Online photos and showroom lighting both flatter a product, so a small piece on your own floor or wall gives far more reliable evidence, and it costs little or nothing to request.
Why Samples Beat Photos for Large Purchases
Screens change colour from one device to the next, and showroom lighting is chosen to make everything look its best, so neither tells you much about how a purchase will look on an ordinary day in your living room, however polished the photograph or the display looked.
A swatch shows the real shade, the weave and the weight, and it is always wise to order a few fabric samples before committing to a big piece.
Test Fabrics and Finishes in Your Own Light
With quality hand made sofas, the fabric is a long-term choice, so lay each swatch against the wall and floor beside the window and look at it in the morning, at midday and under lamps once it's dark.
A grey that looks neutral at noon can lean blue or beige in lamplight, and a deep colour can look much heavier in a small room than it does on a screen. Move each sample around the room as well, because a corner away from the window can change the shade again, and ask your supplier how long swatches can be kept.
Keep Notes So Samples Compare Fairly
After a few days it becomes hard to remember which swatch looked best and when, particularly if you have ordered four or five. Write down the same details for each one as you go and the final choice becomes much easier to defend to the rest of the household:
- The time of day and the lighting when you looked at it
- How it sits against your walls, floor and curtains
- How it feels to touch and how it responds to marks
- The price and the lead time for a full order
Check Durability Before Falling for a Colour
Ask for the Martindale figure, then handle the swatch properly by rubbing it, creasing it and seeing how it springs back. Households with children or pets should look for a rub count above 30,000, while a lighter-use living room can manage with the average of 15,000 to 25,000.
Strong sunlight can also fade deep colours, so think about where the piece will sit before settling on a dark shade.
Sample Flooring, Paint and Worktops Too
Ask the flooring supplier for a board or tile and leave it where the floor will go for a few days, brush a sample pot of paint onto lining paper that can be moved around the room, and borrow a worktop offcut to see how it marks and how it looks under the kitchen lights.
Free samples remove the pressure to decide quickly, so take the time to live with each one and order only when your notes agree with your first impression.
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