Great couch! Leather is a great choice for living with felines. The major plus - leather is so easy to wipe clean, and the cat hair doesn't stick! But I must tell you that with cats, there are just no guarantees. My cat's favorite chair is my only piece of leather furniture - an Ekornes stressless chair. After five years of her jumping into the chair, the seat is showing quite a few scratches. It's not so bad that I have to reupholster yet, but I'm just saying - although she wasn't scratching deliberately, her claws have left their marks. Totally worth it though! I love my cat more than my chair. :-)

My cats avoid my leather chair. The only way they will sit in it is if there is a throw on the seat. I've had it 7 years and there's one tiny scratch where one of them landed when racing across the furniture to get away from the other one.

If they haven't been interested in leather before, they probably won't start actively attacking the new couch.

Where is it from? I dig it.

After a string of cheapo sofas, I saved up and bought a lay-Z-Boy. Yes, I know on the scale of sofas those are the most expensive around, but for me that was real cash. I went to the store the day of a big sale and actually got a slightly more expensive sofa (looking at original price) than I'd intended. What I didn't know then was that Lay-Z-Boy skimps a bit on their sale sofas. The cushions, seat and back, collapsed in less than a year. Also in less than a year, the sofa started to sag in a big way in the place I usually sit. It was under warranty so they sent a repair guy out. Turns out the cushions were made of foam odds and ends wrapped in batting. He told me I should have asked for a cushion upgrade when I ordered it to get the solid cushions that last longer. I have those now in the seat cushions and they are holding up well. The back cushions are still collapsing. The repair guy opened up the back of the sofa to look at the cause of the sagging. Turns out, they saved a little money by putting fewer of those springy metal ribs across the bottom. The springs were in good shape, but just wider apart than normal. Couldn't do anything about it, except sit in the other areas a lot so that the whole thing sags evenly. That's what he told me to do.

It's a pretty sofa and the fabric is holding up fine, but I'm really sorry I got it.

My husband and I just bought our first ever couch: with our small budge, apartment and requirement that it had to be a sofa-bed, we went with IKEA, and washable slipcovers. But for my next purchase, I'd love to do exactly what you did: grain leather in gray.

@ mama gigi. It's the Arcadia sofa from Kasala. FYI: It will be coming out in a sectional with a chaise at the end of October.

Leather is great for cats. We have a couple Barcelona chairs for this very reason. But even the very best cat that never scratches furniture will occasionally make a scratch or puncture in the leather when jumping on and off, so still make sure you maintain their pedicures, including back paws.

It's a sofa.

Really pretty, though.

Nice. Good luck with the cats and my friends with young kids also swear by their dark leather couch.

Our leather ottoman has some scratches across the top from the evening cat races, but they've never actively clawed it.

I second @HRHPrincessFiona. My boyfriend's three wild cats LOVE his leather couches.

My parents' leather sofa set is all scratched up too, so it does happen. Just be diligent about discipline and get your cats some scratchers. Sofa looks lovely, I'm jealous.

Congrats! I love "sofaticipating" - my Carlyle custom distressed leather petite storage sectional should be here in about 3 weeks. My poodles are currently very annoyed at me as I have already thrown away the old sofa, and they are currently reduced to laying on rugs and floor beds.

Maybe I'm over-thinking, but looking at the photo again, I'm wondering if the button tufting is a good idea - it sort of reminds me of the concept of some cat toys, and I'm wondering if it might stimulate the prey drive in some cats? My old sofa had that and it wound up being a huge crumb collector from the poodle treats. My new sofa will be made from large hides, so no tufting - in fact, no seam on the chaise cushion, which is something that I've never seen before in leather!

I love the idea of getting a leather couch for out home [we have no pets or kids, yet-- I just like the look and it fits our aesthetic] but I'm wondering if the leather rips and tears over time from use? I remember an aunt having one when I was a kid and there were giant rips just from the family's regular use of it. Perhaps it wasn't genuine leather and perhaps they beat that poor couch down when i wasn't around but can someone fill me in or give me advice about it? thanks!

@Poodle Mom: Do you have a pic of your sectional? I checked out Carlyle but they don't seem to have any storage sectionals?

We have a leather couch (bought used, and not the greatest quality) and after about 10 years the seat cushions started to rip and fray at the corners and edges from normal use. When measuring to make new cushion covers, I noticed that the leather was very, very thin. If I bought another leather couch I would make sure the leather was thicker and better quality.

Best quote ever from a client....

"It was easier to find a husband, than it was to find this sofa. Of course the sofa will probably last longer!"

She was a blast!!!

Oooh- that's a really nice take on leather! My mind can't get past the big, bulky things at my in-laws' when I think of leather couches. It's a shame there's no Kasala on the east coast. This is a timely post for me as well as my husband and I just bought our first place and we'll be looking for a new sofa. We've had a sectional from IKEA for the past five years that's been run into the ground- springs popping, cushions flattening, cats scratching.

Looks like I've got some new sofa style inspiration! Thanks!

my cat has scratched the top of our leather chair up (mainly leaping to it and missing), but has never touched thewest elm cloth sectional. go figure.

So that's from Kasala? Their sale catalog has some great Lotus chairs.

@dustinstruckmeyer, that is a horribly cynical and disrespectful thing for a woman to say about her husband. Would you think it was so funny if a man said it about his wife?

