I Tried Out the Velvet Sofa Trend and it Just Wasn't for Me

I’ll be the first to note that I think velvet sofas are absolutely beautiful in theory. I swoon whenever I spot one on a store's website, continue to populate my Pinterest board with images of lovely Parisian-inspired living rooms (which seem to almost always feature velvet sofas), and even tried incorporating two such pieces into my own apartment over time. However, as someone who uses their living room as a space to eat, work, kick back, and entertain friends, I found that velvet sofas just aren’t the most practical, at least for my lifestyle.

And while such pieces sure are pretty in pictures, I haven’t found the velvet sofas I’ve purchased to be quite as aesthetically pleasing in real life.

When shopping for a velvet sofa, you’ll notice that they tend to fall into two camps: lower-end pieces in vibrant hues that almost have a shiny quality to them, or the super-pricey pieces that have more of a subdued, formal look. The difficulty is finding a well-priced piece that doesn’t look super inexpensive or overly trendy.

My first sofa came from Amazon’s Rivet line and, at roughly $800, was on the higher end of the affordable spectrum. The piece was beyond comfortable, perfect for reading and lounging, and the velvet didn’t look cheap. I chose a navy-like hue, which was super forgiving when it came to stains or small marks. But after some time, I realized that ultimately, this piece didn’t reflect my design style, which leans less contemporary and a bit more classic when it comes to large furniture pieces. A deep blue sofa paired with shiny brass legs just wasn’t what I had in mind as I began to rethink my living room. 

I later bought a teal, tufted sofa at an incredible price from a couple in the midst of revamping the sitting room in their large home. However, what I should have considered before making my purchase was that this type of sofa wasn’t truly meant to be sat on every day. As someone who often works on my laptop, eats dinner, lays down, and enjoys the occasional Netflix marathon on the sofa, I definitely get a lot of use out of my sofa. The thin fabric on this particular piece, though, began to show signs of wear quickly, and it was clear that this dainty piece wasn’t meant for me.

I’ll always admire velvet sofas for their glamour and am certainly receptive to trying one again once I settle in a space with a more formal living area. However, if you’re like me, with have strong aesthetic preferences but also need to rely on a piece that’s fairly heavy duty, you should opt for a more durable sofa with performance fabric that won’t reflect every imprint or red wine spill.