I hear this question a ton on message boards, and directly from clients. The answer is: yes! (with a big huge *but* must meet some other requirements… I love to nerd out on this so will provide the technical backup as collapsable content (just click!), but give you the short and sweet version as a list. There’s a few do’s and don’ts to buying light color, cream, or white upholstery, and despite popular belief; kids have nothing to do with it. Whether or not you are marketing to renters with children doesn’t impact my thought process; if it’s a rental you're likely to have drunk adults that are in my experience way worse than kids.
Some decorators will ONLY work with leather, but they probably don’t have credentials to understand the science behind actual interior design and you can totally get that beautiful white upholstery (if you get the right one!).
6 traits to look for when buying a light colored furniture piece
(click to read the technical backup to each trait)
Performance Textiles
I still don’t always trust it 100% unless I can read the fiber content, but this is a good indicator that you might be able to pull it off.
Solution Dyed Nylon
Fabric Cleaning Code W
Fabric Cleaning Code BC
25,000 Wyzenback “Double Rubs” or higher
Crypton Textiles and/or Coatings
What to absolutely avoid at all costs when buying a light colored furniture piece
(click to read the technical backup to each trait)
Fabric Cleaning Code X
Avoid anything marked cleaning code “X” should be avoided unless it is strictly a private residence without children or pets and in a low traffic area. X indicates no water based cleaners, or solvent cleaners, or a combination of the two can be used. The only acceptable cleaning is dry vacuuming and a light brush.
Linen
Still not sure? There is a lot of grey area, and you still might have questions. What about velvet? A boucle? Jacord? What if the retailer or website doesn't list the textile or fabric content? But it's leather so that's a sure thing right? Suede? All of the answers to these depend greatly on other variables, so feel free to reach out for a virtual consultation to go over the products you are interested in, but of course, we are always eager to take on whole room designs.
So that sums up my course for Textiles 101. If you need a recommendation for a specific brand or product, or just a virtual consultation to have me personally check your product, simply reach out and we’ll get you booked for a consultation: hello@palmandpinedesign.co.
Thanks for reading this #AskAlyson post!
- Alyson Richards, NCIDQ
Certified Interior Designer + Interior Architect
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