Hi, my opinion....Navy is a classic color, not trendy at all. But most importantly if you like Navy, then go for it anyway.....regardless of trends. Trends will always change, sometimes faster than we'd like.

Since your new sofa is an investment piece, it should be a style, color/fabric that will withstand the test of time (for at least for the next 5-10 years) in YOUR eyes. That's all that matters.

i think navy could well have the same problems as white would have, things like crumbs and dog hair would show.

that doesnt mean you shouldnt do it, but our black sofa shows everything.

Really good points. I have a navy rug and a cream rug and guess which one shows the most? The navy. I would suggest a slip covered mid tone material. I have had a cream colored cotton duck slip covered sofa for ten years and it still looks fantastic. I take my covers to the dry cleaners but you can throw them in the washing machine. It was really soiled at one point and I wasn't sure if it would clean up but it came out great. I tuck throws/blankets where the animals tend to sit for that extra protection.

We have had three different navy sofas over the past 30 or so years. It is classic and a neutral that goes with everything! I never felt it was harder to keep clean than any other color.

A traditional navy tweed is indestructible! I had a chair for over 30 years as well, and my cat wasn't able to damage it at all. (Where as he did damage to my other chair and couch.)

This is the best news guys! Thanks so much! I have a white dog and his hair is on everything. It's just how it is. Thanks!

I'm another Claire wanting to buy a navy sofa...what are the odds? Must be the name! I just posted a similar question when I saw your post.

I love the look of a navy sofa. My biggest fear was thinking that it would show everything but I guess it depends on the type of material the sofa is in. Glad to hear others say it wasn't a problem!

Has anyone regretted going with navy based on color choice alone? Maybe prefer a neutral.

We have two kids, including a very messy 2 year old boy. We love our navy couches. They do show some up some stains but tend to wash up pretty well. Here's a picture of our chair that my son rubbed peanut butter into this morning. Excuse the mess!

I can't even see the peanut butter and the toys on the floor look just like our house!

I have navy in micro suede (?) fabric and I love it. Easy to keep clean and I love having color. With 2 kids and a new puppy, I need something that holds up. This one is 8 years old.

I ordered my family room sofa from Crate and Barrel. I had it upholstered in Sunbrella indoor/outdoor Marine blue fabric. We have three dogs and they all shed. Cleaning the indoor/outdoor fabric is a breeze with soap and water.

Navy is timeless. Yes, it will hide a lot of dirt but some food spills can dry white and show up on a dark color. What color is the dog?! I'm guessing the dog is not white. Instead of going for a dark color, I would look for a fabric that has some texture and color variety/pattern to it. I have a black and white tweed sofa that has stood up to my husband and dog for years.

Before Sunbrella, before microfiber, 30 years ago, I bought a navy blue LEATHER sofa from Thomasville. Factory surplus store, but paid twice as much for a heavy duty finish on the leather. For five years it felt like vinyl, but now my two children argue about who is going to inherit this piece of family history.

After purchasing this sofa, we moved out of our townhouse, into a single family, and I purchased a navy blue leather chair and ottoman, also from Thomasville, w/o the heavy duty finish. I have had the leather reconditioned (for the same price I paid for the chair) w/o satisfaction over time. The couch still looks better. The chairs I bought (surplus manufacture for executive conference rooms) also look tired, but have potential for restoration with leather dye and refinishing of the wood. Brass brads are still intact and well connected with leather. If you want a chair like this, buy them from office surplus, but buy quality -- Thomasville was made in US when I bought mine, and it is hard to find a US manufactured anything now, especially furniture, but Henkel Harris?

In 2010, I purchased a black leather Thomasville sofa for my son's first apartment, big enough for his friends to spend the night. It arrived broken and was replaced, but after five years, the replacement sofa has broken in the same place -- frame was not strong enough. Yes, it has been moved a few times, not just once, like ours. His black leather still looks pretty good, like a coat the same age, and I think he and his wife will have this couch for many years to come because it is a comfortable place to sleep over night. In their next house, I expect they will purchase a new one for their living area.

A couple of years ago, I purchased another blue leather chair, Craig's List -- a more recent manufacture from Thomasville that well matched my sofa and chair in color -- but a different style with a higher seat. We don't use this chair often, so I am sure it will last longer than anything we have. For the sofa, I am considering buying a second set of bun feet, to make it little higher for us to use as we age in place.

So - buy leather -- if you can afford it -- and even if you can't -- buy used leather of very good quality. Sunbrella works; microfiber works; but if you want a piece to last for 30 years, not 5-10, buy leather. Navy leather is a classic that will never go out of style in a traditional home, and black leather will never go out of style in a contemporary home. But to move from home to home, I would consider a lighter color.

Ask my daughter's dogs -- ages 11 and 10 -- where they like to sleep -- they have had their way with the chair, but not with the sofa -- it's everyone's favorite seat. Thomasville, are you reading this?