Tips for Choosing Leather Living Room Furniture
Wondering if leather furniture is right for your living room? Consider how to choose a leather sofa with these tips.
Leather sofas sometimes have a man-cave reputation. You know: a big, hulking recliner-style sectional with puffy headrests and spots to hold beverages for the football fanatic. Or the ultra-sleek black leather for the urban modern male. Not that there’s anything wrong with either of those profiles… but I am, quite obviously, neither. 😉
If you saw our ranch living room reveal last week, though, you know that we partnered with Article on leather living room furniture: a Sven sectional in Charme Tan and two Lento lounge chairs in black leather. We are loving them… and today I wanted to answer some FAQs about leather furniture and why we chose it for our little rustic modern farmhouse.
This post is sponsored by Article. All opinions are my own.
Why choose a leather sofa
With all furniture purchases, there are several factors to consider: cost, durability, use, comfort, and style preference, among others. For the ranch house, we are hoping to fill it with family and friends as much as possible (you can catch up on the story of the ranch house here if you’d like). And I don’t intend to spend all my time while there cleaning up after people. Plus, the living room is open to the kitchen (and therefore susceptible to food spillover)… so durability and ease of care were numbers one and two on my priority list.
Ok, I confess, style made have made it up on there on the list, too – ha! And for this small-ish living room, the sleek shape of the sofa and the openness of the chairs were the perfect solution for plenty of seating in a small space.
Are leather couches durable?
We switched to a fabric sectional in our family room at our main house about a year ago, and while I truly love the look, the size, and the feel of the sectional we chose, I admit that part of me misses the low maintenance of the leather sofas we had in there previously. It simply takes more effort and supervision of little ones (and a few adults I know 😉 ) to keep a fabric sofa from getting dirty or dingy. So if grubby hands are aplenty and low maintenance a priority, I would definitely consider leather.
Are leather couches worth it?
The cost is often higher with leather, it’s true. But that brings us back to priorities and use, and it’s a good reminder that sometimes it’s worth saving up for the right thing rather than settling for something you’ll need to replace in a few years. In our case, I wanted to be able to allow others to use the home without worrying whether they would care for it as I would like. Plus, my own bunch of munchkins family can be more relaxed at the ranch, which is definitely the goal.
Are leather couches comfortable?
It’s a personal preference, honestly, but I definitely find leather couches (especially a leather couch from Article) to be comfortable. And the leather on the Sven Charme sectional is especially buttery soft.
While the Lento chairs aren’t exactly the type you’d curl up in to take a nap (which would have felt too bulky for this space anyway, in my opinion), the seat is very wide and comfortably cushioned, and the back and arms fit wonderfully. There’s even space enough for me to add a little velvet pillow to soften the dramatic black leather.
Review of the Article Sven Sofa
As you can see, I think that for this little ranch house – and all the kiddos we plan to host here – leather furniture was the way to go. And I’m so pleased we went with Article, as I am smitten with the sectional, especially.
Long before I ever partnered with Article, I actually convinced my younger brother to purchase a Sven sofa from them for his apartment, and we were both so very impressed by the quality and price. So while I already knew I loved the Sven style, I hadn’t seen the leather sectional version in person. But it certainly hasn’t disappointed…
The mid-century style mixed with the natural patina of the leather is exactly the kind of rustic-modern flavor I’ve been seeking at Little Pax Ranch.
And the size – plenty large enough for 4 adults but low profile enough not to overwhelm this small living area – feels perfect.
And speaking of the rustic modern contrast… the combo of wood and leather on the Lento chairs is about as perfect as it could be with the kitchen island and beams and the black windows.
So how about you? Are you team leather or team fabric? I’d love to know. And be sure to check out Article’s leather furniture options: sofas, sectionals, chairs, and ottomans… I think it might just be the low maintenance, high style option you’re looking for.
And don’t forget to pin this for later!
PS Get the rest of the sources for this space here.
It all looks amazing, Rachel! Such a fantastic space – and the sofa and chairs fit perfectly!
Thank you, Krista! I’m loving the new rustic look in this home!
Hi Rachel, your ranch is coming along beautifully. As to my opinion about leather sofas, I’m a tried and true fan. I’ve used and enjoyed leather seating in our family room up north, as well as a leather sectional in my Florida condo. And I recently ordered a new leather sofa for the family room, so I think that qualifies for being a big fan of leather. Some will say it’s cold but after sitting a short while it conforms to your body heat. I have no complaints.
I am so excited to hear about your experience with leather! We love it too- also for durability and easy to clean with kids!
Looks sleek, chic and ever so comfortable!
Thank you, Deborah!
Love everything !!! What did u use for flooring love the wood color ? Is it the new vinyl look of wood
Hi Kirksey! Actually, it’s engineered hardwood! We loved it so much in our other home, that we used it here too!
Would you mind sharing what brand/color of wood it is?
Hi Lisa, do you mean the wood floors? I’d be happy to share the sources with you.
