I’m buying a house (finally got one picked out), and I want to buy some nice leather sofas. However, I also don’t want to pay a lot for them. I’m looking for puffy, soft, and something I can lounge around on, on a lazy Sunday afternoon. What should I look for? What’s good leather? What makes one brand more expensive than another? Should I get the stain guard, or is that the undercoating of the auto world? Anything else? I don’t want it turn into my current sofa = 10 yrs old, now a giant bean bag. Are there certain vendors I should avoid? Around here, I have [del]Marshall Field’s[/del]Macy’s, Harlem Furniture, Jennifer Convertibles, Ethan Allen, Plunkett, Carson Pierie Scott, and Wickes. I’m sure there are more, but I haven’t been looking. All info is appreciated.
I’m going to ask my fiance about this and I’ll get back to you with more info. (He sells furniture for a living and had quite a bit of training in regard to leather quality, etc.)
We got our furniture at Walter E. Smithe (sounds like you’re in the Chicago area). They’re pricey, but all their furniture is guaranteed to never split a seam and to NEVER sag. This was a huge selling point for us because we treat our furniture like an amusement park. I hate fagged out cushions. Mine have been ridden hard for over 5 years, and the cushions aren’t even a little fagged out.
I’m sofa shopping also, and wondering if leather might be more cat-resistant than fabric. Maybe it depends on the cats in question, but I’m thinking they’d like it less than a fabric sofa because it’s smooth and therefore less satisfying for their little talons.
Interesting question. I would guess that the cat might be less likely to go for it… but any little puncture they might make would be more glaring since the claw is actually puncturing the leather rather than (hopefully) sliding the claw between the fibers of the cloth.
We actually went for leather a couple years back and have been pleased. Depending on the finish, they can be very stain resistent. we didn’t get the color I really liked because it was only available in a suede-like finish. It’s buttery soft and it warms to skin temp almost instantly so there isn’t that wowcoldColdCOLD shock if you sit down on it while wearing shorts.
I’d be curious as to any dog owners’ thoughts on the same topic. We’re not looking to get a dog in the short term, but in a year or three we might be and I like that couch 
I’m sorry, that’s just funny! [/hijack]
I’m going to have to go with what Kalhoun said - Walter E. Smithe - everyone I know who has purchased furniture from them has been unbelievably pleased.
I was told by a friend w/ several cats that they had a real bad time w/ them after bringing home a leather living room set, and were lucky enough to be able to return it. When back in the store, they saw the owner, who the husband knew, and he said his salesman should’ve known better than to not ask if they had cats, before selling them leather.
Hearsay, perhaps, but I respected her enough to steer clear of it myself, no matter how good it looks.
Ya know…I hesitated to post such a goofy statement, but it’s true, damn it!
We have Italian leather furniture that is 20 years old. Our dogs like the chair a lot and will curl up in it. It looks just as good as it did when it was new and if it gets anything on it (mud, blood, food, etc.) it just wipes right off. The dogs prefer the cloth loveseat over the leather couch and rarely climb on the couch - probably because the loveseat feels cushier to them than the smooth leather.
mazinger_z, you get what you pay for when it comes to leather furniture. Don’t go cheap because it won’t last and you won’t be happy with it.
Looking at that Walter E. Smithe site - I’d love to have this one, but not in white.
If you get the leather with a glossy finish, spills are easy to handle. My chair, however, is the soft, dull finish, so spills soak in and cat scratches definitely show up. The light ones are no big deal. But we have a couple gouges from Big Ass Kitty Boy that will never come out.
I need to go over my chair with Wieman’s one of these days.
If you get the leather with a glossy finish, spills are easy to handle. My chair, however, is the soft, dull finish, so spills soak in and cat scratches definitely show up. The light ones are no big deal. But we have a couple gouges from Big Ass Kitty Boy that will never come out.
I need to go over my chair with Wieman’s one of these days.
At least one of our cats LOVES to scratch leather. It may or may not be possible to train a cat to leave it alone, but don’t assume it won’t appeal to them.
Here in Texas, coldColdCOLD is not such a problem. Even with air conditioning, there are times when it gets hot inside. Here on the Gulf Coast, it gets hot & humid.
I was 4 when we moved to Texas. At first, we lived in a rented house with cheapo fake leather furniture. All of us got heat rash from the sweatiness. (There was NO air conditioning back then.)
Surely, real leather doesn’t torture you in hot weather. Or, does it?
No! It breathes - that’s why it’s very much preferred for car upholstery in the more expensive cars (remember those cheapo vinyl seats they used to put in cheaper cars? Owie if you are wearing shorts in the summer).
Yeah, I tend to agree with this.
I don’t know where the “cross over” point is, though. Most leather sofas I’ve seen that were under $1000 seemed pretty shitty. Leather that seemed like vinyl, undistinctive design, poorly structured cushions. The kind of couch I’d THINK would look broke-down and beat-up after 2 months.
