Vintage Velvet Sofas: Why Get One and How to Care for It

When furnishing your beloved home, it can be a taxing yet rewarding experience. One key aspect of each furniture piece you include is its specific materials and fabrics. For example, if you’re looking for an upholstered sofa, would you prefer hemp, silk, acrylic, wood, leather, polyester, or something else entirely?

You need to ask yourself such questions in order to properly prepare yourself for not only matching your style, but also for maintaining and cleaning your furniture for increased comfort, aesthetics, and longevity. Depending on what style along with how much maintenance/stain-resistance you’re searching for, you need to select the right material.

One classic example of a type of upholstered fabric that many people love, yet ultimately can be nervous about investing in is velvet. This is because of its supposed difficulty maintaining and keeping clean. However, this is farther from the truth.

Velvet is such a unique fabric that deserves rightful appreciation and admiration. That is why we recommend anyone to furnish their home with a vintage velvet sofa. Let’s take a closer look at why everyone should consider such a piece and how to maintain it appropriately.

Why Have a Vintage Velvet Sofa?
The addition of a vintage velvet sofa is an excellent idea for nearly anybody, but let’s dive into the most popular reasons as to why that is.

Unique Aesthetic

          

Ultimately, you want something in your living space that is aesthetically pleasing and perfectly matches the style of your room and/or home. Fortunately, a velvet sofa can accomplish that, but a vintage one does so even more.

A vintage velvet sofa can provide your room/home with a functional accent piece. It adds a special aesthetic and vibrant element to your room that other common fabric sofas cannot achieve while also offering a comfortable place for you and your guests to sit and relax.

Premium Comfort
It’s no secret that velvet’s two most admirable qualities are its comfortability and softness. No matter what object velvet finds itself in, it offers an unparalleled smoothness due to its short pile fibers. That is what makes it such an outstanding option for upholstery.

Long Lifespan When Maintained Correctly
Velvet sofas have remarkable longevity when maintained correctly (which is not difficult; more on that later). These sofas can even last decades even when it receives a lot of activity throughout their lifetime, as the fabrics are actually not as delicate as some people tend to assume.

Proper Care and Maintenance
Before you hastily scoop up a velvet sofa that’s stunningly vintage, you should be fully aware of its proper care and maintenance. It is true that these types of sofas require a bit more care than some other types, but that does not by any means suggest that it needs constant care.

This particular type of fabric requires a bit more TLC than other fabrics because its short pile attracts dust, dirt, and other particles. For those with pets, velvet can often appear to be a magnet to their fur and even dander. Because these particles can get so attached to the pile, you cannot simply wipe them away.

Spills can also lead to undesirable grievances because they can be easily and quickly wicked by the pile. Much like the dirt and other particles, spills can also be difficult to clean, as a simple wiping off most likely will not suffice.

Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to keep your velvet sofa looking and feeling great for decades to come.

Everyday Care
You don’t need to particularly care for this sofa “every day,” but you will need to care for it relatively often. All you really need to do is lightly brush it with an upholstery brush regularly and vacuum it using the upholstery attachment.

To avoid pressure marks from people continually sitting on the fabric, try steaming them gently and then brushing the fabric. Velvet also can naturally lose its sheen over time, but if you brush the fabric in the opposing direction with an upholstery brush, that might be enough to restore its original sheen.

Spills and Stains
Nobody is perfect and there will likely come a time when a spill or stain will land itself on your velvet sofa. When this happens, swift action will go a long way. Blot the area with a clean and dry cloth, making sure not to rub or apply too much pressure. This should rid most of the liquid spill. When you’ve blotted all you can, try a hairdryer to dry the rest.

If there is a massive stain or spill on your sofa, however, you may need to take it for professional cleaning.

The addition of a vintage velvet sofa can be one of the best decisions you can make for your comfortable and inviting home, but knowing how to clean and maintain this stunning piece of furniture is key for enjoying it for years and years.