Oh, you got an Xbox 360. My husband would love to move in with you guys! :)

I vote for the natural twill! While the denim is nice, you can create sooo many different looks with the natural color. (Have denim pillows made for your sofas if you like the denim so much!)

Another for natural twill.

To me the natural twill would be a maintenance nightmare.

We have a light butter/buff colored twill slip covered sofa and I would NOT recommend a light colored sofa, especially if it is in the main sitting area/family room that would see significant use. Even though ours is removable and washable - after three years of use, it has stains I can't get out and often just looks dirty. I can't wait to replace it with something that can take the use/abuse of three boys, 2 dogs and one lazy cat! Oh, and the DH sues it, too. :)

If you decide to go with the natural twill be sure to check out the Performance Twill fabric at Pottery Barn. I'm considering this for my family room and ordered some swatches. I rubbed chocolate syrup into the fabric and was able to get it completely clean using just warm water on a sponge. My dh thought I was crazy to want an off white sofa (I have 2 small kids and a huge dog) but when he saw how easily it cleaned up he was willing to consider it.

I've had 2 PB basic sofas for about 9 years. They've had heavy, every day use and have held up great. I started with dark blue cotton slipcovers which did fade a bit after several years. I replaced them last year with chocolate brown "everyday suede". This fabric is very forgiving.
I did not get the down wrapped cushions and they have held their shape very well over the years.

That's why I'm considering another PB sofa. I also want to check out Lee but can't find many retailers here in the SF or Conejo Valley that carry the slipcovers. (Have you looked at Lee? I think we live in the same general area). But if I end up with another PB sofa I think I'd be happy with that.

Caldreamer, where are you shopping? I'm in Conejo Valley. I think Reed's in Agoura has carried the PB Basic sofa (which has puzzled me because I thought only PB carried PB stuff?).

Bluekit-
Are we neighbors IRL? I'm in Agoura.
I was at Reed's yesterday and I only saw 2 slipcovered sofas (although I was focused mainly on sectionals). One was manufactured by Rowe and one was, I think, New Dimensions.
Pottery Barn sofas are manufactured by Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams (at least the one I bought 9 yrs ago was).
I don't think Reed's carries that manufacturer. Hmmm?
Do you know anything about the quality of Rowe furniture? Have you seen Lee sofa's anywhere?

Caldreamer -- we are definitely neighbors. I'm in OP. I was thinking about suggesting a GW SoCal Social, but we're such a far flung area that I wasn't sure it would work. Anyway, hi!

My vote is cast for natural. Then accessorize with pillows that use the denim colour... very nice.

I have done a light colored sofa in the past and learned my lesson. Never again. I would just like to make a general comment about sofa cushions. I have bought sofas from Walter E Smith (a local retailer in the Chicagoland). And for the life of the sofa you get free cushion insert replacement. My current sofa is 10 years old and about every 1-2 years I get all the cushions replaced (seat and back) and its like getting a new sofa. I am amazed at the difference. Surely other retailers must do the same. I highly recommend it.

How does someone tell Bluekitobsessed to go with Natural after reading her obsession with blue through all her kitchen posts! As the mother of teen boys who would absolutely ruin a light colored sofa, even if it was performance twill, I have to dissent and say go with your true love, blue:) It will make you happy and the best part, your son will not be regarded as the enemy.

What about ticking striped sofa? I was thinking about ticking stripe curtains but can easily change.

I like the idea of the ticking stripe. That would be stylish, but forgiving with little messes.

Although the neutral would be my favorite choice, I think you should go with something more forgiving. Neutrals are hard to maintain with kids. Have you considered having slipcovers made? That way you can get whatever you want and have the option of cleaning them? When my kids were home I got brown corduroy for my sofas in the den and put the accent in the pillows. They never looked soiled. Just a thought

The problem with denim is that it fades. Think of your favorite pair of jeans, where that perfect fade is good. On your sofa, not so good. I have a denim slipcovered rocker from PB - got it when my dd was born so it's 7 years old now. You can see definite fading over all the presure points - the arms, "butt area" of the seat cushion, and the spot where your head goes are all noticeably faded. It's kind of embarrassing that you can almost see a "butt cheek stamp" in the seat cushion. And while the rocker has seen daily use (we've read our kids stories before bed in it just about every day) it's only been for a half hour or so, so it's not like it's getting hours and hours of use in a family room.

For that reason, I'd think twice about denim. That said, I'm not sure natural twill is going to hold up from a dirt perspective. Are there any other options (a darker twill, maybe)?

hmmm, that's a toughie. Personally, I love the look of a light colored sofa too, but if you love blue - go with the blue! I also love the ticking stripe idea (I love stripes!). I'm currently going through the same dilemma and can't decide between a light off-white natural or a darker camel color.

I was considering the PB sofa too, but I think I've decided on this one from Broyhill (can't decide on fabric though). The local store I called said you buy the frame first (which I'm considering upholstering in a fallish color) and then buy the slipcover separately (which I'm considering the natural twill). Total cost is between $778 and $1200 - depending on fabric type, but that's not too bad considering you get two looks.

{{!gwi}}

california dreamer, I currently have this Rowe slipcovered sofa:

{{!gwi}}

It has held up well, however I made the mistake of getting the down cushions and I would NOT recommend them! For the past 8 years dh and I have been poked and prodded with little feathers coming out of the cushions! The slips do hold up well after washing (I have a patterned cotton fabric - dont' know what I was thinking, should have gotten a plain fabric!) But the arms of the sofa are too tall for my tastes - they are tall in the back and slope forward in the front. I bought this sofa sight unseen, so I will try not to do that again. Lesson learned :)

I have off-white slipcovered sofa and loveseat in my FR. I also have 3 kids, 1 dog, 1 sloppy DH and about 30 kids on my street running in and out of my house. Everyone thought I was crazy when I bought my light colored slipcovers but they've held up great! I have a large washing machine so I'm able to wash them myself. I use Oxiclean's stain remover spray and it's always done the job for me. I wash them every few months and it takes about a day for them to dry. They come out of the washing meachine looking brand new. I like white or off-white slipcovered furniture because it gives you the flexibilty to change pillows and throws at your whim.

I vote for natural canvas over denim. It's a fresh look w/the ease of slipcovers.

I also wanted to mention that I've been really happy w/microfiber as an easy-clean material. My DS is 3 1/2 and he has scribbled (with ball point pen) on, peed on, spilled juice on etc. the microfiber and, despite his efforts, it cleans up easily and still looks nice. Now, I can't vouch for the overall quality of our sofa (I think it's way too squishy)but the microfiber still looks new! Some people have even thought it was suede (talk about a cleaning nightmare).