Software
Houzz Logo Print
webuser_970964221

Crate and Barrel - Douglas vs. Taft Fabric

5 years ago

Hi everyone, I'm looking at investing in the C&B axis sectional. This is definitely a splurge for me, so I want to make sure it lasts. We have a small dog (who is not that messy, but a dog is a dog), and eventually plan on having a child.


I love the look of the taft fabric, however I understand it is not as strong performance-wise as the Douglas fabric. I am not a huge fan of the Douglas look, but am willing to take the plunge if it is truly that much better than the Taft (just kills me that I'm spending $4k on something I don't "love").


If anyone has any experience with either (or both!) I'd greatly appreciate your insight. The specific colors I'm looking at are Taft Cement and Douglas Ice.

Comments (41)

  • 5 years ago

    I looked into the Douglas fabric and was advised against it for the Lounge ll sofa because they said it creates “party hats” on the corners of the cushions and/or pillows because the fabric is so dense.

  • 5 years ago

    Did you ever get more information? I am currently debating the same two fabric options for the lounge sofa.

  • 4 years ago

    It’s been a while since you posted this but I have this sofa and have had it for 15 years and there are no “party hats” here! Looking to buy another and only want the Douglas fabric. It’s been amazing! Dog proof and kid proof.

  • 4 years ago

    Than you for sharing this have ypu purchased yet?

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    This is probably too late for this original poster's purchase, but here are rub counts for C&B fabrics. Anything 50k or above should be highly durable.

    Sorry I don't have counts for Icon, Taft and Douglas! You can email their customer service to find the counts on other fabrics.

    1. Hansel - Shadow. 30,000

    2. Tobias - Gravel. 15,001

    3. Emma - Stone. 15,000

    4. Monet - Seal. 51,000

    5. Monet - Storm 51,000

    6. Synergy - Pewter 90,000

    7. Vail - Storm 36,000

    8. Galaxy - Ash 100,000

    9. Bliss - Pewter 30,000

  • 4 years ago

    Thanks
    As an update to my post below

    Here are photos of the food tests
    I dropped
    Coffee
    Milk
    Oil
    Ketchup
    Tomato sauce
    Raspberry jam

    Onto Taft and Douglas

    Douglas wiped up zero problem and beaded

    The Taft absorbed into the threads bc the weave is so wide but there is a backing and barely anything went through to the actual card which would be your cushion in real life

    Most came out of both fabrics with dabs of Dawn . It was somewhat more noticeable on the Taft but not too bad . I also tested on Taft cement just to see actual residue bc ink color hides it all anyway and it did mostly come up

    On the Taft tomato sauce was still sorta there
    On the both oil was the worst offender

    I did also spray squares with scotchgard and vectra
    Honestly neither did much difference
    The liquids still bled into Taft maybe just a little slower but nothing you’d be able to catch in real life with a live action spill
    The cleaning up was a little easier
    But they both made all the fabrics a hue darker or dingy
    I mentioned to the sales woman at crate and barrel and she said do not whatsoever put the protectants on that over time they where off and you’ll continually be reapplying and they will change the fabric and that both Douglas and ink are made to be spot cleaned or steam cleaned and most anything will dab out of them. Her suggestion for tough stain was to clean from the underside and press from too and bottom of the stain.

    Here are Taft ink and Douglas indigo next to each other
    I will post the scotchgard and vectra results tomorrow

  • 4 years ago

    They all have some darkness where the stains were
    Vector seemed to dArken the fabric the most but after the area was cleaned

    The sg and vectra sprayed squares smelled horribly the first day
    48 hrs later it’s mostly gone but if I’m laying my face on a sofa it does still have a bug spray or gasoline type scent I know is there

    Taft cement showed the stains the most no matter what was sprayed for proctectanr
    I threw out the non sprayed sample test but I recall it looking somewhat similar
    Washing off with bad red tomatoe stains stuck

    In the end I’m going with Taft ink
    It all hide stains and it’s more cozy material than Douglas
    I don’t have kids or pets so works for me
    If I had kids I may be swayed to Douglas for it’s durability and less stains

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I have one sofa in each of these fabrics! The Douglas is about 12 years old and has held up well. i’ve even washed the seat cushions with no problems (air dried). The Taft is 2 years old and also is holding up very well so far. I absolutely love the look of it. One warning, if you have cats that like to scratch furniture, mine have easily ruined the Douglas in spots they scratched but the Taft is holding up far better to scratching.

