Well, that’s a handsome sofa.
I like leather for chairs, but I’m not sure how I feel about it for something as large as a sofa. Sometimes I think it’s a bit too much; Too opulent and too animal. But on that sofa, I like it. And I hear it’s a good choice for families with kids.
Lydia
August 24, 2011 at 8:24 pmWe have had our leather sofa and love seat for 12 years. It is the best purchase I have ever made. Especially with kids, just wipe off the spill/mess. The leather is softer with age, I highly recommend it!
Melissa
August 24, 2011 at 8:27 pmLeather sofa in the Chicago area = just asking to stick it it in the summer. Sadly. I used to have one, and even with the a/c on, the humidity made it uncomfortable to sit on in the summer, unless you never wear shorts or skirts, and don’t lean your arms on it. But it is excellent for kids and critters, since it’s easy to spot clean.
Making it Lovely
August 24, 2011 at 8:32 pmAh, I didn’t think of that.
Taylor
August 24, 2011 at 9:19 pmDo you guys not have central air in Chicago? Maybe that’s a dumb question, but I’ve never been. I grew up in Houston, which has 100% humidity and 100+ temperatures all summer, and we always had leather sofas and they were comfortable and durable. Maybe Chicago weather is different, but I’ve never had that problem. Now that I’m out of the house and buying my own furniture, I look forward to the day my husband and I can upgrade to leather from our Ikea standard slipcover cheap couch :).
Your Mother
August 25, 2011 at 12:15 pmWe love ours and I live in shorts for the summer. Leather is extremely pet and child friendly.
Jules
August 24, 2011 at 8:30 pmGood point, Melissa. I live where it is impossibly dry, and that’s something I never once considered. I have an upholstered sofa but previously only had leather. I will never, ever again have anything other than leather UNLESS it is a slipcover that can be bleached. I’m far too anal about stains and animal hair to handle upholstery well.
Making it Lovely
August 24, 2011 at 8:34 pmWe haven’t had too many mishaps with our fabric, but I think maybe it’s because Eleanor and August are still little? E did get into the chocolate chips one day, and she ate them on the couch while holding them in her hands. Melted chocolate everywhere. But it came out!
Kathryn Humphreys
August 24, 2011 at 8:43 pmWe got microfiber from r&b (searched forever for one that didn’t leave brush marks every time you went near it) and its been a great compromise. Kid mess (and there’s a lot, I have a kid with sensory processing disorder) wipes right off. I just got a hann steamer and it does a great job of getting out anything really tough, like a hidden piece of halloween candy, as well as pet fur.
Melissa
August 24, 2011 at 8:39 pmWe just invested in our first leather couch. We got a Natuzzi top-grain leather couch that’s INCREDIBLY soft. It’s not slippery, so no pillows sliding all over the place. I haven’t noticed any sticking on our more humid days. I do live in Utah, though; driest state in the US.
isotoner
August 24, 2011 at 9:49 pmI like it too. ^ ^
Claire
August 24, 2011 at 10:07 pmI fell in love with a C&B leather chair, but a few years later my husband and his love for cats came into my life. Our cats’ claws destroyed it. :( Something to consider if your cat has any claws and you’re anything but fastidious with trimming them.
disorganized creativity
August 25, 2011 at 3:15 amLeather sofa has advantages and disadvantages. Some of them are: your cat (maybe) will love it, but it is one of the coatings which earn aging … In summer you have to put a cover to not stay stuck, but does not dirty if your children put their feet up …
Good choice!!!
Anna
jaime
August 25, 2011 at 6:38 amI grew up with a leather sofa. I wish my parents still had it as it would be very stylish now… long and low. Unfortunately it had one long attached cushion that wore out in one spot and ripped. I lived with this couch in Minnesota and Upstate NY, both places have cold cold winters and hot humid summers. The sofa or the tiled kitchen floor was the coolest place in the house. Yes, you would stick to it, but it still felt cool to the touch.
