Are white couches a bad idea?

Today we look at the most common reasons that people have told us they would never consider getting a white sofa…and lay all their demons to rest.

White couches are wonderful

You're probably asking yourself: “Let's face it: they're pretty, but are they practical?”

We disagree that you need to compromise on interior décor style just because your family now includes a dog or a toddler or both. If you want a white sofa, get one! Just do your homework and upholster it responsibly.

White couches deserve a much-needed PR boost. They’ve been treated unfairly everywhere online, from articles with headlines like ‘The Ugly Truth About Owning a White Couch’ to people being downright unkind about them on Twitter.

Not only do white couches endure unfair discrimination as a whole, it gets worse: if they are made from fabric it seems like there’s nothing they can ever do right.

Say it with us: white couches are aesthetically delicious, and they can be practical too. I deserve a white couch. Everyone does.

Dear readers, FibreGuard will not stand for it. There are so many things to love about white couches! Especially fabric ones! Here are three reasons:

1. They can add a mischievous boho touch to any space, or they can even be formal if you want them to be.
2. They go with everything.
3. They brighten up your living space.

Related read: What fabrics are best for when you have a dog?

A white couch can make a room brighter

Interior designers know that sometimes the tried and trusted ways are best, and that white really is the best solution to brighten a dark room. White sends light bouncing around your living room, reflecting onto hard surfaces and amplified in mirrors, making the space appear to be much larger than it is.

FibreGuard fabric is the easily cleanable hero that your white couch needs

It makes sense that the idea of white fabric is only fit for showhouses or hotel lobbies due to the ‘excessive’ cleaning and maintenance they must go through to stay pristine, especially as time goes on and they accumulate dust or dirt. Of course, build-up of accidental spills, watermarks, or stains would be incredibly unappealing over time.

However!

Our fabrics are so easy to clean because most spaces, from the busiest homes to the most hectic restaurants, don’t have a magical cleaning fairy to appear immediately whenever an accident happens. We recommend that accidental stains are cleaned up from FibreGuard fabrics as quickly as possible after they’re made, but our upholstery fabric is so high performance that it’s actually still easily cleanable if the stain has set in.

Related read: How to clean a fabric sofa at home

White couches go with everything

White goes with everything.

Looking for a contemporary touch? Pair your white couch with bold statement walls and minimise the clutter.

Want a boho sitting room? Pair your white couch with fun, colourful throw pillows, more rattan than is safe, and a cool rug to tie the space together.

Living in a beach house? Pair your couch with Cape Cod-style coastal glam and hit the surf.

You’re getting the point by now, probably.

Related read: Our Guide to...Decorating with Neutrals

Owning a white couch when you have children and pets

Cleanability is a major concern when it comes to the main living space in a busy home. We understand – we have busy homes too!

Low maintenance, stylish living in busy spaces is the foundational concept of FibreGuard fabric. To us, it doesn’t matter if those spaces are residential or commercial. It doesn’t even matter if they’re on land or at sea, indoors or outdoors. What matters to us is that our upholstery fabrics are easy to clean: especially our white fabrics.

Especially our white fabric on your white sofa. We love our pets so much that we downplay the messes they can make. However, let’s get real for a moment: they really do make some spectacular messes sometimes, don’t they?

Check out this article especially for pet owners out there where we help you welcome some four-legged wildlife into your carefully considered home interiors: Easy clean fabrics recommended for homes with pets.

Fading and discoloration: (preventable) enemies of beautiful white sofas

At FibreGuard, we deeply understand that fabrics that fade in sunlight coming through the windows, or turn yellow as time goes by, ruin the entire look of a living room.

The thought of this would be enough to put some people off white upholstery fabric entirely. We suggest that you search for a white upholstery fabric for your sofa that is durable and hard wearing enough to resist pilling, wear, and abrasion. Look for a fabric that is light resistant so that it can hold on to its original hue and intensity years after being installed on your sofa.

Find a white upholstery fabric that will retain its original dimension, aspect, stability, colour, and beauty, wash after wash.

Find, well, we’re biased here, but FibreGuard fabrics tick all these boxes so: find FibreGuard.