I've been pleasantly surprised by how simple it is to care for velvet furniture, and how well ours has been wearing this year. Come learn how to clean and maintain velvet furniture and the pros and cons to having it in your home.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Brick. As always, all of the opinions here are my own.
This Spring, we added four velvet dining chairs (the Manhattan Dining Chairs) to our well-used breakfast nook, and then this Fall we added a gorgeous velvet sofa (the Meredith Velvet Sofa) to our living room. I've always loved the look and feel of velvet, but I've been hesitant to have it in our home with 3 young kids and my rather haphazard housekeeping skills.
Well, I'm pleased to report that these velvet pieces have done rather well in our home, and I'm very happy with how easy they are to clean and care for. I'm thrilled that my favourite fabric can work in our busy home. If you're curious about velvet furniture, its pros & cons, and how to care for it, read on!
What is velvet?
Velvet isn't a fabric type (synthetic, cotton, silk etc) but rather a fabric weave. It's manufactured in a unique way to create the short, dense pile its know for. Both my Meredith Sofa and Manhattan Dining Chairs from The Brick are synthetic, and I think this definitely helps make them easier to care for than a natural fiber, so that's something to keep in mind when you're looking for a velvet piece for your busy home.
How do I clean velvet?
I've found that vacuuming my velvet chairs and sofa with the upholstery attachment of my vacuum cleaner helps remove the dust and hair that inevitably gets trapped in the soft fibers. I do this about once every couple of weeks. Cleaning food spills on my dining chairs has been easy - I simply take a damp, soft cloth and wipe the spills gently away. I don't use any sort of cleaner, just a little elbow grease. I find my velvet chairs are easier to wipe than my linen-like fabric dining chairs I had in our breakfast nook before!
What are the pros and cons of velvet?
Pros:
- a luxurious look with an ever-changing sheen
- incredible softness to the touch
- easy to wipe down (synthetic velvet)
- a vintage look as it ages
Cons:
- easily attracts dust and hair
- visible lines and prints when objects or people brush against it
If you have indoor pets or don't like the look of lines and marks on your furniture, velvet furniture might not be for you. Try a beautiful but extra durable fabric for your furniture like leather or faux leather. I love this dove grey leather sofa from The Brick and these New York Dining Chairs from The Brick.
If you love a luxurious, romantic decor style, enjoy furniture that feels soft and warm, and like the vintage look of ever-changing lines, prints and sheens, you'll probably love a velvet piece in your home just as much as I do! Check out all of these lovely velvet couches and chairs from The Brick.
Our Meredith Sofa has been our family's favourite cuddle spot this Fall, and our Manhattan Dining Chairs are well used, comfortable, and they still look great. I'm so happy I took the leap to bring velvet into our home decor this year!
Now tell me: Would you consider velvet furniture for your home? Why or why not?
penny
i have a velvet chesterfield sofa. it is a beautiful shade of lavender. i find it easy to care for. when i first got it i spilled coffee on the arm. i just went over it with a damp cloth and poof! all gone. at first i went crazy keeping the pile going in the same direction, but now, i just brush over it with the palm of my hands and that takes care of that. i bought it from jennifer taylor home. gorgeous piece of furniture.
Lindsay - The DIY Mommy
That’s awesome! The lavender couch sounds beautiful
Barcelona sofa
Very good tips for taking care of your furniture. It is important in knowing the right ways to take care of precious furniture in the house.
geraldine
I do love to have a vintage look even just on one part of my home. And with that, I'll be considering to have one. That been said, it's easy to clean up even though it easily attracts dust. Nice picture by the way.
Shirley
Interestingly enough, I just purchased 2 velvet living room chairs. The fabric is a charcoal gray, almost black color. When they first brought them in I was really skeptical but they looked so nice with my decor. I had no idea how to take care of the velvet. I bought a rubber lint brush and just started picking the lint off by hand. Never did I dream you could actually just wipe these with a damp cloth but I need to try this ASAP! I greatly appreciate the tip!!
Virtual Staging
Wow, velvet furniture are looking awesome. Really thanks for the amazing list and ideas.