Am I mad to consider velvet sofa?

[JJBlinks]

Am looking at a small velvet chesterfield style love seat. It's to compliment my leather chesterfield. It has to be small to fit in my space. Am I mad to consider velvet as have 3 boys (under 7....). I'm concerned that it will just get ruined very quickly and that any spillage or mark on it will be really visible. I've never had a velvet sofa etc before so any advice gratefully received before I decide...!!

I have the same, the velvet chesterfield looks pretty good after a couple of years, it definitely 'sags' more than the leather and has a tiny pen mark on it which most people probably don't notice but I do.

It wasn't the dearest though and it looks good and is comfy so I'm happy with it.

Thanks for your response. I'm just concerned I'll end up regretting the purchase as it'll get ruined quickly due to my three children!!! I don't want to spend my life telling them not to eat, drink etc on the sofa!

do you have a sofa in that space atm? Can you pretend it is a virtual velvet sofa and see what happens to it over a week?

we did this after I had a moment of madness and pondered a nice cream carpet in the sitting room.....we all pretended it was new and beautifully light and airy coloured ....a soft oatmeal, if you wish to really join in and feel the vibe.

I slopped coffee jumping up to remove a vomiting cat, dh let the dog in after a nice wintery field walk and then later that evening kicked over a glass of red wine.
and then a log fell out of the fire and singed the rug.

We still have laminate.

We have two velvet sofas. Admittedly they're a darkish colour but they hide a multitude of sins - red wine, milk, food, general life seems to be absorbed by them and vanishes! They amaze me on a daily basis and I will def buy velvet again

Cheers Tondeleya - good idea! I will try that.

NotWithoutMyMerkin - thanks for the reply. That's great to hear. The colour I'm looking at it dark too. You may have just brightened up my day as I'm now thinking velvet again - having spent last night persuading myself off it...!!!!

We have always had velvet sofas and they've stood the test of family life, apart from a 5 year stint with leather. The leather did not age well. We've just gone back to velvet, even venturing into a pale colour! The pile seems to repel stains. I always give the sofas a light hoover.

We're getting a velvet chesterfield style sofa for our living room. We have a sofa with removable covers in our family room because of the children.

My mil has a red velvet sofa in a holiday let and it holds up well :)

I would have thought velvet would be ideal for disguising stains etc because it has a pile. Better than linen or some other flat weave fabric. Go for it! Love velvet!

We've had a velvet sofa for the last 12 years. It could really do with a deep clean now,, but has done really well - gone through 3 children and dogs etc. I would buy velvet again - it's so warm and comfy.

The nap on velvet should make wiping marks off easier if anything.

I had velvet for years and it's really hid marks well. I had to get rid of it eventually because I absolutely couldn't stand the feeling on my hands or feet!

I would read the fabric instructions before you buy: we have a blue velvet chesterfield from Sofa.com which we've had for a year and looks like new.
BUT it's in cotton velvet which I only read after delivery doesn't respond well to water, so I've had a total food and drink ban (for children) in that room ever since! I think other velvets are more tolerant.

Thanks for all your helpful responses. Velvet sofa was ordered yesterday....now just have to wait 8weeks until it arrives!

Maybe try one of those waterproofing sprays on it so red wine / coffee don't get the chance to soak in.

I'm very jealous I'd love a velvet sofa!

Hi JJBlinks,
Just wondering, did you end up getting the velvet sofa and did it hold up okay? Also what colour?

Go for a ‘clever velvet’, these are more family friendly; they are not 100% cotton. Also go for any protective coating