Decorating Guides
Design Recommendation: A Classic Brown Leather Sofa
We pen a love letter to the versatile, comfortable and stylish piece found in so many homes
A brown leather sofa is like a favorite pair of jeans. It’s comfortable, goes with anything and never goes out of style. It’s also durable and easy to clean, just like denim. The neutral color works with a range of colors without diluting its appeal. A brown or tan leather sofa can stand out or recede; it can be the showstopper or the supporting act. Its versatility and casual style make it a go-to for many designers.
A lot of homes feature white walls and wood flooring. A tan sofa provides contrast to those walls while complementing the flooring.
“A brown leather sofa with a modern silhouette and clean lines can really transition into any style or setting and has a timeless aesthetic,” says designer Christen Ales, who used the classic piece in the bachelor pad shown here. She adds that leather is especially effective at providing a sleeker texture alternative to spaces with a lot of upholstered fabric pieces.
Easy to clean. Leather sofas are pretty low-maintenance because they are more wipeable than fabric, Ales says. But it all depends on the type of leather and stain. In some cases a water-dampened cloth is all you need. In others, a leather cleaner is best. Always check with the manufacturer’s recommendations first.
“Having a brown leather sofa myself, with two young kids, I have had my fair share of cleaning marks off the sofa,” Bull says. “I find that a damp cloth works best. However, I’ve also purchased a leather stain and rubbed the stain over the sofa to bring back some of the richness in the color. This is particularly useful if the sofa is affected by the sun, as it can fade over time.”
Sofa: West Elm
How to clean leather furniture
“A brown leather sofa with a modern silhouette and clean lines can really transition into any style or setting and has a timeless aesthetic,” says designer Christen Ales, who used the classic piece in the bachelor pad shown here. She adds that leather is especially effective at providing a sleeker texture alternative to spaces with a lot of upholstered fabric pieces.
Easy to clean. Leather sofas are pretty low-maintenance because they are more wipeable than fabric, Ales says. But it all depends on the type of leather and stain. In some cases a water-dampened cloth is all you need. In others, a leather cleaner is best. Always check with the manufacturer’s recommendations first.
“Having a brown leather sofa myself, with two young kids, I have had my fair share of cleaning marks off the sofa,” Bull says. “I find that a damp cloth works best. However, I’ve also purchased a leather stain and rubbed the stain over the sofa to bring back some of the richness in the color. This is particularly useful if the sofa is affected by the sun, as it can fade over time.”
Sofa: West Elm
How to clean leather furniture
It’s durable. “Most leathers are very durable,” Ales says. “Some leathers are softer than others and have a different finish than others, so if you are worried about wear, I’d make sure to select a leather that looks more distressed to begin with so it would hide any scratches, or select a leather with a more rugged appearance rather than a really soft, supple leather.”
Bull agrees. “Leather is a natural material and the hides chosen for sofas are generally of a high quality,” she says. “They can withstand a lot of wear and tear and are particularly child- and pet-friendly.”
Bull agrees. “Leather is a natural material and the hides chosen for sofas are generally of a high quality,” she says. “They can withstand a lot of wear and tear and are particularly child- and pet-friendly.”
A leather sofa keeps you cool. Joanna Madden says she always wanted a brown leather sofa because “they always get better with time.”
Her wonderfully worn-in sofa, shown here, is about 14 years old. “My husband loves to sneak a nap on it because it stays so cool to the touch and has been so broken in,” she says.
Sofa: Williams-Sonoma
Browse brown leather sofas
Her wonderfully worn-in sofa, shown here, is about 14 years old. “My husband loves to sneak a nap on it because it stays so cool to the touch and has been so broken in,” she says.
Sofa: Williams-Sonoma
Browse brown leather sofas
It warms up the rest. While brown leather upholstery keeps things cool, its color visually does the opposite. Designers Greer Nelson and Jamie Hamilton chose a classic brown leather sofa to bring warmth to an industrial condo in Vancouver, shown here. And they love everything about what the color and style of the sofa bring to a space. “The ease and comfort, the durability,” Hamilton says. “We find that brown leather goes with just about anything.
