Where’d You Get Your Brown Leather Sofa?

This is probably one of the top five frequently asked questions I’ve received through my various social media channels in the last year or so.  Leather sofas have made such a come back in recent years, and I’ve been seeing them more and more on instagram and pinterest.  But I’ve always loved the look of a leather sofa, and our brown leather sofa is about 12 years old now.  And it’s still in *almost* perfect condition (we live hard around here).  😉

Good news though, while it’s 12 years old, it’s still available for sale!  This is the Maxwell three-seat-cushion sofa in Italian Brompton Cocoa from Restoration Hardware.   And I love this sofa as much today, or maybe even more today, than I did the day we bought it.  We saved and saved to buy this sofa, and it’s been one of the best furniture investments we’ve made.   I mean, I’m 40, so I feel like that last statement is really saying something.  😉

Why we chose leather?

In a nutshell, as I’ve stated already, we live hard.  We’ve always been a 2 dog family and have 2 children.  While our children our older now, when we bought this sofa our son was 3 and our daughter was just over a year old.  (I remember exactly when we bought this sofa because at the time we were living in Pittsburgh, and long story short, Pittsburgh is the only place we’ve ever lived that has had a Restoration Hardware store.)

I know Restoration has a reputation for being price-y, some even find them overpriced.  But I’ve always been very happy with the quality and craftsmanship of their pieces.  And if you can hit them up during a sale, I really do think you get what you pay for with them.

We chose leather all those years ago, when many people were opting for all white slipcovered sofas that could be laundered, because I already hate doing laundry.  So why on earth would I ever want to have to launder my sofa cover?   I felt that leather would be more manageable (especially with small kids at the time) being that it can be easily wiped.  And because we opted for a distressed leather finish I was not at all concerned about scratches from our pets.

Basically I chose leather back then because I didn’t want to be the mom that was constantly fussing over  spills or crayons.  I had rules, sure, but I never worried because I knew the leather could withstand a lot.

I feel I should also mention that this distressed, lived-in look also fits well with my personal aesthetic.  It did back then, and it still does now.  I like some traditional, classic, maybe even formal pieces (like the crystal chandelier that will be going in the dining space of our next home) but I ultimately love a relaxed, welcoming, casual-cool vibe in a space.

12 Years Old and Still in Love

I’ve heard many celebrity designers say ~  in a living room, you should always buy the best sofa that you can afford.  And I have to agree with that logic.  I know in the blog world it can seem like furniture is almost disposable because design bloggers are constantly changing up their spaces, but in the real world that just isn’t practical nor is it necessary.

Buying the best that you can afford doesn’t mean blowing the bank account or living outside of your means…..it also doesn’t mean that you have to keep your sofa for the rest of your life.  But buying the best that you can afford can lead to you being very thoughtful and intentional about your purchase. It can lead to helping you really figure out ‘what your style is’.  And hopefully, it will mean that many years later you’ll be just as happy with your sofa as the day you brought it home.

This sofa has seen us through three houses, going on the fourth very soon!

Not All Leather is The Same

One of the main reasons we chose Restoration all those years ago was because they offered a few different leather options.  And I’m not just talking about a variety of colors.  Different types of leather have different sheens and textures.

I read an article a while back about “how to work with your big brown sofa” and the designer said that leather sofas can often suck all of the light out of a room.  And then she went on to share ways to liven up your living space if you’re “stuck with your brown leather sofa”.  So I guess, not everyone is a fan of brown leather.  😉  Which is totally fine.

But in terms of sucking the light out of the space, it really all depends on the type of leather.  The Italian Brompton leather on our sofa has a glossy finish that actually reflects light.  The cocoa brown is dark and moody, yes that’s true, but I wouldn’t say it “sucks the light out of the space”.   Then again, I do love me a moody space, so what do I really know about light anyway.  😉

All of this to say, it’s fun to see leather sofas having a moment in the sun again. But I really do think a good leather sofa is a classic.  And brown leather is totally a neutral.  I have styled this sofa so many different ways over the years……and I’m already dreaming up a new styling situation for the new house!