Question about Maraham Eames Small Dot fabric  

call up somebody at Maharam....
call up somebody at Maharam. I've found them to be helpful and responsive.

You can use either side
An upholsterer we use had a large bolt of small dot fabric in the grey/ black colorway and we had a number of pieces upholstered with the fabric. We would use either side depending on which looked better on a particular piece. With the black side out (reversed) I could tell that it was basically backwards as the black background was not straight black, but it did not effect the performance of the fabric at all.

Specifying reverse...
Specifying reverse application can void the manufacturer's warranty but that's no big deal-

Caveat
What objectworship said it true, and while we did not notice any difference in the feel or performance of the fabric when we had items upholstered with the "back" side up, that does not mean that there were functions or aspects of the fabric which we did not recognize. For example, the "front" of the fabric could have been treated with some stain resistant material when it was manufactured.
While we did not experience any problems, please don't blame me if you reverse your fabric and some issue arrises.

I think the weave looks better on the
"right" side of the fabric because, as Pegboard said, the color is more solid. I had the yellow/black colorway once and debated about the same thing. That kind of thing bugs me.
Plus, all the other stuff about it not having a protective coating on the back and maybe not wearing as well. And calling Maharam for more info.

I tried contacting them...
I tried contacting them today but they had apparently just closed for the day. I know from their website that the parchament small dot pattern seems reversible as they show a piece upholstered in both sides of the fabric. Don't know if this applies for other small dot colors though. I'll call them a bit earlier tomorrow. If it's not reversible, then it's probably back to the drawing board as after some consideration I agree with my boyfriend that the sand side up doesn't quite mesh well with the fabric color of the couch. It looks fine when it's just the dot pattern in sand and the rest of the fabric is creamish colored. I hate hunting for fabric. I can never find what I want *sigh*

I think you're probably fine
with using the fabric either way since it's this less-contrasty color combo. I didn't like the black/yellow on the wrong side because the black wasn't a solid black; little flecks of yellow showed through the weave. But this is not nearly as big a deal when the two colors are so close in value.
If they show it both ways, go for it! (I totally sympathize with being picky about fabric. I have looked for years sometimes to find just the right thing. It is a curse!)

*sigh* I contacted them...
*sigh* I contacted them yesterday and only the document color is truly reversible. The sand one that I like is not reversible as the light colored side is not stain resistant. I guess that means back to the drawing board...boo!

Reconsider the sand color.
correct side out. It's such a timeless classic.
just a thought,
Your Aunt Mark

I do love the sand color. ...
I do love the sand color. However, I think it doesn't mesh well with tge neutral color of the sofa which has quite a bit more gray in it. I'm ordering a swatch of a couple of the other small dot patterns in other colors to see if they mesh a bit better. I just love the sand color though.

You might want to look into
the stain-blockers that are available in spray form. I have never used them so I can't attest to their effectiveness but I'm sure there are plenty of reviews online if you look. I think Scotchguard is the main one.

Like all accidental 3M inventions...
... Scotchgard works great. Safe (since 2003, anyway) and effective. Spray one light coat, allow to dry, spray another. Reapply every few years or after every deep cleaning.

And of course
test on an inconspicuous area first. They say it won't discolor or change the feel of fabric, and in my experience it never has, but better safe than sorry.

hmm...I will have to see...
hmm...I will have to see about the stain blockers then. I was worried that something like Scotchguard would cause a slight sheen to the fabric, but I trust the opinions of the people on this site. I might get some Scotchguard and apply it to the sample fabric that I have to see if it alters the color or causes the fabric to have a sheen to it. I love the small dot pattern...it's not too busy but not plain either.