Sofa: Dekalb leather sofa, 85 inches, West Elm
Find an interior designer to help you choose your furnishings
Sofa: Dekalb leather sofa, 85 inches, West Elm
Find an interior designer to help you choose your furnishings
Here, a low-profile brown leather sofa visually heightens the 8-foot ceilings while introducing warmth to the otherwise cool tones.
Sofa: Echo Oxford tan sofa, Article
Sofa: Echo Oxford tan sofa, Article
A brown leather sofa makes everything else look better. “It goes with everything and elevates everything around it,” says Melanie Kiernicki, who put a brown leather sofa in her home, shown here. “It was an investment piece but manages to make our $20 Goodwill chair look fantastic as well.”
She’s had this piece for about three years and says she wipes it down with a dry or water-dampened cloth as necessary. “Once or twice I’ve rubbed it down with some coconut oil,” she says. “We also have a performance velvet sofa, and I am constantly having to clean and vacuum it. The leather one always looks clean and is such a gorgeous color that I doubt I’ll ever tire of. Definitely my favorite piece of furniture in our home.”
Sofa: Axel, West Elm
She’s had this piece for about three years and says she wipes it down with a dry or water-dampened cloth as necessary. “Once or twice I’ve rubbed it down with some coconut oil,” she says. “We also have a performance velvet sofa, and I am constantly having to clean and vacuum it. The leather one always looks clean and is such a gorgeous color that I doubt I’ll ever tire of. Definitely my favorite piece of furniture in our home.”
Sofa: Axel, West Elm
Here, designer Jodi Cook used a brown leather sofa to help break up all the upholstered pieces in her Denver living room, shown here.”Brown leather sofas work as well with a warm palette as they do with a cool one, so they’re a perfect ‘basic’ to purchase if you find that you like to change things up with pillows and rugs,” she says. “I happen to love a warm cognac-colored leather sofa with a black and white palette.”
Cook also touts its durability. “I have two small children and a cat,” she says. “We used to have a dog too. You’d never know that this sofa has survived such a motley crew.”
But while she loves tufting as a design element, she could go without it on the seat. “Because it is such a crumb collector with little kids,” she says. “We regularly vacuum graham cracker crumbs out of the seat tufts.”
See more must-know decorating tips for people with young kids
Cook also touts its durability. “I have two small children and a cat,” she says. “We used to have a dog too. You’d never know that this sofa has survived such a motley crew.”
But while she loves tufting as a design element, she could go without it on the seat. “Because it is such a crumb collector with little kids,” she says. “We regularly vacuum graham cracker crumbs out of the seat tufts.”
See more must-know decorating tips for people with young kids
An extra-deep leather sofa relaxes the more formal architectural elements in this home in Washington, D.C.
Sofa: Lancaster collection, RH
Sofa: Lancaster collection, RH
A half-octagon-shaped sofa joins warm wood and soft tones to create a room that must be difficult to ever leave.
Here, two brown leather sofas beautifully support punched-up pillows.
The darkly rich color, nail heads and roll arms make these sofas right at home in a traditional Chicago lake house living room.
In Nashville, a brown leather sofa feels right at home amid vintage furnishings and a moody wall paint (Wrought Iron by Benjamin Moore).
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Show us: Do you have a brown leather sofa you love? Please upload a photo and tell us what it does for your room.
More
Ask the Experts: What Goes With Tan Leather?
Things You Need to Know About Buying a Sofa
Great Home Project: Refresh Your Living Room
Browse brown leather sofas
See more of this home
Show us: Do you have a brown leather sofa you love? Please upload a photo and tell us what it does for your room.
More
Ask the Experts: What Goes With Tan Leather?
Things You Need to Know About Buying a Sofa
Great Home Project: Refresh Your Living Room
Browse brown leather sofas
The natural color means that coordinating other furniture and accessories is easy. “Whether it’s a fabric armchair, rugs, cushions or ottomans, anything goes depending on the style you wish to achieve,” Bull says.
The shape of the sofa is important, though. Bull recommends a brown leather sofa with square arms for contemporary, coastal or Scandinavian-style homes, and round arms and sofas with studs (like a Chesterfield) for more traditional interiors.
Sofa: Club Classic, Bay Leather Republic