Jeanie
August 25, 2011 at 7:11 amI have four kids and am in the market for a sofa and have one in my cart at room and board now. I need a sleeper b/c all the bedrooms are taken but if I didn’t, I’d take this Selby in a heartbeat. I think I’m going with the Metro just because it’s so big. Leather is the way to go w/ kids though b/c they start getting hot and sweaty soon.
Filomena
August 25, 2011 at 7:13 amPoor moo cows. Would you choose a real fur couch?
Nice lines though, I would love it in a denim!
Sarah S
August 25, 2011 at 9:38 amWe have 2 leather couches, a leather love seat, and a leather chair as well as a leather ottoman in our living room. Now, that is actually *way* more leather than I wanted but a friend was passing some of it along and we already had some previously, and we have a son (and another one the way), and I knew how super practical it was, so I couldn’t turn it down.
I live in the Midwest and have had no ‘sticking’ issues. The one thing that annoys me about one of the couches is that the leather on it is somewhat slicker and maybe it isn’t angled right, but you can tend to slide off if you’re wearing something slick. But the original couch that I picked out myself has a less slick leather and is deeper and has softer cushions and that’s not an issue at all.
This particular couch you’re showing looks like it could be prone to slide-off. Definitely try before you buy. Overall I would certainly recommend a good leather couch.
sallie
August 25, 2011 at 10:04 ammy brother took a fork to my parents leather couch when he was little. holes everywhere. they’re not entirely kid proof. :)
Sarah @ inspirebeautiful.blogspot.com
August 25, 2011 at 12:57 pmhaha it’s true! there was a Z for zorro slashed in ours!
change of scenery
August 25, 2011 at 10:29 amThis is one of the cutest leather sofas I’ve seen to-date. I love the juxtaposition between the dainty, delicate wooden legs and rich, heaviness of the leather. Add some nubby and linen throw pillows and you’ve got yourself one sharp looking statement piece.
I can see if you position the couch in a place that gets direct sunlight you could see running into a hot-sticky-bottom issue but I think it’d be the same with fabric expect replacing sticky with sweaty.
Can’t wait to hear if you eventually seal the deal on that one!
Tineke
August 25, 2011 at 10:48 amRestoration Hardware has some lovely ones too.
Christina W.
August 25, 2011 at 11:06 amsomeone mentioned natuzzi, and i can vouch for how comfortable, durable, and high quality they are. i have a canary yellow suede swivel chair on a tulip base from them, and have zero complaints.
Attiser
August 25, 2011 at 11:34 amHi Nicole! Very true…leather sofas are the best choice for family with kids. This one is really handsome!!!
I am following your blog for a while now and it is fantastic… and your home is lovely as well! Congratulations on the birth of your son earlier this year. I hope your family is doing well. Keep up the great work!
Seema
Lydia
August 25, 2011 at 12:38 pmI never had the “stick to the leather” problem. It’s actually a pleasure to sit on in the summer w/ the ac on, so nice and cool. If you have cats, try Soft Paws if they are not declawed. Works for us and no complaints. Good Luck!
JLR
August 25, 2011 at 12:57 pmPersonally, sitting on leather in the summer never bothered me.
It’s all I’ll have for kids…and pets.
Nicole
August 25, 2011 at 3:35 pmWe used to have a leather couch (though left over from my husband’s bachelor days, so not as cute as the one you pictured!) and I actually always found it kind of cold… I think I prefer to sit on fabric than leather, so I’d often find myself sitting on a blanket. It was great in that the dog hair wouldn’t sink in (where it seems to never come out), but I felt like it always looked like it needed to be dusted, since the hair just sat on the surface. If I did it again, I’d get a leather couch the same color as my pugs!
PS – I’m a Chicagoan too. :)
Fiona
September 5, 2011 at 1:19 pmI want to invest in a nice leather sofa (right now, we have an okay leather sofa) but I’m hoping that California changes their fire chemical laws because I don’t want to spend 3-4k on something I’ll just want to get rid of if I can get one with chemicals that AREN’T supposed to be carcinogens. Sigh.
Fiona
September 5, 2011 at 1:20 pmBTW, I have never stuck to leather (although I have to vinyl) and for kids and a cat with claws, nothing else holds up the same way