We have a 25 # dog in our family. How will my leather sofa hold up to him? He is no destructive in any way, I was referring to his toenails, he is not a digger….thank you!
ps. My furniture will be delivered tommorrow!!!!
Hi Margaret! If you can live with some light scratches, it’s a better alternative than stained or dingy fabric sofas. 🙂
Hi Rachel, everything looks wonderful. I’m a fan of leather, but not when it is really cold. I must admit the sofa looks soft and comfortable. What caught my eye was the large mirror I’m a big fan.
Thank you, Diana! The mirror really brings in a lot of bright light too!
Little Pax Ranch is so beautiful! I’m looking at leather “not ugly” recliners for our family room. I love the chairs, but am having the worst time with the color. I wanted something like cognac or saddle, but my options all seem to more brown. So disheartening. Although brown works with my color scheme, I’m afraid that they are going to look too heavy in the room. What are you thoughts on brown versus the lighter colored leather like you chose?
I think I can picture the brown you are referring to! Our older leather couches were darker. You can lighten them up with soft white throws and pillows if you prefer!
I love what you’ve done! And I love the look of leather, especially in the color you’ve chosen. I was wondering if you have any problem with dogs scratching it up or is that part of the patina?
Hi Jean! We don’t have dogs, but I do plan to write a separate post on caring for leather. I find that those type of imperfections with use are just a part of owning anything with natural texture.
I have a leather sofa and love it! It looks like new after eleven years of use.
I love the style and color of the Sven. It’s perfect for a busy family,
Thank you, Joanna! We had leather sofas in our other home and they do hold up well, even in a busy household!
I love your house,
I love the openness you created. The rug in the living room, pastel
But so elegant, lovely choice. Super kitchen.
You should enjoy with your family and friends.
Your children are adorable.
Thank you for all your kind comments, Doreen!
I have never had a leather sofa. However, we love our leather chair with ottoman. It’s now time to replace our furniture. I want a light sofa but not sure about a white leather sofa. What do you think? Thank you.
Hi Linda! While I’ve never owned a white leather sofa, it can be a good way to have light and bright without worrying about fabric staining. It might require a bit more cleaning (a light wipe with water) than a brown sofa, but that would be true for any lighter fabric!
I agree with you and everyone’s comments here about the durability of leather. Between the microfiber, upholstered and slip covered furnitures we’ve had in our family of 5 (3 boys mind you!), I think leather wins hands down on longevity as well as comfort. The Italian leather sofa that my husband and I began with as newlyweds served us well for about 15 years before we finally swapped it out for yet another. Having 1 leather sofa in a room that gets the most use should be considered a decorating staple–The one you picked out here for your ranch home blends beautifully with all the other decor, Rachel. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Kathy! I loved hearing how leather worked well for your big family! I know this couch will serve us well in the years to come! 🙂
This is so beautiful! Can you please share where you found that wonderful rug? I have a cognac leather sofa and this rug is exactly what I need.
I am so glad you like it! You can find the rug with my affiliate link here: http://rstyle.me/iA-n/djfji5b5bux_
Love the space but wondering why no sheers or other treatment on the windows?
It’s a large piece of property so we don’t have any neighbors near by for privacy. 🙂
I have this sofa and my 2 year old scratched it with finger nails (he thought he was making Art). Do you have any solutions for healing the scratches or making them less visible?
Oh dear, Jaclyn, I’m so sorry! As you may have seen in this post, my kid decided to scratch his name into our ottoman… the things they do! I would start with daily rubbings with a barely damp cloth; this may allow the oils within the leather to simply smooth it out over time. If that’s not making enough headway, you might try a leather conditioner like this. You will want to test a small, inconspicuous place first to make sure it doesn’t change the color or patina of the leather. It could help significantly, though. I hope this helps!
Hi, We just move to a new home and decide to go with the Sven sofa. Do you have a promo code with them? I’d love to use it if you have one! Thanks!
I’m sorry, I don’t. But I hope you love the Sven as much as I do!
Hi! We bought a similar couch and love the way you decorated the room. Could you let me know where the pillows and rug are from? Thanks!
Hi Greer! You can find all the sources here: https://www.maisondepax.com/rustic-modern-farmhouse-living-room/
but, specifically the pillow can be found here (affiliate link): https://rstyle.me/+gxNvsO0Gtxj-w97bVuZb7Q
and the rug can be found here: https://www.wovenlyrugs.com/rug/tlaloc/color-lightblue?clickId=ww0RVCR%3ASxyOUEo0MKVSfWfHUki1yDzFy0eZ0Q0&irgwc=1&utm_source=Maison%20de%20Pax&utm_medium=AFF&utm_content=Online%20Tracking%20Link_ONLINE_TRACKING_LINK&utm_campaign=IMPACT
Just wondering how the Sven sofa is after a year or so of Use? Holds up well as far as structure is concerned? This is one of the options I am thinking of. Glad of any feedback.
Great question! We’ve been super happy with it. It doesn’t get quite as much daily use as it would if it were at our main house, but it gets lots of use when we’re out at the ranch, and it has held up great. I hope this helps!