Beige by Any Other Name

I have recently been working with a client on reupholstering her sofa and ottoman.  These items were bought in 2003.  The current upholstery is a shade of beige that is just about perfect in the room.  Much loving wear has made it necessary to freshen things up a bit.  We are looking for a very durable fabric that breathes.  This sofa is at the center of the entertainment area and just off the kitchen so it is the most used piece in the room.  As you can see from our chosen memo samples beige is not as plain as the nose on your face.

Maharam Fabrics:

All of the above have at least over 100,000 rubs.  Rubs are an industry term for durability.  As you can see beige can have green, yellow, and red undertones.  These are meant for commercial duty.  I think they will be eliminated because they do not breathe and would not provide the comfort sought by the owner.  They might be durable because no one would find them comfortable to sit upon.

Lee Jofa fabric choices:

Here we have the Lee Jofa samples.  The rubs are not as high but the comfort level is ever so much better.  Looks like we have two beiges that are yellow in tone and one greige (grey/beige).

These samples come from two of hundreds of fabric companies and they all offer hundreds of beiges in a variety of fabric content.

We shall soon see which comes out the winner.  Ofcourse, there is always the possibility that we will have to tap other sources and start over.  Beige can be tricky.  I will let you know when the outcome is decided.