Consider the possibility that if some one tells you your choice of words makes it hard for some people to hear your message, this may not be a request to shut up, it might just be a request to find better words. If you can't bear to have people ask you to rephrase, perhaps the problem does not lie in them.

When reupholstering an old piece of furniture, it's generally a good idea to stick with a similar fabric, in terms of type, weave, and pattern, to what was on it in the first place. At the very least, if you are reupholstering an old piece of furniture, pick a fabric that won't be horribly dated in two years, and fits within the design idiom and era of the piece you are reupholstering.

If you're going to break these guidelines, you'd better have bombproof good taste. As an object lesson to the unwary, here's what happens if you don't. WARNING: THIS LINK CONTAINS VIOLENT STYLE CONFLICTS AND STRONG CLASHES. IT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR OUR MORE SENSITIVE READERS.