Sofa fabric guide: velvet, chenille, linen-look and leather, and which survives kids and dogs

Short answer: for a house with kids or dogs, a good chenille or a textured weave in a mid tone, or leather if the budget allows. Velvet looks the best and forgives the least. Here is the detail.

Velvet

Soft, deep colour, catches the light. The fabric people fall in love with in the showroom. Modern polyester velvets are tougher than the old cotton ones and most clean with a damp cloth, but velvet shows every mark until it is brushed, pile flattens where you sit, and claws pull it. Beautiful in a grown-up living room; hard work in a family one.

Chenille

A fuzzy, slightly raised weave with a soft hand and a bit of shine. Warmer than velvet, more forgiving of marks because the texture hides them, and it wears very well. Our Daniel range is a chenille and it is the one we suggest for most families. Pets can pull loops on cheaper chenilles; the tighter the weave, the better.

Linen-look and textured weaves

Flat, matt, a natural look without natural linen's creasing and cost. The most forgiving fabric family for marks and pet hair, particularly in a mid grey, oatmeal or mink where hair and crumbs disappear. Not as soft to the touch as velvet or chenille. Our Maeve fabrics on the Eva range sit here.

Leather

Wipes clean, does not hold hair, gets better with age, and a spilt juice is a non-event. The downsides: cold to sit on in winter, claws scratch it, and price. Leather-look (a coated fabric) gives most of the wipe-clean benefit at a fraction of the cost but can crack over years at the seams.

Kids

Spills, felt tips, crumbs in the seams. You want a fabric you can wipe, a colour that does not show a mark, and ideally removable cushion covers. Chenille or textured weave in a mid tone, or leather. Avoid cream anything unless you enjoy cleaning.

Dogs and cats

Hair and claws. Hair sticks to velvet and shows on dark plain fabrics; a mid-tone textured weave near the colour of the dog hides most of it. Claws snag loose weaves and velvet; tight flat weaves and leather resist best. Scotchgard-style treatments help with spills, not with claws.

Colour, honestly

Mid tones hide the most. Very dark shows dust and hair; very light shows everything else. Patterned or flecked fabrics hide more than plains. If you want a plain in a light colour, it is a decision to keep on top of it.

How to choose in the showroom

Take the swatch outside into daylight; showroom lighting flatters everything. Rub it hard with your thumb: if the pile flattens or lifts, that is what a year of sitting will do. Drag a fingernail across it to see whether it snags. And sit on the actual sofa in the actual fabric, because a swatch tells you about wear and nothing about comfort.

Every fabric we sell is on a swatch card in our Clydebank showroom and most are on a sofa on the floor. Our sofa range is made to order in Britain in your choice of fabric, typically four to six weeks.

Paul James Home, Co-op Department Store, Clydebank. Monday to Saturday 9 to 5. 0141 266 0400.