Smart fabrics promise a stain-proof life. In reality, they’re a quick way to spoil natural materials with nasty chemicals – and the magic rarely lasts anyway.
Here’s why we’ll never use them at Schplendid…
If you’ve been researching sofas recently, you’ll likely have come across the phrase ‘smart fabric’ (sometimes also known as clever fabric, stain-resistant fabric or even family-proof upholstery).
It sounds marvellous, doesn’t it? A sofa you can spill red wine on with abandon! Children with felt-tip pens, animals with chew toys… bring them on!
Well, a life free from upholstery anxiety is a compelling idea, but as with many things that sound too good to be true, it’s worth pausing for a moment and asking, what actually is a smart fabric sofa? And what compromise are you making if you get one?
What is a ‘smart fabric’ sofa?
In most cases, a smart fabric begins life as something perfectly respectable (cotton, linen, velvet) which is then treated with a stain-repellent finish.
That finish is usually some form of surface coating. In simple terms, it creates a thin barrier over the fibres so that liquids bead up rather than soak in.
When new, this can work convincingly: you pour a bit of water (or wine) on the fabric, and instead of disappearing into the weave, it sits there until you dab it away.
From a showroom demonstration perspective, it’s extremely persuasive – one can quite see why people like the idea…
Why do ‘smart fabrics’ exist?
Because people are understandably nervous about buying a sofa: it’s not a trivial purchase. The sofa sits at the centre of family life and is in constant use, so the thought of spoiling things with one careless moment is enough to make anyone twitch.
The industry’s response has been to treat the surface, i.e. to create a layer that reduces the likelihood of staining at source. However, there are some serious trade-offs…
Why we think ‘smart fabrics’ are, frankly, a bit dumb
At Schplendid we decided from the start that we would never, ever go down this route of coating our sofas in these chemicals, for three very good reasons:
1. They ruin the feel
If you go to the trouble of sourcing pure Italian cotton velvet or heavyweight linen, woven properly and stone-washed for a beautiful handle, why on earth would you then coat it in plastic?
We firmly believe that velvet should feel like velvet, and linen should feel like linen. The whole point of natural fabric is that it breathes and feels lovely and soft and almost alive under your hand. But once you apply a surface barrier, however thin, you are no longer touching the cloth in its natural state – which, for us, defeats the object.
We want natural. We’ve spent an absurd amount of time and effort making sure our fabrics are 100% natural, untreated and a delight to sit on. The idea of then sealing them under a synthetic film simply goes against everything we’re trying to do.
2. We don’t want the chemicals
These stain-resistant finishes involve chemical treatments: often polyurethane-based, sometimes fluorocarbon-based, and always synthetic. These are perfectly legal and very common, but at Schplendid our entire philosophy is about removing the nasty man-made materials from sofas.
We’ve replaced petrochemical foam with coconut husk and lambswool for the upholstery, and goose down for the cushion fillings. To then spray the outermost layer – the part you sit on – with a chemical coating would be frankly perverse!
So no, at Schplendid we are not interested in building a natural sofa and then finishing it with a synthetic shell.
3. Smart fabrics are not guaranteed to work – and it soon rubs off anyway!
Surface coatings exist on the outside of the fabric: the bit that gets rubbed, sat on, cleaned and worn. In real life that finish will typically lose its effectiveness within six to eight months, perhaps a year if you’re lucky, particularly in the areas you actually sit on.
In other words: great for a showroom demo, but rubbish for long-term life with the sofa. And worse, you’ve permanently changed the feel of a beautiful natural material for the sake of a short-lived effect.
And note that even when brand new, ‘smart fabric’ isn’t guaranteed to repel all stains. “Stain-resistant” does not mean “stain-proof”.
What Schplendid do instead
“We just wanted to get fabrics that were 100% natural… and not treated with strange stain repellents. I mean, you pour your red wine on it, yes, you’ll have a problem — but at least it still feels like velvet.” Rohan Blacker, founder.
Our linens and velvets are left untreated on the surface. Instead of pretending spills won’t happen, we say: plan for them sensibly, and you can enjoy a natural, high quality fabric without stress.
1. Fabric protection insurance
We recommend a Guardsman protection. If something truly catastrophic occurs, a professional cleaner is sent. If it cannot be resolved, the affected part — or in extreme cases the entire sofa — is replaced.
2. Replaceable and washable covers
Two of our sofas have fully removable covers that be cold washed or taken to a dry cleaner, and for Vesper and Bonnie we also offer replacement covers if life eventually takes its toll. Just ask our team about that.
That, to us, is a much smarter answer than a nasty toxic ‘smart fabric’.
And don’t forget that most stains and spills can be dealt with pretty effectively yourself. See our guide: Sofa Care: How to Deal with Stains and Spills
The Schplendid approach to ‘smart’
To sum up, ‘smart fabrics” attempt to eliminate risk on the surface of the sofa, but they don’t do it for long, aren’t guaranteed and they rely on nasty chemicals. We want natural, so coating our fabrics in plastic was never going to be part of the plan.
If what you want is a chemically sealed, wipe-clean shell, we may not be for you. But if you want a properly made, natural sofa that feels exactly as it should – and is built to last – then welcome to Schplendid!
See also:
10 Ways We’re (Nicely) Shaking Up the Sofa Industry
The perfect touch: Why we only use pure Italian linen and velvet fabrics for Schplendid sofas
How to Wash and Care for Your Schplendid Sofa Covers
Sofa Care: How to Deal with Stains and Spills
How to Keep Your Sofa Looking Schplendid - A Guide to Regular Sofa Care
How we ensure fire safety in our sofas – without the nasty chemicals
Are ‘Smart Fabrics' really that smart?
