My perspective is from someone who does several hundred "spot-cleanings" a year. I tend to the the routine, "Food and body fluids" and the obscure -- ink, paint, makeup, markers, rust, etc. Earlier this year, I did several hundred restaurant chairs in a tech school's chef training program. (The word I got was "we had them cleaned 9 years ago and it didn't do much good." I got them pretty clean.) Most of what I see in terms of stain needs to be water cleaned. So: Rayon and Viscose are similar. They, particularly in chenille, will not tolerate any water contact. Even a splash from a water bottle will leave a stain. This is due to the way water causes loss of resiliency in the fibers. While it's not "soiled" it will appear lighter or darker in color. 100% cotton stains easily and cleans with difficulty. Many cleaners are too strong for it and the dyes (particularly dark red, green and blue) are often fugitive with light and water. I have seen lots of 100% cotton that were faded, fuzzed, and loaded with spots and all I can say is, "Sorry, I can't clean it." Because it is a staple fiber (fiber length measured in inches, not yards), it is prone to appearing "frosted" as the fibers break with use and abrasion. Silk ; fuggedaboudit. I once had a client that said, "I don't know what I was thinking ordering silk for dining chairs when I have grandchildren." It lasted approximately one meal before becoming permanently stained with gravy. Microfibers: I find these clean wonderfully. If you care for the look and feel, I'd recommend them. Beyond that, some fibers work well in certain weaves or fabrics, and some don't. Below are some paraphrased notes on various fibers: Acrylic Wear resistance across length low. End wear resistance very high, making it suitable for velvets and plushes. Soft feel in end-fiber. Highest of UV resistance due to added screen chemicals. High in price. Cotton Low in wear resistance, especially if not treated with fluorochemicals such as Fabri-Coate. Stains easily and cleans with difficulty. Suited for thin, delicate fabrics such as chinzes. Cool feel due to breathability. Not able to retain "new look" for long. Often found blended, such as with polyester. Nylon High cross fiber wear, low end fiber wear, so normally found in woven and not velvets. Can be formulated for various softness of feel. Full elastic recovery -- does not sag. Very common on auto upholstery and carpets. UV can cause some yellowing and frosting. Polyester AKA Dacron. Retains "new look" for long time. Excellent color and strength retention, even when exposed to UV. Low side flex resistance. Polypropelene AKA Olefin, Herculon. Low UV resistance. Strong and wear resistant. Excellent color retention. Low cost. Flexing can cause "fibrillation" (breaking into smaller diameter fibers, increasing light refraction and giving the appearance of color loss.) Rayon Low flex life, low wear in end or side fiber, "fuzzes" easily. Brilliant colors, excellent color retention, soft feel. Wool Very low in wear resistance. Natural look due to fiber scales. Warm. High price and allergenic. Basic fiber properties Fiber Abrasion Resistance (wear) Flex Life Color Retention (fade) Strength Feel (1=smooth, 10=harsh) Look (1=shiny, 10=Dull) Acrylic 5-10 4-5 10 10 4 1-10 Cotton 3 .3-.5 7-8 6 6 8 Dacron 7-8 4-5 9 9 1-10 1-8 Olefin 9.5 17 2 2-3 1 1 Nylon 10 20 3 7 1-10 3-10 Flex life = number of 90 degree bends x 1000 cycles Source: W. Lloyd Gheen, "Upholstery Techniques Illustrated" Here is a link that might be useful: And some technical information on rayon

I am transitioning from a brown leather sectional of 13+ years to a deep blue -- not a true navy, that I just got told will deliver Wednesday! If you are a blue person, I think that woud be the way to go. It can be hard to find a blue leather that isn't such a dark navy that you worry it will look black at least some of the time or too bright to work in most traditional/transitional settings. Do you have access to Moore & Giles leathers? They have some nice blues. Mine is Kipling Dolpin, a deep blue grey, (I have two large dogs, a pool and lots of flower beds in the backyard -- I couldn't doo cream or white either).

I have a couch that is the S.06 color with neutral walls and gold accents in my home and I love it! The contrast is really nice because the furniture can stand on its own and not blend so much into the palette. I have also added some deep indigo velvet curtains and some pillows on the couch to match, throwing in some cream and grey dec pillows, too, to bring it all together.

A sofa placed on the wall where you have it now is fine. Also the existing tv in the corner on the existing stand is fine. I just scrolled up and see you are planning to paint. Don’t do grey. The grey trend is over and grey walls are not necessary. I recommend that you try samples of BM Muslin and BM Swiss Coffee. Samplize.com I don’t have time to read through all the comments and just quickly skimmed through a few. From an Eastern Feng Shui perspective, main sofa with back to windows or floating in a room are less than desirable placements. Plus, your whole plan is to be able to take advantage of the ocean views, so backing a sofa up to the windows would be counterproductive. You have your sofa and tv placement right. You need less bulky seating pieces - that have better size/scale for the space - and are also more fashionable. You can have comfort and style as well. Look at apartment sized furniture. Don’t do a love seat. If the sofa is the right style and a good size and scale for the space, you should be able to do a full sized 2 or even a 3 seater sofa - and put it exactly on the wall where your sofa is currently. I recommend a sofa, not a reclining one - and an ottoman - the ottoman would be able to be used as a foot rest as well as a coffee table (with a tray). And I recommend bringing in one recliner/chair - a small scale/well-sized/streamlined reclining chair - and the chair can face the windows that are to the left of the tv, and the chair would also face the tv. You could also consider swivel recliners as a possibility, when you are looking for that chair. And it looks like you might already have a bench under the windows that are located across from the sofa. That is a very good idea. You can dress the bench as a window seat - change the cover, and/or add a bench cushion and a few throw pillows - either with the current bench or bring in another long bench if you need a new one, or alternatively you could use a chaise in that spot there. Other than the core furniture pieces I have mentioned above, you could keep some folding chairs on hand should you need extra seating for this room. And you mention that you have another room, a living room that has a good amount of seating. I recommend that you take these suggestions that I have offered you - and find a designer to help you pick the furnishings - either a designer/decorator in your area - or there are also lots of online/e-design options that you can explore.