Buy a leather suite?

Hudpod25

I would appreciate advice on the pros and cons of leather.

For example, is it cold in winter and hot and sticky in hot weather? Is cream a wise choice of colour?

Where would you go and not go to buy a leather suite and how much would you expect to pay for something that might last more than a few years? I live in East Yorkshire.

Thanks

Stuart

Hintza

A leather suite is a big bonus if you have pets (less hairs). Assuming you have heating you won't notice it really and in the summer is will only become sticky if you are hot and have bare skin next to the leather.

Much easier to keep clean too.

Having said that I would not be too keen on reconstituted leather and/or very cheap leather suites I just don't think they last very well.

cyclonebri1

Our last and present ones have been leather.
1st 1 was cream. Very difficult to keep clean and new looking and when the leather eventually cracks, and it will do, the cracks get dirt in there and they look atrocious.

Wet blue jeans biro and felt tip pens will destroy cream suite.

Present 1 is a chocolate brown in colour and still looks brand new but it is only 3 years old, the other was well marked by then

Wouldn't buy another fabric suite to be honest.

Hudpod25

Thanks

I am going out now for a look around local furniture stores.

Stuart

geri1965_2

I bought a cream leather suite from DFS in 2001. Cream was a bad idea (for the reasons mentioned above) but to be fair, it has lasted well.

They are only cold or hot/sticky if you are wearing nothing on your legs, although I do tend to use throws on mine anyway.

I want to replace it but I changed my front door in 2004 and the sofas are too big too get out, so I am stuck with them until they either fall to pieces or I break them up.

cyclonebri1

geri1965 wrote: »

I bought a cream leather suite from DFS in 2001. Cream was a bad idea (for the reasons mentioned above) but to be fair, it has lasted well.

They are only cold or hot/sticky if you are wearing nothing on your legs, although I do tend to use throws on mine anyway.

I want to replace it but I changed my front door in 2004 and the sofas are too big too get out, so I am stuck with them until they either fall to pieces or I break them up.

Was going to mention that, the latest bulky suites are often made in several pieces, ie they arrive in one piece but can be broken down by the delivery guys for installation, best to check.

pandora205

I have an ivory leather suite that I bought 10 years ago. It was a reasonably priced one from one of those Welsh companies that sell via colour supplements. The style is perfect for my decor so it was a good choice design wise. I was scrupulous about cleaning it for the first few years (with leather cleaner) but lapsed a bit after a while. It is easy to clean but a bit of a chore.

Despite having three children/teens, it hasn't been too bad mark wise(apart from the time one of them left a snowboard against it which left a mark) but it has stretched quite a lot, which all leather will do to some extent. However, next time I will buy thicker leather so this isn't so prominent.

Although leather can feel cool at first being natural it soon warms. It is generally hard wearing and easy to maintain (compared with fabric). I am hoping to buy a new suite soon but will spend more this time. Manufacturers I'm looking at are G Plan, Parker Knoll, Darlings of Chelsea, Ercol and Sharak. I've also looked at John Lewis, M&S and Next but their ranges are quite limited. I'll go for a slightly darker shade this time around - for a change and for practicality - gold/light tan/sand rather than ivory or cream.

Views from others on any of these welcomed please as I've bored my family about this and they really don't want to hear any more.

grizzly1911

We have had two both cream/mushroom.

A lot of leather suites are bigger than you think. With both of ours we measured what we needed and then searched to that parameter.

First was from World of Leather and was when our kids were young. It was great as small spills and dropped food could easily be gently wiped off. It had fixed cushions unfortunately and as a previous poster said it did eventually have some cracks in the "paint" on a couple of the well used seat cushions.

Easy to keep clean. Use soap flakes in some look warm water , apply sparingly on a clean (old) towel, then dry it off. Then wipe it gently with leather cream. Give it a few hours to dry in job done.

Can buy leather cleaner for spot problems. Biro will lift with some surgical spirit.

The current one is a lot better from BHS, G Plan apart 6 years old now and still looking great due it's first clean soon. We replaced the kids with dogs too, but they aren't allowed on it.

Wouldn't go back to a material suite now out of choice.

Ours does have stubby little "legs" (2") that had to be screwed on once it was in place otherwise it wouldn't have gone through the doors.

mazza111

Wouldn't have anything other than leather. Cat hair is the annoying thing for me.

My first one was a cream leather. 2 days old and DS had been colouring in his books and had ink all over his hands as they do, then went onto sofa, had a big blue hand print on it!!!!

Tried everything from milk, hairspray, cif (not recommended). But it eventually came out. Now have a black one, which is easier cleaned.

Hintza

OP try and avoid the sheds if your budget allows the only time you get anywhere near value is with 70% off. There are a lot small manufacturers that will offer a better deal.

Try to get something that actually has some springs in the base and not just foam.

I know many folk treat them as almost disposable but I was brought up with well made stuff that looked a 100 years old by the time we got it handed down (hard to get that sort of stuff now I know).

grizzly1911

Hintza wrote: »

I know many folk treat them as almost disposable but I was brought up with well made stuff that looked a 100 years old by the time we got it handed down (hard to get that sort of stuff now I know).

Just hope/glad it doesn't/didn't catch fire;)