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Thank you for the kind and funny responses to my post about the pups and white slipcovers. I’ve loved having white slipcovers, but after a long run it felt like time for a change. Our next chapter is leather.
I’ll be honest: no sofa stays pristine if people and pets use it. We sit on our furniture, and the dogs do too. Slipcovers were great because they made cleaning easy, but after constantly washing them to keep up with the mess, I decided a more pet-friendly solution would work better for our household. Leather still needs care, but it wipes clean and shows wear in a way I’m comfortable with — a kind of lived-in character. And not having to launder slipcovers all the time is a relief.
Jana Bek Design featured on PB Inside & Out
We owned a leather sofa in our previous home, and it survived the chaos of toddler life and dog misadventures. At first I worried when it acquired marks, but over time those imperfections became part of its story. The practical advantage — quick spot cleaning — is exactly what we needed, and the aesthetic appeal of leather felt like the right fit for the house. I like the texture and how it complements softer colors without overpowering a room.
We still have a very cozy sectional upstairs in the media/family room that’s perfect for flopping down to watch TV. It’s soft, forgiving, and has handled spills and dog traffic well. Because it’s upstairs, it avoids some of the tougher messes that our main-level sofa faces, so it continues to perform as a comfortable, durable option for everyday lounging.
The Painted Hive
When choosing the new sofa we had a few specific needs. I wanted leather in a medium tone so it wouldn’t overwhelm our soft palette or make the room feel smaller. A tight back was important to prevent pets from perching on loose cushions and creating a constant mess. Scale mattered, too — the family room is fairly narrow, so the sofa needed to be compact but still classic in style, with a little rolled arm for personality. Finally, I wanted something available to ship right away.
I chose the Pottery Barn Brooklyn Leather sofa in Toffee because it matched those criteria and suited our room’s proportions. Unfortunately, when I went to order it, stock was limited and shipping was delayed until after the new year, possibly into February. That was disappointing — no new sofa for the holidays — but worth the wait if it’s the right piece.
In the meantime I may make do with the gray slipcover I picked up from IKEA and keep the existing sofa in place, which means more slipcover washing for a while. Recent pet incidents even required me to discard a couple of damaged seat cushions, so I might have to improvise with outdoor cushions temporarily.
That’s the current sofa saga. I’ll share an update once the leather sofa arrives or if anything changes along the way.
Update! My sofa has arrived! See it in a follow-up post.
Related Posts:
Practical Questions to Ask When Buying a New Sofa
The Truth About White Slipcovers (Part 1)
The Truth About White Slipcovers (Part 2 – Pet Edition)