Southern rooms punish pale fabric and reward shutters

Catalogs shot in soft northern studios do not mention what a Romanian or Spanish west window does to the same cloth in August.

Either keep the vulnerable piece off that wall, or pick a colour that can lose a little and still look like itself — rust, olive, a mid blue. Cream is a witness.

In the studio, the photo's own glare is a hint. If the wall is already blowing out, do not park the expensive pale sofa there.

Shutters and a lining are furniture decisions too. They protect the thing you will otherwise replace in four summers.