Changing from leather to fabric sofa, any insight or advice please?

[MartinRohdesBellybuttonFluff]

We currently have a leather sofa and armchair in our smallish sitting room. Love the sofa, it's not shiny leather but the unsealed battered looking finish that ages beautifully. Kids have taken their toll on it (and I fear have broken the frame) and unfortunately the piping on the edge of the cushions has worn through. So...

I am considering moving to fabric because I fancy a change, we now need two sofas (a 2 and 3 seater) to accommodate us all (someone always has to lie on the floor when we're all together) and can't afford 2 leather ones (and I am not sure if I want to anyway).

Have any of you ditched the leather in favour of fabric? Any regrets or advice?

Thanks in advance!

[FrogletinaBallerina]

I've just (two days ago) ordered a fabric sofa to replace our 8 year old much worn leather corner sofa and armchair. I've paid for insurance cover, but am now already worrying about spills, rips, stains etc. Sorry I'm not much help!

[NicknameUsed]

We bought a couple of fabric sofas three years ago. I had to buy throws to put on them because they are light coloured and teenage DD manages to get chocolate, ink and other stains on them.

It was a bad decision.

[CatsCantFlyFast]

We have a kind of crushed velvet fabric on our sofas (they're chesterfields in case that makes it sound less weird). It's bomb proof. It's had EVERYTHING spilt on it including red wine and food and everything DD can throw at it and it just disappears/wipes off like magic

[MartinRohdesBellybuttonFluff]

Thanks so far. Some of my worst fears being confirmed.

NotWithoutMyMerkin does yours have ScotchGuard or some other protection on it or is your fabric really resilient?

I have looked (only online) at a sofa with removable covers, not sure if anyone knows whether they fit back on nicely if removed for cleaning, or is it impossible to get them back to the way they were again?

[MartinRohdesBellybuttonFluff]

Just browsing, but would something like this be nuts bearing in mind my youngest is 2yo? Feel like going with a light colour to brighten up the room.

[Badders123]

We recently got rid of 2 brown leather sofas which I had come to hate!
We bought 2 ikea Ektorp sofas and a storage footstool with removeable covers.
Has them for a couple of months (2 DC and a Dh who ruins everything he touches) and no issues so far :)

[CatsCantFlyFast]

No there's no protection at all. Since we bought ours numerous friends have bought velvet type fabric too and also vouch for its resilience

[namechangedtoday15]

We have M&S sofas (in mocha chenille which is a kind of beigey brown). The rest of the room is light and we have very light cushions. Got 2 at the end of 2007 I think, had 2 year old twins at the time. We replaced one of them about a year ago with exactly the same fabric just because we needed a sofa bed. They've been great.

[Chloe1984]

Thinking about getting a new fabric sofas to replace ours, its a navy almost black leather sofa, probably about 30 years old now. It's not in bad condition considering the age but it's a very dated style and looks enormous in the room and doesn't suit the style of house at all. Also have a matching recliner chair which is also very big. Not keen on leather as it sticks to you in the summer and any cushions you put on it immediately slip down so they lie flat.

The only thing holding me back is that we're thinking of getting a cat which would probably use a fabric sofa as a scratching post, and you don't need to worry about spills with leather.

[JammyC]

Also considering switching to fabric. Had our leather sofas for almost 10 years but not sure whether fabric is sensible for 2.2 DD who's not even thought about potty training yet plus possible future sibling!

[Cressandra]

Reading with interest, I'm hankering after a fabric one after 7 years of dark brown leather.

All else being equal, I'd replace after toilet training. Just so that any accidents to happen on something old, not something new that you want to last for years.

[AgentProvocateur]

Notwithoutmymerkin (words I never thought I'd write!), can you post a photo or link to one that's the same material as yours? It sounds great, but I can't visualise it. Many thanks.

[rosyleigh]

I have sofas from sofa sofa. I bought replacement covers with them. Every 6 months I strip them and change the covers. They wash beautifully on a normal wash and sofa feels and looks like new.

[shortaris1]

I got a sofa that had to built from a palette from Nabru as my flat is tiny. It's in a navy fabric that's a bit velvety and again it just wipes clean. It's only a year old and I have no kids or pets mind, but it's good as new!

[shortaris1]

Be built, even!

[unlucky83]

I replaced leather with Ikea Ektorp fabric .
I like the fact the frame is pretty basic - you don't need a crevice tool to get down cracks - no where for things to slip inside.
The cushion covers are really easy to take off and can be machine washed BUT you aren't supposed to tumble dry them and because they are cotton they take time to dry, really need ironing and not sure if it is my Iron is useless but I find it hard to get the creases out. The main big cover on the 3 seater is a real pain to wash - only just fits in my machine, almost impossible to hang on a line to dry and a nightmare to iron...not just getting the creases out but also the size - I have only washed it once in a year - taken to sponging marks off.
The cushions themselves appear to be water resistant...and leather isn't really that fantastic -not 100% watertight - DD2 once left a sippy cup with milk in down the edge of the cushions and milk went inside the body of the sofa, without breaking it up I couldn't get to it to clean it properly - took months to get rid of the smell...imagine wee would be just the same. At least you can get to everywhere on an Erktorp to clean up...
I have the red stripped one but it actually looks pink so don't like it that much! But you can get other covers - I just can't find other covers I like better at the moment in Ikea. There are other companies (soferia ???or similar) and on Ebay - you get different covers but haven't found any I really want at the moment. (I don't want plain plain as they show up every mark) and also dithering on which material to get.
My old old sofa was a nasty dark brown almost fake suede material and the cushion covers were incredibly difficult to remove (had tiny openings and silly sticky out bits) but the material itself was great - most marks would wipe off, if not they were easy to wash, dried in no time and didn't need ironing. I want something in that material -just a better colour/pattern!

[Timeforabiscuit]

I've made the switch, and don't reckon I'll go back to leather any time soon.

Sofa is lime green in a chenille/velvet fabric which is going well after a year, but my kids are not mess monsters now at 5 and 7 and food/drinks only allowed at the table.

[pearlylum]

I've never had leather sofas, never liked them

Fabric is great, but I always buy ones with machine washable covers. At the moment I have a few light stone coloured sofas from M&S, the covers have had red wine hot chocolate and marker pen on them, but come up like new after a quick wash in the machine.

[GrimDamnFanjo]

I said id always have leather but looking to do exactly the same. Had also been looking at velvety fabric too.

[Iknownuffink]

Our current sofas are leather however it is obvious that we have a cat. She has left claw marks on the arms. ( she is not a sofa destroyer )

I'm veering towards fabric with washable covers. Yet, nothing I have seen so far floats my boat.

[shanhill]

We made the same switch a year back, and it's going great. It much more easier to clean, doesn't fade, and the fabric is much more resistant to any cleaning liquids you use. We used to have issues with almost any cleaning agent we used on the leather sofa.

One gripe I've felt is that my back sweats a bit more on the fabric sofa.