Naturally I would suggest leather being a better choice not only for comfort but longevity. You will find with use, leather takes on a slight patina adding to its beauty. Leather will remain room temperature until you sit down and then the natural pores adjust to your body temperature. Leather is a natural product and stays soft & supple from constantly taking moisture out of the air like a sponge. Top grain genuine premium cowhide will be your best bet to last decades and stand up to children and pets. Leather is best for people that suffer from allergies because leather does not hold odor or pet hair and spills are just wiped up. We already know the durability of leather because we use it on our best shoes, coats, bags and saddles. Leather furniture comes in hundreds of colors and in a wide variety of styles that range from the traditional classics to today’s more modern designer looks. There are now leathers on the market with lots of character that resemble a piece of granite. These types of leathers need no accessorizing while a solid color may call for throw pillows to be added for additional interest. Someone in this thread mentioned leather being slippery. Yes, if you buy leather that has a high gloss or heavy patina to the finish it will be slippery and slick. Most leathers however, are softer and almost feel like they are embracing you. Leather is a great investment. Will last for decades with very little care and makes a statement in any room it is added. Naturally there will be differences of opinions about this topic so this is my two sense to the conversation. I feel leather and fabric can complement each other if done right.

I have always had fabric sofas then about 6 years ago I bought a slipcovered sofa from Arhaus. I thought it was a good investment because I could have new covers made and when we decided to have kids I figured I could wash the covers. Well.....a few years later we had twins, then had our third before the twins turned 2 and by that time I was fed up with the maintenance of the fabric. So, one day I was so frustrated at the constant cleaning, I went to the furniture store and bought a leather sofa and loveseat. They look fabulous and for the first year I loved how easy it was to clean them and the worry free attitude I could have with 3 toddlers. Now I have had them for about 2.5 years and I am counting the days until I can have a cozy, fabric sofa again. I still have the Arhaus sofa, but it is too large to move into our current space, so it sits in the kids playroom in the basement (figures, right?). My husband has relented that I could buy a new fabric sofa, but everytime I look at them, all I can think about is the spilled milk, dropped food that got snuck into the family room, runny noses that got wiped on the seat cushions.....so, I leave the store longing for a fabric sofa but appreciating the leather and the fact it always looks good, no matter what. As a matter of fact, my SIL thought the leather was such a good idea after seeing mine and also having 3 small children, she bought the exact same set. We feel the same way about leather and fabric. Function won out over personal preference. BTW, I have leather on carpet and plan to add a nice area rug to help add some color the room.

Kellienoelle, Re. the sofa, while we don't allow the dog on the furniture (we have a yellow lab) since the fur goes everywhere, I can say that it vacuums up nicely and for doggie drool spots we've had good luck with just warm water and a sponge. We do have a cleaning solution we got when we purchased it, and we were able to use it to get some pen ink off with no problem. The sofa was pricier than we'd been used to, but we have had it for almost 5 years and sit on it every single day and the shape has held up beautifully. I rotate the seat cushions occasionally since DH and I tend to sit on either end. I can also vouch that it is extremely comfy to sleep on, as have several of our guests! We ended up with a dark brown color, but the variety of colors available was amazing. If we allowed Chloe on the couch I may have chosen something that 'matched' her fur ;-) Re. the house: my heart will always be with older homes. I grew up in one, and owned a 1905 American Foursquare on my own for years before meeting DH. What drove us to make the move was the fact that we did not have (or have space for) a garage, and our driveway was one car wide. We also had looked into doing some kitchen/bath upgrades and realized that for what we wanted to spend we would price ourselves out of our neighborhood and still have no garage. So I guess it depends on locale and the lot. While our new home lacks some of the character we loved in our older home, I do tell everyone that my favorite room is the 2 car garage- well, before our new kitchen went in that is! And the more open floor plan and extra baths/guest rooms make hosting our large families (all of whom are out of town) much more comfortable. As we go through and update we are making an effort to bring some character into our "tract" home, but if it were the right house and the right location I would not hesitate to own an old beauty again.

Any furniture is a product of its environment. If you keep your furniture in direct UV rays leather or fabric it will eventually fade. There are sunscreen products available for leather furniture. Applied to the furniture where the sun is hitting it directly will protect the leather. Its fast, easy and inexpensive to do. I had a leather sofa that I personally used in my sun room for over 20 years and there is no sign of cracking or fading and I never did any more than dust it and if something spilled I used a mild soap and water. My Daughter is now enjoying it in her home and it still looks great at 25. As to Judy G mentioned leather can crack. Two things will cause leather to crack either very dry environments and too much oil. Just as we use lotion to keep our skin soft do the same to your leather furniture every year or so. There are products in the market place that are very effective and easy to apply and endorsed by the tanneries. Be sure to never saturate your leather with oils. Once the oil reaches the suede it has nowhere to go but back to the surface and that will cause hairline cracks over the years. Leather is really maintenance free. That’s a huge part of the beauty. Just dust it! Leather is also a natural product with open pores. These pores allow the hides to constantly take in moisture keeping the leather soft and supple. Just like your leather purse, coat or favorite pair of shoes. Leather will also stay room temperature because of the open pores. If your house it hot or cold so will be your leather furniture. It adapts quickly to your body temperature. The key to a long-lasting relationship with your leather furniture is to first buy the proper leather for your environment. There are leathers today that will work for any climate, just be sure you ask the right questions. There is a market for both fabric and leather and we sell both. My expertise is in knowing everything I can about leather because that is the bulk of our business. I would defiantly consider the Crypton as Judy mentioned. Although my opinion for your life style with the small children and your family and guests eating on your furniture, is still leather because of the ease of cleaning and no odor. There is nothing worse than the smell of spilled milk. I thought I must add Wellington’s is a Women owned and managed company. Any comments made on behalf of Wellington’s are made by women. Good luck with your decision!