to find shiny black leather sofas deeply depressing?

[teaandthorazine]

I'm half-heartedly househunting atm. I've lost count of the number of houses I've seen (online, I mean) with two whacking great black puffy leather sofas crammed into a weeny front room.

Why?

Do people genuinely think they look expensive and classy? They just make rooms look cold and dark and unwelcoming and naff, imo. They don't even look comfy.

I can't be that much of a snob - the reason I'm looking at weeny front rooms is cos weeny front rooms are all I can afford. But honestly, I just don't understand the popularity of these great hulking lumps of black leather.

(Are they even real leather?)

leather sofas are much more practical than fabric ones, i presume this why people have them. you will put your own furniture in when you buy, so i wouldn't let it worry you!

i have 2 massive leather sofas but they are not black they are brown which apparently people hate on here too, i have read loads of comments mentioning it - BUT they are very practical and also really comfy so i love them

We've got small fake black leather sofas that are cracking on the popular spots. However, we got them for free, they're reasonably comfortable, they wipe well, and don't show black cat hair. They've been a brilliant stopgap until we get the living room bigger so we can buy real couches that are our actual taste! So I have sympathy for the fake black leather brigade.

MarysBeard your room sounds lovely. Don't get me started on rooms without bookshelves, mind

Oh MrSunshine, you're not really living up to your name, are you? Don't be an old misery guts, or have you just missed the point of AIBU?

I like my leather sofas. They are comfortable and more importantly they wipe clean.

Also we have had our sofas 10 years and they were not so ubiquitous then. Before that we had 20 year old grey fabric sofas from DH's parents, and the black leather ones were a definite improvement!

I have a huge, black, leather corner sofa. I even deliberately put it in the dining room part of the open plan living/dining room, so I am nice and close to the telly . I like my sofa - it is surviving 4 very messy dc, is big enough for us all to sit on, and is comfy.

If I didn't have children or a dh, I would have a lovely, fabric sofa, in a different colour, but people tend to buy furniture which suits their lives.

You would hate my house - I have cream walls and laminate flooring, too

What about the black leather sofas in my massive room, is that depressing (or just practical with young children?)

I wish someone had told DP and I to buy a nice, dark leather sofa when we moved in together rather than the incredibly pretty cream fabric one we ended up buying instead. It's not turned into an enormous sick sponge thanks to a DS with reflux, I always maintained we'd give it to the local charity that provides furniture to women escaping domestic violence however, I really don't think they'd thank me for it.

You should come to my house. I have 2 giant, stonking fuschia pink sofas. I luvs them

What do we think of ivory leather sofas, mumsnetters?(cos that's what I have)

sorry, I wouldn't like ivory either. Not judging anyone who has one (as some of my friends have them) but for me it's the leather thing in general. Not for ethical reasons, but for personal irritation by them! I can get on board with the idea that they're practical and can last 20 years etc, but that wouldn't tempt me to buy one. one compromise I suppose is those fabric sofas with leather trim/arm rests. I'd just discard the leather cushions and plonk my own on.

I'm sure it looks lovely autumn and I think you are brave! I think maybe you aren't friends with people who spill drink and wear brand new denim though...

Black leather sofas look better than grubby light coloured fabric sofas

YABU they are so popular for their durability and ease of cleaning. My leather sofa is dark brown not black but I'm sure you'd turn your nose up at me too. I do only have one sofa and one chair though as my living room is really tiny.
I also have laminate flooring for all the same reasons as the sofa (gasp!)

Oh and my sofa is extremely comfy and doesn't squeek so there! (Sticks out tongue)

I have caramel/goldy leather corner sofa! Will I get kicked off MN now! Have laminate everywhere to. You would never find any nasty surprises on my sofa or floors, and they've lasted through 2 baby's now 5 an 7 and were second hand off my mum!

We all have horrible taste in everything, we are all failures!!!

MIL has cream leather and that does look dirty now. Its' all engrained into the leather and looks grubby, also her sofas dont have any purchase, you slide down into them and end up slumped down with your chin on your chest.

Talking of strange random things that depress us, I feel like I am dying inside when I go in WH Smith. My local one dosen't hoover EVER and I feel so very, very weighted down by misery when I go in there but that's got nothing to do with the OPs sofa gloom but random just the same.

I have two elephant sized Chesterfields and I love them, they're incredibly comfortable and age really well.

OP I could say I find your beige fabric sofas very naff and lower middle class with aspirations but I won't because it's silly to judge people based on personal taste

Ah, Poppy, proper aged Chesterfields are different, they often look lovely. I'm talking about those shiny shiny black puffy things.

And can you point me to the post wherein I said I had beige fabric sofas? Nope, thought not... However, I'm sure there are many, many other things in my grubby little rented flat you'd find lower-middle-class if you tried hard enough

I have been tempted by the wipe clean element. Our not too old sofa is well and truly ruined by dribbling mouths on the arms. Perhaps I'll get a new fabric one with doily arm caps instead.

But yes I agree, not fond of the puffy leather ones. Tighter ones, in brown look nicer I think.

I thought of chesterfield and then I remembered we had a faux leather chesterfield when I was young and we were forever picking the buttons out.

We have them I am not keen but they are covered in throws and cushions to hide them.

We were given them for free though and beggars can't be choosers.

We have yet to ever buy a sofa all of ourws have been other peoples hand me downs.

I think they're probably practical but I'm not too keen. They look cold to sit on

Brown leather sofa here too for the same practicalities sake. Wipe clean and resistent to abuse from exuberant children.

My sofa is very plain and box shaped, it's not one of those over stuffed dominant affairs that own the entire room.

Ours has never been shiny, it's dull leather.

So is mine. It's matt leather and not slippy, or cold. I spent ages finding exactly the right sofa as I knew it had to be leather unless I wanted to buy another one if 5 years, but overall I don't like them.

My sofa is completely ignorable.