Black Sofa

This is the color palette I'm going for in the living area, which consists of the entry, living room, dining room, and kitchen:

I decided fairly early on that the easiest color for the couch would be the taupe (second in the picture).  It's a neutral, which I'd want for a big piece of furniture we'll be keeping for years.  I even found this pretty cotton velvet fabric that I liked:


Antique Cotton Velvet - Fabric.com

However, I was never really excited about it.  Let's face it, it's hard to get excited about taupe.  Even the name is boring. 

I briefly contemplated going golden yellow for more punch, but right now I'm digging the idea of a black velvet sofa.  Not inky, boudoir shiny black velvet, but almost charcoal with a broken-in feeling.  This couch is very similar to mine and I love the look.  It even makes me want to keep the skirt on my sofa.


Via Decorpad

I've never had a black sofa.  I think it would obviously hide stains really well, but I am worried it might require a lot of upkeep (a "shows every speck of lint" situation).  Anyone have any experience they'd like to share?