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Sectional Fabric Selection

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June 18, 2013 By Jackie

You guys rock.  You had such great insights on the great sectional fabric color debate.  Going into it I was pretty convinced Lagoon was the way to go.  I may have been swayed by a very gloomy day where the Ink Blue looked almost black and scared me.  I dismissed Dove Gray pretty quickly.  As much as I would adore a silvery couch, I have a border collie/sheltie mix and she sheds horribly.  Darker colors are definitely better.

fabricswatchvelvet2

A few readers wisely suggested using a navy sheet or blanket to cover the sectional and see if I liked it.  Others suggested Photoshop.  Both ideas were genius.  You would think with the amount of time I spend on Photoshop, I would have thought of the second one.

So, I have this cute whale print throw with a dark blue back side.  I threw it over the end of the sectional nearest the yellow chairs.  It is not as dark or navy as the Ink Blue (see the comparison below), but it is the closest I’ve got.  I definitely like it.

navythrow

I continue to worry the Ink Blue will be too dark and read as black in poor lighting.  Maybe a lighter blue, like the stand in throw, would ease those fears.

swatchcomparison

Too bad I don’t have a good stand in for the Lagoon color for comparison.  That’s where our friend Photoshop comes in.  With a few clicks, I was able to make these crude mockups of the sectional in Ink Blue and Lagoon.

inkbluesectionalmockup

lagoonsectionalmockup

I was shocked by my own reaction.  I was certain my heart-strings would tug at the teal color.  But, after seeing the mockups, I was in love with the navy.  It looks amazing with the yellow chairs and the bamboo wall.  Just as many of you suggested, the navy allows the ottoman and yellow chairs to show off.

Excited with my mockups, I showed them to my hubby without revealing my favorite.  He chose the teal.  He did not even think about it.  The second he saw the teal, “ooh” slipped out of his mouth.  Well, now what?  We are at a stalemate.

My hubby gave in quickly to the navy.  He does not think it is that big of a deal.  I explained that it would be an order for 20 or more yards of fabric.  To me that is big.  He said, “It’s an expensive decision, not a big one.  Either one will be fine.”  He is probably right.  If we love them both, we probably can’t go wrong.

I am so glad I did this little exercise.  I have to admit I am totally nervous about ordering about 20 yards of fabric to recover this sectional.  I haven’t even begun to think about actually recovering it.  I plan to do it myself.  The sectional has a pretty simple boxy shape.

Which color do you like best?  Did the mockups change your opinion?

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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    June 18, 2013 at 8:05 am

    The teal in the mock-up is definitely darker than I thought the deal would be & I like the color more after the mock-up than just from the swatch. That being said, Navy is still may favorite & I love how it looks in the mock-up! As for your fears about it looking black in poor lighting – you’re in charge of the lighting down there, so you can just make sure that the room has enough easy-to-turn-on lights! Good luck with this project – I’m excited to see how it turns out.

    • Jackie says

      June 18, 2013 at 3:32 pm

      Sarah, So true. I do plan to have a large table lamp on each end of the sectional…so I should not let lighting be an excuse!

  2. jenn says

    June 18, 2013 at 8:11 am

    I love both colors, but the Navy looks so much more dynamic in the space.

    • Jackie says

      June 18, 2013 at 3:31 pm

      I like dynamic!

  3. liz says

    June 18, 2013 at 8:25 am

    Love the navy!

    The photoshop mockups really make choosing a color simple! Great job!

  4. Tina says

    June 18, 2013 at 8:45 am

    After seeing the mockups, I actually like the teal better but I feel like it clashes with your ottoman. The navy complements the ottoman (and the yellow chairs) better.

  5. Gwen says

    June 18, 2013 at 9:43 am

    What a great idea! And wow. You are recovering them yourself (big applaud) so even though fabric seems expensive think I am saving lots of $!
    The navy was my favorite but I really like the teal but then, even I did not choose that for me!! I think you’ll love it. Truthfully dog hair shows on everything and is there even if it doesn’t show!!!

    • Jackie says

      June 18, 2013 at 3:31 pm

      That is true, Gwen. No escaping the dog hair for us. A new vacuum is next on the list after finishing this family room :)

  6. modern jane says

    June 18, 2013 at 9:44 am

    I think the navy is pretty awesome! That ottoman is pretty great too:)

  7. Lisa says

    June 18, 2013 at 10:07 am

    Now that I saw the photoshop version I am loving the dark blue even more.

  8. Lisa says

    June 18, 2013 at 10:07 am

    Now that I saw the photoshop version I am loving the dark blue even more.

