I also love that chair you posted on Tue, Jan 29, 13 at 11:27! The fabric looks as if it could be barkcloth (which I love) altho I wouldn't have thought that would be the best wearing fabric for upholstery. Just an idea I'm throwing out for your own chairs - if you think you may use them in the same room you might use the paisley on one and the large floral on the other with the houndstooth on both in the same places. Perhaps also use the opposite larger scale fabric in a less obtrusive place on each to tie them together more. Perhaps choose a solid color for the 3rd fabric on each especially for welting. IMO the paisley and the large floral are too much the same scale so don't work as well together. I think this is a case where there are so many choices it's difficult to decide which is best. What you might do is take a picture of the fabrics flat, print them out, also print out pics of the chairs, then cut out pieces like a jigsaw puzzle and try various combos to see which you like. Probably possible to do this on your computer but I'm not that computer savvy.

Our DS has a futon with a microfiber- covered cushion, and it is still in good shape after years of college dorm life, and moves and people and dogs sleeping on it. It even survived life in a fraternity house! And years ago I had a pair of navy slacks in a microfiber fabric that I used to take on trips. They were really and truly miracle pants. They didn't stretch, sag, stain, or go limp, and were actually wash and wear with no ironing needed----and I have EVERYTHING ironed, even my sheets, so that is saying a lot. If you can find something you like in microfiber, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

Well, I say, let the dogs pick what they like the best. While we have a leather recliner, it's really for the Man of the House. Dogs have to beg to be allowed up and in position on Man's lap. Sometimes they want to displace his Real Laptop and that poses a problem. So, for their enjoyment and comfort, we have a Flexsteel sofa covered in a beautiful corderoy looking fabric in a deep moss color. It has been in place for almost 7 years and looks as good as when I bought it. I considered a warm color to coordinate with Dachshund hair, but decided that a bit of contrast would just make the room! They occasionally (anyone familiar with doxies????) like to scrape and paw their sofa, digging into the cushions to fluff them up a bit. Mom doesn't really allow this when she's home, (Stop that!!!) but who knows what evil lurks in the dachshund mind when all the people go off to work for 8 hours? I bought the Guardian fabric protector when I bought the sofa. The cute salesguy told me that if my sofa stayed with me for the California mandated life of a sofa, 7 years, my protection would only cost me like $13 per year. Well, my sofa is going strong, have kept it vacuumed (about 6 times per year) and have wiped off spills and whatnot when needed. Have never invoked the protection plan, since the fabric is tough as nails, soft to the touch, and seems to evade staining. My son, who was 17 at the time I chose furniture, ix-nayed the tougher fabrics and INSISTED that a sofa needs to be soft. He said that's why it's called a "Soff-a". He says most people mis-pronounce. Anyway, I fell for his schtick and here we sit. Comfortably. Two dogs. Two people. And did I mention that for several months of 2005, we had my DD and her husband, plus two Golden Retrievers living on my sofa? Red

I saw a Ralph Lauren photo somewhere where they put a single long, fairly thin pad on top of the cushions. Like a velvet maybe and there may have been some light tufting. It looked really great. I'm keeping it in mind for when the wear on my leather sofa cushions finally gets to me. I liked it because then the leather around the edge still showed, while the addition of the fabric pad on top made it more intentional and less like a big bag-o-cushions. The look of fabric on the seat top only is something I love from the lodge style and antique look I try to go for. I sewed a fabric to just the top only of an antique leather chair (has a thick cushion like a sofa) and it looks like it was originally there, instead of being a "fix".