Leather chairs and sofas.

I don't think it has been mentioned that dark blue jeans can discolour pale leather, so if you have a lot of jeans around then pick your suite colour with that in mind.

I've had a leather suite for nearly 15 years. It's lasted much longer than any fabric suite I've ever had despite being quite cheap. It does have scratches from my son's cat so pets can definitely damage leather.

We have a leather suite bought from Marks and spencers, after four years the leather started to lighten where our heads touched the seats then to my horror as actually gone into holes! ! Marks and Spencer sent someone around to look at it and decided it was wear and tear.we have since had some of it recovered, but I wouldn't buy one again, especially from there.

Thank you Scribbles. I will do as you say and dust regularly and apply leather dressing once or twice a year. I am buying this suite from the House of Fraser so perhaps they will sell the appropriate leather dressing.
Auntieflo, your cream sofas have really done well. You must have been doing the right thing. As for Aggie, you are a miracle worker. Well done you clever girl! Your advice has been great and worth more than salesmen in a big store

I'be had leather chairs for around 25 years and they haven't cracked. As someone said above, apply leather dressing once or twice a year and there shouldn't be any problems. Back in the 1950s, a relative of ours had an old Austin car (pre war, certainly) with leather seats which had cracked and gone hard. They used to scratch our bare legs and had to be covered in a blanket for any degree of travel comfort. I've no idea if the damage was due to the way the car had been kept/?mistreated or maybe to poor workmanship at the tannery but I've never encountered household furniture in that state!

Thank you for the warnings. I have looked on the Parker Knoll site but a leather dressing or protective cream isn’t actually available from them. I would appreciate a recommendation for one.
Nandalot, thank you also. I don’t know why but men so often leave grease marks on chairs and pillows. As dh doesn’t use hair grease I cant understand it. I will find something to protect the chair he tends to use.
Just one thing more, has your leather ever cracked or shown felting? From the posts it doesn’t sound likely but have heard odd stories in a general way about leather. Anyway, thank you again.

We have no animals but our GS gives our leather suite a run for its money! The odd spill will not do it any harm, and if you give it a once over occasionally with leather dressing (they may give you a kit if you buy a leather suite) it will keep its good looks.

One word of warning though. DH has a dark brown leather recliner and where his head rests there is now a large pale area. The oils in his hair ( though he hasn’t got much )must have reacted with the dye. I suppose I should have foreseen this and used an antimacasser but the assistant said all the leather needed was a quick wipe now and then.

Thank you all so much. You have made my day. Leather it is

We've had our leather suite since 1992. It's looking a bit tired now, but still going strong - touchwood! When it gives up the ghost, I'll replace it with another leather one.

We bought our two cream leather sofas in October 2001. (I just looked it up), and they are still going strong. Sticky fingered grandchildren were thwarted by me chasing them with Jcloths. I must admit that we have not had any animals during that time, but our daughter's cats have scratched their suite. I thought they were expensive at the time, but have certainly been worth the outlay.

I inherited my Mums leather suite , she had it recovered in faux leather after she got it from her Parents . We had it recovered in real leather about 40 + years ago . It is still respectable and I refused to part with it when we moved , it is comfortable and I wipe it occasionally with baby wipes . Leather polish once a year is ok , any oftener makes it dull ! It will see me out , DIL has a much newer suite and it has worn just as well , we don't have pets

We got our two leather sofas in 2004 and they still look like new. We are careful about spillages but even so if you wipe up quickly there is no problem. I haven't used any leather polish - just dust them if needed and keep the seat and back cushions plumped up. I think throws for pets are a good idea .

Leather is dog friendly. Almost everyone I know with dogs opts for leather. Easy to wipe down with special leather wipes. You are perhaps wondering if their claws might scratch and mark the leather.

No, they haven't yet. In fact my last sofa outlived the dog. Cats, now that's a different matter. They do scratch and mark leather.

You can always ask doggy guests not to get on furniture or use a throw if they must, but really there's no need.