  • 3 years ago

    Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who provided their insight - trying to decide between Taft and Douglas - I was so sure on getting Taft because I love the look of it, just looks a bit more fancy and put together. But after reading this thread I am going with Douglas for its durability - and I also have a dog. Thanks again all!

  • 3 years ago

    We just received the lounge sectional and paid extra for the custom Douglas nickel fabric. I am extremely pleased with how it looks and with how durable it has been so far. The Douglas nickel has a slight violet undertone to the grey, so be aware if you have another neutral on your walls.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Does anyone have the Lounge sofa in the TAFT INK fabric? Would love to hear some feedback on this dark inky blue and how you chose to decorate with it?


    This thread has been really helpful. We decided on the Lounge sofa and are highly considering the TAFT fabric in the color INK. I always had a blue sofa in mind for our family room, plus we wanted to stay with the regular fabric options (not the upcharge!) since we are already are at the top of our budget. INK is a darkish, inky blue shade and has some dark gray threads running through it. I'm nervous about going with a darker colored sofa.


  • 3 years ago

    I have the Lounge sectional in TAFT cobalt which is similar to ink, maybe a bit darker. My walls are Benjamin Moore Coventry Grey and i have throw pillows in a velvet mustard yellow colour from C&B that look beautiful with the dark blue. I have mid-century teak and some brass accents in the room, both of which also look great with the blue.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Thank you so much for your comment! Sounds like a beautiful color combination and room. I'm thinking about painting our living room before a new sofa arrives (haven't ordered yet!), so this was very helpful.

  • 2 years ago

    Does anyone have the Gather sofa in Monet or Icon? I am trying to decide between the two and would love some recommendations!

  • 2 years ago

    Hello, am also thinking about getting the Lounge deep sofa with the Douglas fabric. But I have a few cats who like to scratch sofas (they have killed my pottery barn sofa). I feel like I’ve read comments both ways. Does anyone have experience with cats in the Douglas fabric or the View fabric?

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Wendy, this is what the Douglas looks like after very little scratching by our cat i got arm covers made to hide this but the scratches really stand out on this fabric. Our sofa with taft fabric is holding up MUCH better. Just an FYI, C&B will make arm covers for any of their sofas even those that are discontinued. I think it cost around $200.


  • 2 years ago

    You are absolutely amazing! I read what you wrote, and then I took the sample swatch with a staple remover to stimulate cat claws, and it rips up easy. I did the same with the view fabric, which is velvet and seems to be holding up good! Thank you so much.

  • 2 years ago

    I've always read that velvet fabrics are as claw-proof as you can get. Nothing is 100% cat scratch proof, though! I was also going to suggest the View fabric :)

  • 2 years ago

    So I took a staple remover tool and scratched the living you know what out of both fabrics and you are both correct, the velvet (View fabric) seems to be holding up really well, whereas the Douglas fabric pulled!

  • 2 years ago

    Well this is discouraging. I was set on getting the Douglas fabric because it survived my own scratch test. I have three cats and have been searching forever for a new sofa that handle their antics. Thank you for saving me from spending the extra money on the the Douglas fabric. I'm starting to think there is nothing out there for us cat lovers. Can you share some photos of your Taft sofa?

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Bonnie, this is the worst area of the Taft sofa after 4 years of cat scratching. I had to go searching for it because it’s hardly noticeable on the dark fabric. It looks more noticeable in the photo because of the flash. If I trim down the stray threads it would be even less noticeable. My only complaint is that C&B doesnt make the arm covers longer but you can buy the fabric by the yard though if you want to have them made elsewhere.


  • 2 years ago

    C&B the View velvet fabric seems to be pretty cat indestructible…. Velvet in general is my new fabric secret sauce, as all of my cats (more than 8) don’t or can’t scratch any of my velvet…. Just a thought. My woven fabrics they SHRED. I am tossing a relatively new PB couch with small herringbone fabric that’s sunbrella because it’s completely ruined and shredded.

