Hiding ugly stains on once-beautiful sofas, loveseats and dining chairs during seasonal parties can bring homeowners to the brink of insanity. Instead of enjoying time with friends and family, they busy themselves carefully placing (and re-placing) throw pillows over coffee stains, draping throws over smudged fingerprints from who-knows-what playdate and sitting right on top of last year’s wine spill.
When they can’t take the pain of the stains any longer, they flee to furniture stores, wallets in hand, to find furniture that will make their homes a haven once again.
What will they look for? There are five steps that many furniture shoppers go through before they choose that new showpiece for their home.
- 1. Consider the function. They focus on whether the piece will be a part of daily family activity or if it will be somewhere in a less-trafficked area. If the piece is for their family room and they have three kids and two dogs, furniture with stain resistant fabric will be a huge draw. Even if they have a quiet lifestyle and they’re seeking an armchair for a guestroom, they will still likely consider a performance fabric to ensure that their new treasure will remain good-as-new for years to come.
- 2. Fabric is a key factor. Color and feel are often the primary focus of a furniture search. They may be looking for a specific color to offset other colors in their home. They may have a strong preference for softer fabrics or even stiffer fabrics. Some of them are seeking the holy grail of vivid colors, a luxurious feel, and water resistant or stain resistant fabric.
- 3. Style is critical. While some think Grandma’s furniture is the bees knees, other consumers are looking for something sleek and modern. People often seek the trendy fashions they see during their weekend HGTV binge. But don’t be fooled by their desire to fit into the latest furniture swing; they still want performance textiles that hold up to the daily tests of pets, kids, friends, food and drinks. They want something that looks great but can still look great five years from now when they are ready to upload it onto LetGo and move on to the Next Big Thing in furniture.
- 4. The nose knows. No one wants to walk into a home and smell pet urine or moldy milk from the sippy cup disaster of ’15. Today’s furniture shoppers are adamant about some things, including non-smelly sofas, loveseats and recliners. They want to invest in water resistant fabric with easy clean-up that keeps smells at bay so their guests can focus on the smells of coffee and croissants instead of the iced tea someone spilled last month.
- 5. Money does matter. For some, granted, the sky is the limit when it comes to furniture purchases. But for the vast majority of furniture shoppers, they’re looking for something that isn’t too tough on the budget. They will, however, take quality into consideration and will often purchase a higher end fabric crafted with a performance fiber. After all, saving money in the end sometimes means you will get more bang for your buck for a longer stretch of time.
It’s critical that furniture designers and manufacturers keep not only comfort and good furniture design in mind. The overall design process must include a consideration for the demands of the modern family and today’s savvy furniture shopper. They know that performance textiles have come a long way in last decades and they would love to see their furniture remain as stain-free and fresh as their clothing.
