to bother, so maybe I’m just making work for myself?

dotty Please tell me why it was a nightmare! Did it just get/look manky easily?

If you have friends/relatives with children or other messy adults who regularly visit, then I don’t think it would wise to get one.

There’s no way I’d trust OH not to stain the heck out of a cream sofa. He’s a really messy eater, as in he’s dropped food on himself within the first 5 bites. 😂🙄 I constantly tell him to slow down but I think he’s just a greedy guts.

We have had a couple of cream sofas as adult and cat households and no issues whatsoever.

We then introduced dogs to the household and it became harder to keep them looking nice so we recently changed.

We have a cream armchair and our dog has decided it's his favourite spot in the house to eat its food in or run to straight after a muddy walk.. Its no longer cream more like a dalmatian.

We've thought about replacing it but I think we will keep the armchair and move it to our bedroom so that the dog still has its favourite chair

We've had a cream fabric sofa for six years now. We have a dog and a baby and occasionally eat on the sofa. It looks fine.

I try and keep the dog off of it when he's wet and muddy from a walk, but other than that I'm not precious about it at all.

Would I regret a cream-coloured sofa??

Yes

Done it - unless utterly scrubbable fabric - yes you will regret it IMHO

To be fair throws over arms and seats will mitigate wear and tear etc but I have a cream coloured chair which, irritatingly, I think I need to be recovered or replaced. Just general using will make a cream covered chair / sofa dirty over time

Other opinions are available

If you like it get it. Just do these things.

Have it scotchguarded.
Clean any stains when they happen. Our sofa is scotch guarded and I find it easy to remove stains.
Have it cleaned say once a year or whatever by an upholstery cleaner, they are the same guys who do your carpets and it doesn't cost too much.

Past that, as your current one still looks good, I wouldn't be concerned. Of course some folks couldn't get a cream sofa, but it sounds like you could, as could others.

@TuMeke yes it did. I had two cats (and two dogs - not allowed on the sofa) I was forever bloody cleaning it but it looked bloody awful in less than a year. I’ve got brown leather sofas now, boring but easy to keep clean and jazz up with throws / cushions.

Thanks for all the responses! Really really useful to get opinions

Jings that made me laugh, and reminded me that DH is a bit of a messy eater, although usually covers himself rather than the sofa thank goodness!

Alfie good to know - no current plans to get a dog

Unicorn that’s lovely of you! Your lucky DDog

famished that’s reassuring. I’m not precious about my house/furniture at all so looking fine would be great

Basilisk Aargh - that’s my fear! That it will look dingy and a bit crap after a bit of wear...

Thanks Bluntness . Good advice!

Yes, go dark or you'll be like Lady MacBeth for years.

I did. We found it became dirty very quickly - couldn't understand why then discovered that dye from our pre-washed jeans was transferring onto the sofa (no matter how many times they were washed).

Never again

We've just got rid of our cream sofas this year. We had them for about 10 years I think. They were fine, until we had kids and then they just got trashed. The last year they had throws on them!

Yes you would! We got ours in similar circumstances to those you describe. We ended up putting throws on it but it never looked neat and tidy for more than 2 minutes.

Quicker

I’m getting the definite sense that, although some people have had no problems, and it could be fine, if I’m unlucky and get a stain-prone one, it will be awful...

Don't do it! I had gorgeous expensive cream sofas, I lived by myself, extremely tidy, usually ate in the dining room so I figured they would be fine. Mate came over to watch a football match and managed to spill red wine and chicken tikka masala on it! RUINED. I've still not quite got over it

We're 2 adults, no pets, and our cream sofa often looks dirty. Fortunately all the covers can go in the wash, but I'd never have one again.

I have a tan fabric sofa and thats bad enough. I won't even buy cream cushions.

But we have a dog who is Queen Of The Sofa, a ds who is 4 and dh is a builder who is usually filthy after work and regularly collapses filthy on the sofa.

I did try throws at one point. DS made a den with one, and the dog got buried in the other as she loves a nice blanket even more than a nice sofa so both together were like a little whippety dream come true.

@Quickerthanavicar 😂

We had one - but a very good quality one that was treated to be stain resistant, and we had it regularly cleaned

We've had our cream sofa for 14 years. It's survived a child 0-12, a cat and us.
But it's leather.
There's no way I'd contemplate cream fabric. Unless i lived alone without pets.