It's strange for it to be smelling after 6 years. I would unzip the cushions (if possible) and see if I could find any mildew or indication of moisture--perhaps the office was humid? It might be worth consulting a leather furniture care professional. It should not smell.

It’s definitely a leather smell not a musty smell.

A local car wash sells scents; leather included. Has the couch been sprayed?

What would it have been sprayed with? I don’t want to add a scent, I want to eliminate the smell - maybe it’s the dyes they use or maybe it’s just the smell of cow hide.

Maybe someone enjoys the smell of leather and sprayed the couch?

Perhaps running an air purifier in the same room as the couch would alleviate your sensitivity to any lingering smell.

https://www.leather-dictionary.com/index.php/Leather_smell

I am also curious whether any one else has noted this smell?

We have a pretty strong air purifier in the room currently, and there was one in my husband’s office where the couch was for the last six years. Maybe seven. My husband and son do notice the smell, but it doesn’t bother them.

I don’t think the couch was sprayed by anyone - it was in my husband’s private office. It may just be something used in the tanning process, but I would’ve expected it to have dissipated by now. I will try a leather cleaner this weekend to see if it helps.

I posted the link, because it listed several different types of leather smells. Maybe if you identify what it smells like, you can figure out how to fix. FWIIW, Plain clay cat litter absorbs smells. Be sure to get plain, not one with a scent.

I have used Zero Odor products with great success. Bought on Amazon. I’ve not used them on leather, but try a small area and see if discoloration occurs. I used this on a smelly upholstered chair from an estate sale. It took several applications, days apart, but helped a lot.

Sherry, thanks for the link. I wondered if it was more about the tanning process than the leather. Maybe it is. I grew up on a ranch and sat in a saddle every day, and that leather scent did not bother me. Not sure what chromium smells like, but maybe it’s that.

Connecticut Yankee, thanks for the Zero Odor info. It does say it’s safe for leather, so I may give it a try under a cushion first. My son bought some things on eBay that are stinky, so we can use some anyway.

Here's an update - I used OdoBan on the cushions and ottoman (because we had some on hand) and leather cleaner on the leather covering the frame. The smell is much better. I don't get hit in the face with it when I walk down the stairs, in fact I don't notice it at all. When I put my face against the cushions and smell it just smells like leather, not the nauseating mix of leather and whatever I smelled before. The frame still smells a little bit, so I may use OdoBan on it if I still notice it in a week.

Thanks for all the input on this!