What fabric for sofa?

[BlastedPimples]

I have four dcs, four dogs and two cats. I'm getting my sofas and armchairs reupholstered.

I would love velvet but is that just stupid?

What fabrics are hard wearing and still attractive? Not leather or plastic.

Absolutely something that will come completely off and go in the washing machine. My no.1 requirement for sofas.

My sofas aren't made like that unfortunately.

Currently grey felt which has not worn at all well.

I used fabric from just fabrics ( online supplier , they will send samples,) when I re- covered mine, you need to look for the amount of rubs. Dog proof is possible, but as I was told in a fabric shop nothing is cat proof!

We had a mocha chenille for 15 years which was fairly bombproof with kids and cat, but can’t comment for dogs.😂 We’ve just ordered a new sofa in velvet, which may be reckless but the run count (which I think is how robust the fabric should be) was higher for velvet than for chenille (or linen).

Rub count, even!

We have a M&S sofa with a chenille fabric. It is soft to touch but more hard wearing than velvet.
We've only had it 6 months but it seems pretty cat proof so far.
Its this one, but they also do an aquaclean finish.

We have a grey/beige herringbone fabric sofa, it’s some kind of linen/man made mix. Hides everything. It does have loose covers and is washable in the machine which I hugely recommend.

@BlastedPimples

I have a genuine recommendation here. I have dining chairs & and 2 armchairs 2 kitchen proper bar chairs covered in Designers Guild Mezzola . It is sort of a faux suede but softer and it is pretty much bombproof. The chap who came to clean our carpet and gave the dining chairs a going over said it was invented for cars to be hardwearing.

Anyhow it comes in lots of lovely colours - is cosy and nice www.designersguild.com/uk/search-results/l76?search-term=mezzola&product-type=fabric&pagesize=48&sort=default&page=1

For reference I have 3 dogs - 1 dc still at home and a husband.

@BlastedPimples

Could you have a whole cover made like this? Not exactly the same but in keeping with your schedule day? With children and dogs I wouldn't go to the effort and cost of reupholstering if it wasn't completely washable.

Sorry here is a photo