OTOH, getting up over $2000-$2200, I think that you start getting diminishing returns in terms of quality. You start paying for name, design, maybe nicer leather, cool stitching, etc.
The stuff I’ve seen in the $1200-$1600 range all seems very similar. Boring design, maybe comfy, but probably well-made. Similar stuff in Macy’s, Ethan Allen, “Local Big Furniture Store” (Gardiner’s and Shoefers for local people).
Of course, that’s just from trying to pay attention to what I’ve seen and what people I know have. It’s not like I’ve bought several different sofas over the years, and tested each one and kept track of their price points.
We’ve been casually looking for leather sofas for 6 months, and actively looking for a month, so all of this is sort of how I’ve broken it down.
We finally found something this weekend in a store called “Scan”. It was in their “clearance” room, but we liked it. It was Italian, with an exposed wood frame, a company called Spagnesi that is a spin-off of Natuzzi, I think.
One thing is to ask where the leather is manufactured. Some of the best leathers are made in Scandinavian countries, whereas many of the lowest quality leathers are made in the United States.* Look for full-grain leather; the brands will often still be on the leather, but will be cut and placed in spots that are not generally visible. (You’re not going to have a circle K or a flying J on the leather, but it’s normally a series of hatch marks and dots that are used for branding in cows that are used for leather these days.) Cost is going to vary, as is quality, but you definitely want to make sure that you’re getting the highest grade of leather available. Some manufacturers have stain shielding properties available for their leathers, and, depending upon your use (Do you have kids? What about messy dogs? Do you spill things all the time?), it may or may not be necessary.
Look for hardwood frames for any of the items that you buy, as it’s a higher quality and is more durable than other framing methods. IKEA is not a place for finding quality furniture, but Ethan Allen definitely is. (My family has Ethan Allen furniture that is older than me. Despite a couple of dings here and there from rough usage by three kids, it still looks excellent and should live to attain antique heirloom status.)
*need to verify this bit with the fiance, as he’s the one who learned this stuff and then told it to me.
No kids, and no pets, yet, and I’m pretty neat (except for my bedroom). I was thinking a dark chocolate/expresso brown, and definitely puffy arm rests. So, any other data for cross over points? If a sofa does not have a hardwood frame, what does it have? The frame on my crappy sofa is still good, it’s just that my friend’s dog chewed it up and the cushions are all…soggy (it’s ok, it was his couch to begin with). I was hoping to get a set for around $1500, but it doesn’t look possible (searching on-line). What should i look for in cushions? I hate saggy cushions.
Okay, I got a bit of info from the fiance, who sells this stuff for a living and had special training in regard to the materials that are used on furniture in general, and also what his store carries. (Comments in italics are mine.)
[ul][li]make certain you are getting TOP GRAIN ONLY, STEER HIDE LEATHER[/li][li] best: scandinavia, southamerica[/li][li]Worst- asian: it’s made from water buffalo which has to be extensively processed, and often cracks or stinks. (They’re apparently what makes up a lot of stuff from Kane’s and Rooms To Go.)[/li][li] italian leather is a myth, it’s no better than any other.[/li][li] look for stitching on large panels, this ensures you are NOT getting a vinal match[/li][li] ask for ANILINE DYED leather.[/li][li] you can tell if the color goes all the way through the hide. painted leathers, will not do this and will crack over time.[/li][li] look for irregularities and non uniform color. Processed leather will be regular in both pattern and color.[/li][li]good top quality leather will show markings, called sauvage’ which show that it is the top grain of the hide. [/li][li]most leathers are processed in china, but are NOT from there. make sure to ask the difference.[/li][li] general: GOOD leather is THICK and SOFT. it is difficult to puncture, but will scratch easily. [/li][li]if it has been dyed as per above, it will be easy to rub the color back into the scratch.[/li][li]it will discolor and develop “patina” over time, just like fine bronze, or copper.[/li][li]all of this is highly desirable in a good leather.[/li][li]expect to pay for it, but shop around. Ethan Allen, and Robb and Stuckey are NOTORIOUSLY overpriced. (Not to mention that most of Robb and Stuckey is tacky, IMO.)[/li][li]protection plans are a good investment if they include an extended warranty, otherwise just buy your leather cream and conditioner separate. [/li] don’t put it in a sunny room, or one that has massive changes in humidity often.[/ul]
The fiance says “MOST cats HATE leather, dogs seem to like it.” Also, he works at La-Z-Boy, where they trained him with all this handy info. I’ve gotten the “official tour” of what was in his store’s showroom, and there’s definitely some really nice leather stuff and a lot of options. Look around, and keep these things in mind so you can rest assured that you’re getting something that’ll last.