STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

bloomie · Marc Jacobs

leather furniture question

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

from another board I go to. Its probably not completely applicable to you but it tells you about the different grades.

"I am an interior decorator so I think I am qualified to offer my advice.....

With kids I highly recommend leather, I have had it for at least 10 years and advise my clients/new home builders to absolutely go with leather as opposed to fabric for durabilty and longevity. It also looks so rich and a solid color will still be in style in a decade as opposed to having a fabric that dates the set.

I advise not going with a high grade leather, it is too soft and will scratch. The grades go from 1 to 5 - 1 and 2 are generally imported or mixed with "leather match (vinyl)" and I don't recommend, I think that a grade 3 or 4 would suit you best (it's what i have always purchased and it is very durable with children, pets, etc.) Grade 5 is for formal rooms, or people without children around - ever. It is too soft and marks easily.

I would not advise cleaning with any of the products listed above as you will negate your warranty. I use baby wipes once a month on the entire thing to keep off dust and clean. Nothing more than a damp cloth with a mild dish detergent is advised to spot clean. (PP - Magic Eraser will deteriorate and eventually cause holes in your leather)

Also, you are in NC - take advantage - if you are close to High Point you are in furniture heaven. I deal Distinctive Designs exclusively, they do have a facility in NC and they are one of the largest and most reputable manufacturers with a lifetime warranty. The link to them is available on the links page of my site... http://www.eleganteinteriors.ca/

Also, just a suggestion - check out Costco.com, the leather furniture products are all generally grade 3 or 4 and Costco has great products with great warranties from reputable manufacturers. "

Specifically with Cats/Pets:

"With leather any little hole the cats make is very visible, and with dark leather so are the cat hairs."

Many of the posters with cats said the cats mutilated their leather furniture whether they had all claws or just back claws.

sephorablue · Marc Jacobs

I wouldn't get leather with cats. Every single little claw prick will show up badly. I am speaking from experience on this one, sadly!

cat · Marc Jacobs

My one cat has her back claws and I have not had a problem with her and my leather sofa,however,she doesn't use her back claws at all and I keep them trimmed.

theotherjess · Chanel

We have leather chairs and a sofa in our living room at home and have had no problem with it. We have a cat (has claws but we trim them) and a dog. With the leather, the hair doesn't seem to stick as much as it did with a fabric sofa. The leather is more on the hard side though so I wouldn't get something too soft and delicate. As far as scratches, sure it doesn't look perfect up close but there are no major marks or scrapes from the animals. If your pets are used to a scratching post then I wouldn't think it would be a problem.

halleybird · Hermes

I can't comment on cats, but leather is MUCH better with our dogs than fabric ever was. It doesn't hold the hair, and as long as you get good quality, analine-dyed leather, the scratches don't show. Our dogs are technically not allowed on the couches, but they get up there anyway. Our ottoman is poorer-quality leather and there's a huge difference.

My mom has a cat that is not declawed, and she switched to high-quality leather from fabric a few years ago, if that helps.

joy0302 · Kate Spade

We have a dog and my mom has a teacup chihuahua that are always wrestling and jumping on our sofas and so far so good. We actually paid a little extra for an insurance on ours that the company will replace/or fix if applicable within the next 5 years if we have an issue because we were a little unsure also. So far so good and we have had them since the summer. HTH!

Cortney1982 · Chanel

My cat was rather good about the leather sofa. She only sat on the arm or back when I was sitting on it. The only scratch mark on the sofa was when she got spooked. What's really nice about leather is that pet hair doesn't stick to it and it doesn't get dusty. I just take a duster to the top when needed.

VanGogh86 · Nine West

I think it also depends on the age of your pets. I have 3 cats, my 2 kittens have scratched my leather headboard quite a bit, but my older cat doesn't bother it or my other leather furniture.

kittenheels · Coach

One of my cats sort of loves to scratch our leather chair, and the other doesn't. It is an Ikea leather chair, so it doesn't overly bother me, but I'm not sure I would buy nice leather with cats! Mine are less than a year old, so it's totally possible that they are just going through a destructive phase :)