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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy this sofa with young kids in the house?

137 replies

Lycidas · 20/02/2020 13:44

DP thinks I'm ridiculous for considering buying this sofa for our new house. Apparently leather is a must and anything else will get trashed by grubby little mits (we have a one year old and another on the way).

I've had a look at leather sofas and they look/feel very bulky. Our living room isn't big so I'd like a sofa that you can see/vacuum underneath...just feels more spacious to me.

Thoughts?

To buy this sofa with young kids in the house?
OP posts:
daisypond · 20/02/2020 14:18

It looks fine to me. It’s nice. I’d go for that over leather any day. You can always get a nice throw in a similar colour to put on top.

Blackandgreenteas · 20/02/2020 14:19

It’s a lot like my sofa! Mine is from a different shop and is a sofa bed but the colour and material are the same. Tea has been spilt on mine and come out fine.

I don’t really fine leather sofas comfortable myself.

HRH2020 · 20/02/2020 14:19

I don't like leather sofas but DS puked over our fabric sofa and the smell got into the foam so that was the end of that sofa.

KittenVsBox · 20/02/2020 14:19

Weve got through life with babies, toddlers, kids and cats with fabric sofas. Leather is not essential (and its COLD to sit on).
We dont eat in the living room tho.

PooWillyBumBum · 20/02/2020 14:22

I had a cream fabric sofa when DD was 2 until she was about 7 (at which point we moved and it didn’t fit in the new house). It was fine. I would go over it with the carpet cleaner when I did the carpets. We kept food out of the living room and I had no issues with the colour. Only you know your kids.

Agree leather sofas are horrid.

BigFatLiar · 20/02/2020 14:23

Looks ok,as long as its comfy (can a guest sleep on it if necessary?)
Get covers. Leather may be wipe clean but not so easy to 'wipe clean' when the toddler has scribbled on it, at least you can just get new covers for your fabric chair.

Alsohuman · 20/02/2020 14:23

So looking forward to losing our leather sofas. Scotchguard it and it will be fine. And only allow the kids to eat at the table!

kittykatkitty · 20/02/2020 14:24

I had white everything when mine were little.
I found it easier to keep clean. I had a spare set of sofa covers made and just touched up any marks on walls with emulsion.

Those sofas will be great

hidinginthenightgarden · 20/02/2020 14:30

We have just one material covered chair and to e fair it is disgusting! Kids have ruined it. I probably could have told them no eating on it though it I cared.

Winterwoollies · 20/02/2020 14:33

I think it looks lovely. To me, leather sofas are vile and so tacky.

See if you can get it scotchguarded so any spillages will be washable.

FizzyIce · 20/02/2020 14:33

Not a fan of the design, doesn’t look very comfy for long periods but I like the material.
I hate leather sofas so have had other material types over the years and all have survived 2 kids and various cats

ElsieMc · 20/02/2020 14:34

I must be old fashioned (am older) cos I like my leather sofa and recliner chair. Probably because a family member paid £3000 for them and changed their mind after five months! They wouldnt have been my showroom choice. They look good and are comfy but are quite bulky but we have a big living room.

I also got an extra one off ebay, a Next one. The quality is poor compared the the relatives one but it is smaller, neater and looks more up to date. I tell you this because the first week we had it, my gs3 spilled a whole large glass of milk all over it. It cleaned up fine.

My dd bought a similar one to yours from a very expensive dealership locally and it was delivered faulty twice with a hole in the material and poor match material on the chair. She had it scotch guarded when they finally managed to get it right (after delivering to the wrong address...)

I like the sofa in the pic, its nice and up to date. I do hope is isn't too expensive though because when your little ones mess it up, you won't be happy. Good colour, but FC spells dollar to me.

BiggerBoat1 · 20/02/2020 14:36

Its lovely. Get a throw to protect it and whip it off when you want the room to look smarter.

Selfsettling3 · 20/02/2020 14:38

Are the covers removable?

gnushoes · 20/02/2020 14:39

removable, washable covers are the way to go. With a spare set. Our sofa has gone through three snotty kids.

HopeYouStepOnALego · 20/02/2020 14:41

I think that sofa is fine but would also recommend scotchguarding it. When my DD1 was 6 months old we bought a cream coloured suite. I thought at the time we must be mad but we only got rid of it 2 years ago and I had DD2 in that time. Girls are now 19 and 21, so it did well - but it was scotchguarded. Also all of the covers came off and would go in the washing machine a couple of times a year. In between times a baby wipe would remove any grubby marks. It only got ruined when DD1 was 17 and spilt nail varnish all over one of the seat cushions Sad.

DaphneBlake101 · 20/02/2020 14:43

I got my light grey fabric sofa scotch-guarded (no children but I am very clumsy so it's had tomato sauce, Diet Coke, curry etc. dropped on it) and it has been worth every penny. No stains after a couple of years - I just spot clean any spills with water.

Booboostwo · 20/02/2020 14:44

I don't like leather sofas either but I get the IKEA ones that have covers that can be removed and washed (the pillows all have pillow protectors as well). If all goes to hell you can just buy the covers from IKEA.

It also depends on your DCs and your parenting rules. If they tend to eat at the table and tend to keep messy play contained, the sofa is more likely to survive unscathed.

katy1213 · 20/02/2020 14:44

It doesn't look comfortable - but I hate leather sofas. There's stuff you can spray (forget the name) that they use in hotels and is better (but more expensive) than Scotchgard.

ladycarlotta · 20/02/2020 14:47

I think that's a good choice. Like PPs say, the speckly texture will hide a lot. We signed up for Stain Guard when we bought our new sofa (with a baby, eep), it was about £90 and if you get stains a PERSON COMES TO YOUR HOUSE TO CLEAN IT. I haven't had call to try it out yet, but it's at least a little reassuring.

Ohyesiam · 20/02/2020 14:48

I thought you were going to post a picture of a white sofa or something. That one looks practical. It grey and textured, both of which hide stains well.

Pineappletree33 · 20/02/2020 14:53

My toddler daughter has trashed our sofa. Admittedly we’re not very strict regarding the sofa as it’s old and we’re due a new one. However, I’m extremely reluctant to buy another fabric sofa while I have younger children. As much as I’m not keen we’re leaning towards leather.

She drops food on it, then stands up and crushes it in. Leaves her drink on it to soak in. She felt tipped it the other day. I’d be too stressed with a lovely fabric one.

SinkGirl · 20/02/2020 14:57

I have autistic twins and a similar style fabric sofa. It gets covered in all sorts including a spectacular recent projectile vomiting session. The covers come up perfectly after a machine wash.

steppemum · 20/02/2020 14:59

I'm not a fan of leather sofas, so we have never had one, we have 3 kids and fabric sofas which have stood up well. (although they have washable covers, which I have also redyed a few times - very old sofas)

But I would say some of the reasons are to do with how you eat.
So, we eat all meals at the kitchen table, apart from the occasional pizza in front of the TV evening.
Kids were never allowed bowls of cereal in front of TV eg on a saturday morning, due to high likelihood of spillage, and snacks were also eaten in the kitchen if they were messy.

My friend's family eat all their meals snakcs everything on the sofa. Their sofa takes a lot more damage in terms of food and spillage than ours

TheTeenageYears · 20/02/2020 14:59

DFS do a stain protection insurance. Pay for that to give you peace of mind. They give you a cleaning kit to use on any mishaps and will come out to clean if needs be. Not completely sure but may even replace if it comes to it. We bought something similar for a carpet when we had little ones. One projectile vomit session later and the insurance came into it’s own! Leather is not as wipeable as you might think and is cold in winter.