  9. Riham says

    June 18, 2013 at 10:24 am

    I am liking the navy a lot. I wasn’t really sure before, since you have the dark color on the ottoman and the navy in the curtains, but I think it complements them nicely. I also think it grounds the space much better than lighter colors and your accent pillows and other accessories pop against it!

    • Jackie says

      June 18, 2013 at 3:30 pm

      Thanks for the input Riham. I definitely love the pop with the lighter pillows on the navy fabric. They don’t pop as much on the teal.

  10. Jessica Lundgren says

    June 18, 2013 at 10:34 am

    Navy is still the winner in my opinion! Tough to make the call when you both chose differently. Good luck!

  11. Anne says

    June 18, 2013 at 11:53 am

    I still stand by my choice of navy. It matches the ottoman so much better. The teal looks mismatched and out of place.

  12. Diana says

    June 18, 2013 at 1:16 pm

    The navy. Hands down. The teal makes it look like a nice, fun space, but the navy makes it look like an AMAZING, nice fun space:)

    • Jackie says

      June 18, 2013 at 3:29 pm

      Diana, That is a great way to put it. I felt like that is exactly what I thought when I saw both mockups together.

  13. CohoesMom5 says

    June 18, 2013 at 2:05 pm

    After seeing the photoshop mock-ups, I really like the navy blue. It didn’t change, but just solidified my original feeling.

  14. Terri says

    June 18, 2013 at 7:21 pm

    The mockups are great! I do admit liking the striking contrast with the Navy. It’s really nice. It looks lighter than your original blue or maybe it was the lighting translating more to a black. But if it’s like that particular blue then go.for.it!

  15. [email protected] says

    June 18, 2013 at 7:56 pm

    Still love the Navy. And great work on photoshop. Would love to read a post some time on your thoughts about whether Photoshop is worth the investment vs. some of the online design tools out there. I don’t think they could do as good of a job as you did with those photos you posted.

    • Jackie says

      June 18, 2013 at 8:29 pm

      Char, I say Photoshop, but I mean Photoshop Elements. I have found it meets all of my photo editing and graphic needs both for picture editing and mood board creating. And, it is less than $100. I create all my mood boards in Photoshop Elements because I like to have full control to remove backgrounds and change colors. I have not been satisfied with the quality of any of the free mood board tools.

  16. Jessica Moroney says

    June 18, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    Definitely prefer the navy now that you have eliminated grey. The navy is a better choice for a long term solution :)

  17. Sam says

    June 19, 2013 at 7:16 am

    Wow the photoshop totally changed my mind. I was in love with the Teal until I saw it in the photoshop image. The Navy just looks so much better. I think you might tire of the Teal long before you do the Navy. Plus as others have said the accessories will pop with the darker base.

  18. Pam Zirbel says

    June 19, 2013 at 7:17 am

    Well…I was first going with the teal…then saw the photos and LOVE the darker!!! Thanks for the pics to choose form!!!! Good luck girl!!

  19. Laura says

    June 19, 2013 at 11:24 am

    I love the navy!! I do agree that the swatch is dark but I think it’ll be better once you get the sectional covered. You can always lighten things up with pillows, lighting, even a throw or two. I think a really pretty teal throw would look amazing on the dark navy sectional and would be perfect for curling up with a good book.

    • Jackie says

      June 19, 2013 at 11:58 am

      Laura, Great idea for a teal throw blanket. The basement is regularly about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the house, so I will need a basket full of blankets :)

  20. Stacey Wilson says

    June 19, 2013 at 12:32 pm

    Since you have kids and pets, I’ll ask: do you think that fabric will hold up to all your family will potentially do to that couch? We need to re-do our couch, and I’m loving those fabric, but wonder how they’ll last with abuse from wild kids.

  21. Kristin @ Little Corbin Hill says

    June 19, 2013 at 2:34 pm

    I’m with you! As much as I am in love with teal, I am leaning towards the navy. It looks great against your chair and the wall =)

  22. Katie says

    June 19, 2013 at 4:05 pm

    I was sure I would love the teal, but the mock-ups totally changed my mind. Everything pops with the navy, and everything is just kind of all the same with the teal. I absolutely love the navy and think you made a great choice.

  23. Nikki says

    June 20, 2013 at 10:18 am

    I was team teal all the way until I saw the mockup. I REALLY like the navy! I also like that since it is a couch, the navy is a more timeless and versital color.

  24. maureen m. says

    June 21, 2013 at 6:49 am

    Totally in agreement! The navy is classic and to me, reads as a neutral. So on something as big as a sofa it’s perfect. But SO pretty as well! As for the dog hair…oh well…you may find yourself vacuuming more but there are also rubbery lint brushes at Walmart that actually work pretty well for quick cleanups (been there, done that!).

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