I think it would be a good idea to have the sofa and the loveseat coordinate to each other if not match. The chairs can be different. But with a toddler I'd be inclined to go with leather furniture for ease of clean up.

I have heard that microsuede is also very cleanup friendly and some stores have microsuede that comes with a coating of some substance that makes spills bead up and not soak in so that gives you the chance to quickly clean it up.

Hope this helps.
Good luck
Nami

Coordinate is the key word, verses match. I think you can mix and match any of the pieces you're looking at, or have all three be different. IF the scale and color are right, than they don't ned to be the same pieces exactly. I've seen great rooms with two different sofa's and two matching chairs.

I have a matching sofa and loveseat in our living room and went with that choice because the two face each other, and they're very unique. It would have been very hard to find a piece with the same scale to balance out the huge sofa. So really, you can go any way that makes sense. If you want to make it easy, find three pieces that are a set at a store, then ask for the coordinating fabric. You can have two or one of the pieces covered in a different, but coordinated fabric.

Thanks to both of you for the responses. You've given me some great ideas to keep in mind. We went out looking at some today, but aren't sure yet. I'm thinking some leather and something upholstered in a nice textured fabric. We really want durable and comfortable without spending a fortune. We sat on many sofas and chairs, but none of them felt exceptionally comfortable or seemed like anything special, so I guess we'll keep on lookin'. Thanks again!

Don't feel compelled to buy a 'couch and loveseat', as if they HAVE to go together, either. Really think about how your space is used, how much room you have, etc.

You might find that you only want one couch, and then a couple of oversized chairs with ottomans, or two recliners. Or perhaps two couches, (the price difference between a couch and loveseat is generally some tiny amount), or even two loveseats (unless you have people who are taller who lie down - then a loveseat can be too short). Or, perhaps a sectional instead of a couch and loveseat pair.

Now is the time to not just swap out one couch and loveseat for another, but to really choose what makes sense for your space and your family. Also think about whether there is another way you might arrange the room if you had different furniture.

Leather is great, the quality microfibers are wonderful, too. If you buy a couch and loveseat and put them in an "L", they generally match, and the companion seating can be complimentary but completely different in fabric, tho there is no 'rule' about that.

I think that, if you are going to use two couches, two love seats, or one of each together - that is, facing each other or in an L - then it is usually best if they match. If they don't, it tends to look like two roommates put their furniture together at random.

An exception is if one of them serves as an accent piece. For example, a carved Victorian love seat with red velvet upholstery may not need a matching companion sofa.

On the whole I think it is better if upholstered chairs not match a couch or love seat, although (depending on the layout) it may be desirable for two chairs to match each other. An exception to this is in a small room where there will be only one upholstered chair. In that case, if you need to keep the upholstered furniture somewhat in the background, it may be better for the chair and sofa to match.

In any case, I would avoid having just one chair that matches the sofa plus one or more other chairs that don't. If there are going to be two chairs plus a sofa, it is usually more pleasing for the chairs to match each other or for nothing to match anything else. It really depends whether you want to create more visual interest, or less, in the room.

Now, if you were talking about matching end tables... people will call them matchy-matchy and snitch to the Decorating Police.

I can speak from experience. We have a fairly large living room 18 x 26 and it's also open to an equal size kitchen and is also open to a 9x13 dining area. We purchased 2 leather sofas & 1 leather oversize chair with ottoman. To me, it's too much leather. We went with 2 sofas because the guys are tall (6'5" & 6'6" so they needed length to stretch out), but they take up a lot of room. I'll be glad next year when daughter graduates from college & takes some of the leather. It is nice having the sofas match because we can align them in different arrangements, but I'd definitely go with the chair in something different.

When we purchased the furniture we strongly considered microsuede & the salesperson said that microsuedes biggest enemy is grease (ie potato chips & such).

We've also had a sectional in the past. I really liked that for the house we lived in. It can sometimes be ackward if you have company as people don't have their own personal space. If you go the sectional route, look at how the pieces connect. I found the sectional more difficult to move around & get placed back together & stay together, especially with the kids.

As a general rule, I really like a sofa and two chairs, where the chairs match each other and the sofa does not. I think that offers the greatest flexibility for seating and arrangements. You can add all manner of stools, ottomans, occasional tables and accent chairs, but those are the tried-and-true basics, IMexperience. If you have a really large room, then two matching sofas facing each other, and the rest coordinating but not matching.

I think you've already got a lot of grat advice--though I agree with lynnski. After having lived with the sofa+loveseat combo for years we've now gone with a sectional+chair in the family room (due to space constrainst to maximize seating/TV viewing for family of five) and a sofa+2 arm chairs in the living room. For a larger room I would go with 2 matching sofas plus arm chair/ottoman

I think love seats are dated so I wouldn't get one. However, I love sectional sofas or regular sofas with lots of different chairs. With everything, think coordinating, not matching! It's so much more stylish and interesting.

Before you buy anything, try doing a simple sketch of your dream room. What kinds of elements are in your room (fireplace, picture window, etc.) that you want to highlight? That will help you decide what kind of seating you should get. If you post a pic maybe we could help.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, everyone. I really appreciate it! Okay, so here goes. I'll show you a couple pics of the furniture we're wanting to replace. I welcome any additional thoughts. And yes, I know there are a few other items needing updated as well, but first things first. ;-)

What is to the left (in the 2nd pic) of the plaid sofa? Is there room for the TV there? This is MY dream, but since I love fireplaces, I could see a fireplace/mantle where the TV is, 2 loveseats facing each other (one near the window, one staying as-is), and maybe 1 or 2 accent chairs where the plaid sofa is.

I love your wall of plantation shutters!!

I agree with another picture of that corner by the plaid sofa.

I find that chairs are alot more versatile than 2 sofas.

I have mixed in mine. Leather sofa(has taken ALOT of abuse) 2 upholstered club chairs and a different fabric on a big oversized wing back. 2 more fabrics as pillows(reversible) for the sofa and club chairs. I like fabric alot but the durability of the leather has been fantastic with kids and dogs.

Smiles:)

Thanks!
Here's a little bit of a better picture of the other side.

Leather! Leather! Leather! I have 5 boys ages from 2 - 16 and when I found our leather couch, very old, at a yard sale it was like a dream come true. No more dirty couches to worry about, just wipe them down. With browns there are plenty of things you can add anywhere in a room to lighten it and your room is pretty light already. Our furniture is a bit mix matched with different woods but what else you place in a room makes the difference. Your entertainment center... too dark if you are going for leather. It is too big and dark. I hope I was of some kind of help.
Michelle

Thanks Michelle for your input. Well, we decided to order the leather. Have a good friend who owns a furniture store who can get them basically at cost for us. Think we'll live with them for awhile, especially during the young children years. Then, maybe we'll split them up and add in some others. Yes, I agree about the entertainment center. It looks like a big dark hole on that wall. Not to mention the old humongous speakers. hahaha
Thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts!