Leather is a good choice for a sofa covering IMO. Admittedly you don't have the choice of pattern you get with fabric and there are stain resistant fabrics, but why argue with the client. Just make sure you go with high quality and let them know that good leather will not be inexpensive. I have a lovely burgundy leather on my loveseat and it is soft and very comfortable.

Hi!! this is interesting… The only way for leather to last is to have a very very expensive leather … true leather… and at that… leather needs conditioning and polishing to keep it supple… it is a lot of work… All other leather types are very thin… scratch/tear easily… Everything leather that I have seen in my friends/relative homes gets tossed after some extended use… it can fade easily and crack… Today’s fabrics are more easily maintained; they can be treated with scotch guard ; they are easier to clean, and or repair… just follow manufactures directions for spot cleaning and check out steam cleaning

I'm with the client. You love the warmth of fabric or suede. The client wants leather. Who's house are you designing, yours or the clients? The client hired you to execute his vision not yours. Because maybe you like modern farmhouse all your clients should only do modern farmhouse instead of the style they like?

Apparently you presented the idea of a fabric couch to the client and it was rejected. Your job isn't to convince the client to buy something they don't want, but to find the best leather couch that fits their style and wallet.

IMO good leather radiates more warmth that fabric. I have owned both fabric and leather couches. Definitely good leather is much easier to clean, durable, lasts longer and looks only better as they age than fabric.

I’d say the customer deserves a nice leather sofa and you can offer selections to consider. Surely there are other pieces of furniture, decor and accessories you can focus on to advise with your expertise. Good luck!

The client wants leather, not suede. Leather can be wiped off quickly. Suede is terribly impractical for anyone with kids because even when professionally cleaned at enormous expense, it will never look good again. Some fabric sofas are easily cleaned by pros, most are not (read the care code on the labels). If you want to develop some experience, buy your own leather, suede and fabric samples, then apply your client's kids' favorite "sofa" foods to them. Compare how easy they are to clean.

With an active family I’d suggest staying away from suede/nubuck leather. Doesn’t clean up well at all.

We've had a brown leather sofa and love seat since 1996 in the family room off the kitchen, and it still looks great. It was by Ekornes and expensive. It's the most comfortable and most-used seating in the house. The leather is pleasant to sit on, not hard.

We raised 3 sons here and 2 grandchildren are now tumbling around on it, literally. My 89 year old mother naps on it every afternoon. But we do eat at the table, not on the sofas, so there have never been pizza stains, for example. We got some leather conditioner when we bought it but have never used it.

Contrast the custom sofa for the living room that we ordered through our decorator from a well-known local custom furniture maker. The most uncomfortable piece of seating I've ever had the misfortune to sit on. Badly proportioned (too short in the seat), too-hard seat and too-soft back. Fabric showed wear almost immediately. And expensive to boot. When I complained they offered me another chair for free, also uncomfortable. Never again will I buy a piece of seating without testing it first!

I will never own a fabric sofa and a suede one is just plain silly . What you like and what your client wants are no always going to agree and the client wins its not your house. Our son now has our 40 yr old leather sofa in his basement games room he replaced the foam in the seats and that made it sit like new . Good leather furniture is an investment and I always get Italian made since they do not usually use springs at all and are all leather everywhere not just where you sit and IMo the best money you will spend and as for you you get what your client wants . I usually choose cowhide over really soft leather it stands up better and does not stretch out of shape so quickly . With kids a darker color is a good idea and there are literally 100s that are not brown or black .

I have two white slipcovered sofas that have lived through two kids as they grew from newborn to age 12, and a yellow Lab. I love them and wash the slipcovers about every six months, sometimes more for the seat cushion covers. For a fabric sofa, I'd only get one where you can unzip and wash the seat covers. I don't like the feel of cold, slippery leather, but if the client does, there are some really nice ones that look even better as they age. Suede always feels and looks grimy to me.

I went with a full grain semi-aniline leather because it has protection against staining and is still soft and comfortable while being hard wearing. I would avoid full aniline and suede type leathers particularly with kids. The leather has 8 years of hard use and still looks good and is very comfortable. Spills wipe up easily. Give the client some options, cost out an appropriate leather and a suitable fabric. Show them swatches and let them decide.

Cannot comment on leather, but we did have a suede like couch in our family room (3 kids and large dog). The biggest issue was the fabric wearing on the arms (after about 2 years) and taking on a sheen. It was not inexpensive and over 20 years ago it was over $3,000 and therefore would not recommend.

I love them all - I have 2 leather sofas (one 25 years old with a gorgeous patina) and one about a year old - both are simple and made with Aniline Italian leather, honestly, I cannot imagine ever not loving them! I also have a velvet sofa (my 2nd one) - in my experience high-quality cotton velvet wears like iron - none of them are better or worse but just have their own pros and cons - I will say my husband loves our leather sofas and has been indifferent to the velvet ones

Whose house is it - yours or his? He wants leather

I love the warmth of a fabric - who cares...................