Smart fabrics promise a stain-proof life. In reality, they’re a quick way to spoil natural materials with nasty chemicals – and the magic rarely lasts anyway.
Here’s why we’ll never use them at Schplendid…
If you’ve been researching sofas recently, you’ll likely have come across the phrase ‘smart fabric’ (sometimes also known as clever fabric, stain-resistant fabric or even family-proof upholstery).
It sounds marvellous, doesn’t it? A sofa you can spill red wine on with abandon! Children with felt-tip pens, animals with chew toys… bring them on!
Well, a life free from upholstery anxiety is a compelling idea, but as with many things that sound too good to be true, it’s worth pausing for a moment and asking, what actually is a smart fabric sofa? And what compromise are you making if you get one?
What is a ‘smart fabric’ sofa?
In most cases, a smart fabric begins life as something perfectly respectable (cotton, linen, velvet) which is then treated with a stain-repellent finish.
That finish is usually some form of surface coating. In simple terms, it creates a thin barrier over the fibres so that liquids bead up rather than soak in.
When new, this can work convincingly: you pour a bit of water (or wine) on the fabric, and instead of disappearing into the weave, it sits there until you dab it away.
From a showroom demonstration perspective, it’s extremely persuasive – one can quite see why people like the idea…
Why do ‘smart fabrics’ exist?
Because people are understandably nervous about buying a sofa: it’s not a trivial purchase. The sofa sits at the centre of family life and is in constant use, so the thought of spoiling things with one careless moment is enough to make anyone twitch.
The industry’s response has been to treat the surface, i.e. to create a layer that reduces the likelihood of staining at source. However, there are some serious trade-offs…
Why we think ‘smart fabrics’ are, frankly, a bit dumb
At Schplendid we decided from the start that we would never, ever go down this route of coating our sofas in these chemicals, for three very good reasons:
1. They ruin the feel
If you go to the trouble of sourcing pure Italian cotton velvet or heavyweight linen, woven properly and stone-washed for a beautiful handle, why on earth would you then coat it in plastic?
We firmly believe that velvet should feel like velvet, and linen should feel like linen. The whole point of natural fabric is that it breathes and feels lovely and soft and almost alive under your hand. But once you apply a surface barrier, however thin, you are no longer touching the cloth in its natural state – which, for us, defeats the object.
We want natural. We’ve spent an absurd amount of time and effort making sure our fabrics are 100% natural, untreated and a delight to sit on. The idea of then sealing them under a synthetic film simply goes against everything we’re trying to do.
2. We don’t want the chemicals
These stain-resistant finishes involve chemical treatments: often polyurethane-based, sometimes fluorocarbon-based, and always synthetic. These are perfectly legal and very common, but at Schplendid our entire philosophy is about removing the nasty man-made materials from sofas.
We’ve replaced petrochemical foam with coconut husk and lambswool for the upholstery, and goose down for the cushion fillings. To then spray the outermost layer – the part you sit on – with a chemical coating would be frankly perverse!
So no, at Schplendid we are not interested in building a natural sofa and then finishing it with a synthetic shell.
3. Smart fabrics are not guaranteed to work – and it soon rubs off anyway!
Surface coatings exist on the outside of the fabric: the bit that gets rubbed, sat on, cleaned and worn. In real life that finish will typically lose its effectiveness within six to eight months, perhaps a year if you’re lucky, particularly in the areas you actually sit on.
In other words: great for a showroom demo, but rubbish for long-term life with the sofa. And worse, you’ve permanently changed the feel of a beautiful natural material for the sake of a short-lived effect.
And note that even when brand new, ‘smart fabric’ isn’t guaranteed to repel all stains. “Stain-resistant” does not mean “stain-proof”.
What Schplendid do instead
Our linens and velvets are left untreated on the surface. Instead of pretending spills won’t happen, we say: plan for them sensibly, and you can enjoy a natural, high quality fabric without stress.
1. Fabric protection insurance
We recommend a Guardsman protection. If something truly catastrophic occurs, a professional cleaner is sent. If it cannot be resolved, the affected part — or in extreme cases the entire sofa — is replaced.
2. Replaceable and washable covers
Two of our sofas have fully removable covers that be cold washed or taken to a dry cleaner, and for Vesper and Bonnie we also offer replacement covers if life eventually takes its toll. Just ask our team about that.
That, to us, is a much smarter answer than a nasty toxic ‘smart fabric’.
And don’t forget that most stains and spills can be dealt with pretty effectively yourself. See our guide: Sofa Care: How to Deal with Stains and Spills
The Schplendid approach to ‘smart’
To sum up, ‘smart fabrics” attempt to eliminate risk on the surface of the sofa, but they don’t do it for long, aren’t guaranteed and they rely on nasty chemicals. We want natural, so coating our fabrics in plastic was never going to be part of the plan.
If what you want is a chemically sealed, wipe-clean shell, we may not be for you. But if you want a properly made, natural sofa that feels exactly as it should – and is built to last – then welcome to Schplendid!
See also:
10 Ways We’re (Nicely) Shaking Up the Sofa Industry
The perfect touch: Why we only use pure Italian linen and velvet fabrics for Schplendid sofas
How to Wash and Care for Your Schplendid Sofa Covers
Sofa Care: How to Deal with Stains and Spills
How to Keep Your Sofa Looking Schplendid - A Guide to Regular Sofa Care
How we ensure fire safety in our sofas – without the nasty chemicals