A pink and ginger pup! Yum!

I would have a leather upholsterer put a 3" black (or matching brown, or white even) stripe over the offensive gash, from top to bottom covering the seam as well, and repeat the pattern over the other flat seams (either just on the seat or if you have the funds on the back cushion as well). I think this would look very smart and custom, and shouldn't really cost much. Perhaps a busy leather upholsterer would have scraps laying around perfect for this project.

I dont think there is any way to maintain the original look of the couch without doing a full repair job. The clean lines of the couch coupled with the material means that any patch job will look like just that. I strongly suggest you do NOT glue a piece of material on top of the tear!

My advice is to put a really nice sheet over the sitting surface of the couch until you can afford the have it repaired the right way. If you want the sheet to really stay put, buy lengths of 1" plastic pipe that can be stuffed down between the cushions and the couch itself. Sew sleeves for the pipe around the edges of a measured and cut sheet and then push them down into the crevasses, smoothing out the sheet in the process.

Its not the perfect solution, but it works.

A DIY option: Attach a very flat trim running the length of the entire seam and just slightly wider. If there are other vertical seams, do the same thing.

The method of attachment depends upon the type and quality of the leather. So, test in an unobstrusive place with fabric adhesives like Stitch Witchery, or perhaps a hot glue gun. Remember, test!

The (short term) goal of this fix it to cover the rip while the trim looks like an intentional part of the design.

Since folks will be using this piece of furniture, the trim should be a flat braid or something they can sit on comfortably; even slide over when someone else sits down.

i think jacksonlalonde has the right solution for you. it could look really swank!

Your sofa is likely made from Bycast leather-which is a mix of polyurethane and melted scraps of leather-commonly used in imported upholstery(china)
This type of leather is very prone to cracking and splitting-
Likely whatever repair you do (and there are some good ideas above)will cost as much as the original sofa

My assumption is that rips and tears will develop elsewhere as the sofa ages.

Would you consider having an upholsterer recover the cushion with a durable complementary fabric? Since you have pets, you could choose a washable fabric and have the upholsterer put in a zipper, so you can remove it easily.

Or, if tears develop on the couch structure itself, you could have a fitted slipcover made for the entire couch.

Assuming that is not a removable cushion with a zipper....

For DIY: You can try to just rubber cement a single piece of leather underneath the rip, bringing the gap together. It will be a little tricky but, by using wax paper between the two pieces until it is in position, possible. The tear will be visible if you look, but not too bad. It will be much less visible than a patch on the outside.

Lift the leater edges up and prop. Apply rubber cement. Apply rubber cement to patch a few inches bigger than hole. When dry put wax paper over patch and slide under rip. Position patch, position upholstery, remove wax paper and press. You have one shot to get it right! Perhaps remove wax paper from one side first, get that attached and then do the next.

Otherwise, it looks like a major repair job.

OH - I just saw a feature about a leather repair specialist outside of Boston on NECN over the weekend.

QualityLeatherCare.com
781-438-2275

I also just thought, hey, why not flip it over. Most leather upholstered cushions are fabric or perforated leather on the flip side, but if you cannot afford to do anything else at the moment the flip side might look better than the alternative. Just a thought.

I'd remove the cushion and reupholster in a durable fabric that is complimentary to the leather on the rest of the sofa...
...and keep the dog off the furniture.

If you can remove the leather to sew it - remove it, bring the edges together and carefully iron on an iron-on patch in a matching color to the underside. Then sew over the rip location with a bit of a zigzag in a matching thread color. It is close enough to the seam that it won't be very noticable.

have you considered talking to someone at a car shop? when i got small punctures in my massage table, the manufacturers told me that for minor leather repairs, no one is better than the people at a body shop (and i understand not wanting to flip it over or have a noticeable repair). check that out as an option!

BTW - Looking more closely at the tear in your sofa, it doesn't appear to be real leather.

It's either vinyl or "Bycast" leather which is made up of leather scraps that are ground up and bonded to a man-made backing material.

In either case, your sofa isn't worth spending a great deal of money or effort on.

Your sofa is likely made from Bycast leather-which is a mix of polyurethane and melted scraps of leather-commonly used in imported upholstery(china)
This type of leather is very prone to cracking and splitting-
Likely whatever repair you do (and there are some good ideas above)will cost as much as the original sofa ---> True, just cover it up somehow!

I have been looking into repairing some kitty claw holes in my bf's vinyl couch -- this looks good, but I am a little wary and haven't tried it out yet...

http://www.magicmender.com/

VH Leatherworks does furniture repairs and they're located in Ottawa 1-888-433-1774

FibreNew is also there (613) 741-7070

Hire a good upholsterer to "fix" the tear; it won't be as attractive at the original; but it will stay together until you can afford to have the whole couch recovered.

Littletinyperfectdog!!!

What about Mighty Mend-it?? I think it's available at Bed, Bath & Beyond now.

OR, brown duck tape?

Hi everyone,

thanks for your responses! No, it's not real leather, but it's not the cracking kind, either, it's actually very soft and supple, just poorly made, obviously. I'll replace the sofa next year sometime, I am just looking for a "fix" until I can get rid of it all together. Even though it might not be that great a quality it is the most functional piece of furniture in my home and I need to keep it until I find a suitable replacement because it is not only a couch but a double bed for company, storage for all of our linens below, and completely dog proof. (The dog had nothing to do with the tear, she doesn't scratch). To answer your questions:

it can't be flipped over because it is a davenport- the back folds down and the front slides out. I can't just put something over it because there isn't anywhere to tuck it in to (it's a storage sofa) but I might be able to have a cover made with a zipper, that was a great idea. I had thought about covering both of the seams with a matching seam of contrasting or matching leather, but those double seams are all over the couch (on the arms and side of the arms, on the back, etc) so maybe the cover is the best option.

Does anyone have recommendations for durable fabric to cover it with? Anyone had a particularly good experience with a seamstress in Ottawa?

I would love to DIY - I'm pretty handy - and as it doesn't have much resale value now, I might just reupholster the seat permanently, after reinforcing the seams on the couch. Has anyone tried this before?

A washable linen in a dark brown would make a nice cover. I think linen is actually pretty durable.

These are great tips, I have a giant red leather sofa that I am terrified of damaging.

Can I ask what kind of dog that is? Adorable!!

H L I -- since you asked about fabric options for your DIY cover, please consider denim or microfiber. Both are user-friendly to sew and to use. With some careful shopping, either can be had for a reasonable price. Depends upon the look in the rest of your room and home.

Not to hijack, but where did you get that pillow on the couch? It looks like something Dwell but I don't know for sure and I can't find it.

The dog is a mini-daschund (and totally the best dog in the world)

The pillow is from the Superstore home collection, probably only available in Canada, but I just bought it so it's likely to still be on the shelves, if you happen to be Canadian.

And thanks for the tips, MaeEast- I think Microfiber would be the most appropriate choice for our home.

We've got a Italosofa in black leather that split open on the pillowed backrest. I also feared that I would have to have an ugly and ever widening tear to look at for a long time. I called a guy(got him out of the yellow pages under Upholstery, no less) who specializes in furniture repair, including leather and he came with some magic potion, and repaired it in about 45 minutes. I was thrilled because I didn't have to lug the sofa to a shop ( he came to us) AND it cost about $75.00. You could NEVER tell me where that tear was unless you saw it prior to the repair.

I'm sure you won't have much trouble finding someone to make a house call and repair this for you for minimal cost.

I called a few leather repair companies and got crazy quotes. Started looking for those DIY leather repair kits and found a company selling these leather patch products. Have a look, www.mastaplasta.com. It worked great for me.