A colour you pick under a shop’s white lights changes in your lounge at 5pm. So we bring the samples to your house. Preneshni Moodley wrote that there was “absolutely no pressure” while choosing, and you should take the same time.
Start with who sits on it
Kids
Go for a tight weave or leather-look in a mid tone. Very pale and very dark both show everything.
Dogs and cats
Claws catch in loose, loopy weaves. A tight flat weave or leather-look survives longer. Bronwyn Shand went a step further and had a matching cover made for the dog’s steps.
Just you
This is where velvet makes sense. It’s soft and rich, and it holds colour beautifully. The red-and-black chesterfield in the slider above went teal velvet. Marilyn Rukande’s dining chairs went Pluto velvet.
A restaurant, office or clinic
Wipe-clean leather-look or a commercial fabric, every time. See commercial seating.
Then look at the light
If your couch sits in afternoon sun, strong colours can fade on the side facing the window. Hold the sample where the couch stands, at the time of day you use the room most. Ask us which of the samples take sun better.
Leather or leather-look
Genuine leather costs more and softens with age. Leather-look is lighter on the budget and easy to wipe down. We’ve re-covered plenty of peeling black couches, so ask what you’re buying. The leather repair page shows two of those jobs.
Ask how long it’ll last
Every fabric wears differently. When you’ve narrowed it down to 2 or 3 samples, ask us how many years we’d expect from each on your couch. Senamile Sithole wrote about waiting to see if the fabric would last “the number of years they estimated for the material I chose”. That’s the right question to ask.
Book the sample visit
WhatsApp a photo of your couch to 074 019 9297 and tell us who uses it. We’ll bring samples that fit.
Questions we get asked
Can I bring my own fabric?
Ask Kwanele when you send the photo. He'll need to check it's upholstery weight and that there's enough of it.
How many samples do you bring?
Plenty. Muhammed Farouk Yesufu described it on Google as "an overwhelming bag of samples to choose from".