  • 2 years ago

    Thank you, it seems texture hides scratches if they don't go nuts and shred the whole thing. I have some velvet samples. I tried to shred both the velvet and the Douglas samples with needle nose tweezers. The Douglas was holding up better to my tests, does Crate and barrel have different qualities of velvet? I have seen more than one person saying that cats aren't interest in scratching velvet. Maybe that's the secret to cat proof furniture since it would seem that NOTHING can hold up to their claws if they decide it's a scratching post.

  • 2 years ago

    This is a great thread. We have been going round and round and roundabout sectionals and landed with the lounge sectional. Now we are debating the fabric. We are leaning towards Taft pearl since we have Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors. We also have to be realistic of how light the fabric is as well with two kids and two dogs. Anyone have Taft pearl? Cement seems to be much darker in our house than what the store shows.

  • 2 years ago

    I just bought the Taft Cement and like how light it is. The sales associate told me Taft Pearl pulls a lot of yellow, so I decided against it (I went in thinking that's what I wanted). I think both are beautiful, neutral options.

  • 2 years ago

    That’s what I’m really nervous about - it didn’t pull yellow in our house but it did in the store. The Taft cement I wanted to love but it someone pulls more gray. Is that how it is in your house? It is so hard on the little sample they give.

  • 2 years ago

    It does pull grey and cream if that makes sense, griege is how I would explain it. I love the way the fabric feels, it's very comfortable and I love the shape of the sofa too. I am generally struggling with the light color after having an olive-green sofa for years. Everyone else loves the light color...I am torn. I think I would feel this way about any light color though.

  • last year

    Does anyone have any thoughts on how badly these C&B fabrics grip onto pet fur? I have a few swatches and it seems like the Douglas is the worst of the bunch. I do like its stain resistance, but the fur is my biggest concern.

  • last year

    I think most fabrics are going to collect pet hair. Leather would probably be your best bet if you don't have cats. I deal with pet hair by brushing my sofa with the brush I use to groom my pets. It picks it up quickly.

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    @donelle900 how has the douglas fabric for the lounge couch held up? Do you have feathers poking through?? Looking to do the same. We have the axis couch with douglas fabric which we love but considering the lounge this time. Just worried about feathers. Thank you!

  • last year

    Does anyone have the Douglas Bisque fabric I can see a photo of? I just ordered a sectional and I’m kinda nervous it’s gonna go yellow.

  • last year

    We are ordering C&B Avondale sectional in Tessa fabric (pebble color). There isn't much information about this fabric online or even much discussion on Avondale sectional. Does anyone have Tessa fabric or Avondale sectional to provide some feedback? This sectional will be in our family room. No pets but we'll certainly have food here.

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    I've had a Gather sofa in Icon Metal fabric for just over 5 years. It's been subject to cola, red wine, blood, and feces (from a puppy, to be clear), but still looks like new after all this time. Never needed anything stronger than tap water and a clean rag to remove any kind of spill or accident. This fabric seem impervious to staining.

    I have two large dogs (the puppy grew up) and they play on the couch and it's no worse for wear. Don't have a cat, so I can't speak for how well it would hold up as a scratching post.

    And because Metal is a mixture of light and dark fibers, shedding from my dogs (one black, one white) doesn't show up at all.

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    Shannonkelli - Hi there - just curious if you received any images of someone who had the C&B couch in the Douglas Bisque color - cant seem to find anywhere :)

  • 11 months ago

    Wondering if anyone has a picture of a C&B couch or sectional in Douglas Bisque.

  • 11 months ago

    Hope this is helpful


  • 11 months ago

    Thank you so much! Are you happy with it?

  • 7 months ago

    Does anyone have the douglas fabric in the lounge collection? im curious how it looks and holds up conpared to the axis.

  • 7 months ago

    Does anyone have a picture or can confrim how the douglas fabric holds up in the lounge collection compared to the axis?

  • 29 days ago
    last modified: 29 days ago

    Does anyone have the lounge in the Mossa Chai? I'm cautious beause it's such a new fabric. I have a child and dog and want durability, cleanablity and I would like the coushins to hold their shape. The taft cement is the other in stock option but it's too cool for my decor. I can order the taft pearl without a jump in price. I've read that the douglas fabric is more durable for pets but that is a major jump in pricing on the Lounge. So, now I'm considering the Axis because the douglas fabric is "stock" for that and not a major price jump. I"m so torn!