@miyazawa2 - I don't have the sofa yet, it's being delivered in about 3 weeks(I was lucky that my leather was in stock, and they build it in their own factory in Jersey, and do their own delivery, so it's quicker than you would think for entirely custom built), but I will post pictures and review when I get it.
This is the basic design that I got - http://www.carlylesofa.com/sofabeds/detail.php?7-DS-63, but you would not see what I'm getting because it is being made exactly to my specifications - a 68" Chaise, a 36" one arm chair, ottoman 10" smaller on each side because I want room to walk around it rather than constantly move it to get to the chair or chaise. Storage inside of all 3 pieces(I don't need a bed, and there was no extra charge for the storage compartments, I assume because it is priced as a sofa bed). Saw an example of the storage compartment in the showroom and the walls around it and the cover look very strong/well built, so I do not have any concerns about it impacting the comfort of the seats. Had my choice of doing one large or 2 compartments under the chaise, and ordered one. Beautiful distressed leather with a light metallic overcoat, baseball stitching, fabric on the base of the ottoman with matching fabric pillows for the sofa and recessed brass castors (very substantial looking) which give the appearance of the pieces floating, and make moving around a 400 pound piece as easy as pushing an empty shopping cart( until it is paid off and I can do some more re-decorating, it will be resting in front of some free standing mirrored wardrobes), and Dacron/spring seat cushions with overstuffed (for lumbar support) back cushions(which they will do free adjustments on for the first 30 days if they are not just right). Obviously I cannot comment on the product yet, but so far I am very pleased with the zero sales pressure, and infinite patience that the Upper Eastside store manager Warren has shown both during my two, 2 hour visits to the showroom, and dozens of "I have another silly question" phone calls!
It was more than I ever thought that I'd spend on a sofa, but thinking that with this kind of quality, the money saved not having to buy new cheapo pieces every couple of years, and getting my hearts desire in comfort, size, style, and storage will make the initial outlay well worth it!
Sorry for going on so, but if you couldn't tell - I am SO excited about this!!

This looks like it's made in my leather http://www.carlylesofa.com/inStockNew/detail.php?Cube-Ottoman-191
Isn't it pretty? :-) I gouged the swatch as hard as I could with my nails
to see what would happen if a poodle skidded across it, and yes, you could see the scratch, but blended well enough with the distressed look that it won't upset me if it happens to the actual sofa!

Oh, and if anybody looking at the leather has any ideas for a "pop" color, I would love to hear them. The fabric on the bottom of the ottoman and the matching pillows will be a very dark gray with a slight cord in the fabric, and I'll be doing the walls in a light/medium gray. Now I just need to find an extra color pop for the rug and maybe an extra pillow and vase. I wanted to do red, but it does not work at all with this color..

You can also give your cats a biweekly nail trim to reduce any accidental/deliberate damage. One of mine claws drywall if I don't. (Yes, they have scratchers. She PREFERS drywall.0 Takes less than 2 minutes per kitty.

Leather, like everything else used for upholstery, comes in different grades. You need to do some research and find out what you are buying before you buy. There are finishes on leather that will take scratches well, and some that won't. Some will wear out in a few years, some will last decades. Depends on how the leather is tanned, how it is dyed, how it is sewn together. Some less expensive leather furniture only has leather on the parts you touch--the arms, the seat and back cushions. The sides and the back are fake leather.

Some cats attack leather. Some, like mine, don't like it. Sadly, the only way to find out is to bring a piece of leather furniture home.

I searched for 8 years (really, 8) before picking my leather sofa. I really wanted a deep, comfy one without individual cushions on the back or the seat. First day I had the couch, one of the cats peed on it - I cleaned it with soap and water, and it didn't leave a mark. Since then, ahem, there have been several incidences involving pets and the sofa. So far, it still looks great. No scratches, no stains.

I went with a natural caramel brown tone -- I do not like dyed leather. Younger people haven't been through enough trends to realize that dyed leather will look dated no matter what color you choose. Gray is a neutral, but it's a trendy neutral.

I hope your couch does not get eaten like the leather recliner my husband had to have. Our cats tore it apart. I am waiting for them to finish the job and I am just going to have re-done in some sort of fabric.

@RURAL AND RUEFUL having a sense of humor does wonderful things for a marriage-- I'm sure they'll be fine.

My SO is vegan so leather is not an option. We got a cheap ikea Karlstad sectional (sivik green) and my cats have not laid a single claw in it (probably because they're busy with the carpet). My precocious boy cat though has torn to hell and back two faux leather chairs from ikea. He would literally fling his whole body weight into it, claws out, scratching them to smithereens even shifting the chairs a few inches (he had a lot of energy to say the least. ) He's calmed down considerably now, but lets just say I don't keep $1k+ furniture where I keep my cats.

@Poodle Mom: Your sofa sounds like a dream! How much did you pay for it, if you don't mind me asking? And I will def be giving Warren a visit one of these days! Thanks so much for the details and be sure to post a pic!!

@Xarcady is right, it all depends. Put a deposit on the leather swatches and take it home--dangle it in front of the pets.

Once you have leather furniture back at the homestead, make sure you take care of it. Lexol is probably the most popular and most readily-available treatment. The softer the leather is, the less likely it will crack or rip.

If it's going to be in the sun, do a bit of research and find something with a UV protectant.

@miyazawa2
I'd rather not post the exact price, but you can get an idea by looking at the floor models on the website (though I'd say reality is closer to the marked down ones). My price was elevated due to the expensive leather that I fell in love with, but somewhat lowered by it being on the small side. They do have less expensive leathers, but in the end I decided that it was stupid to pay so much for something that I plan to have for at least a decade and just feel that it was OK - might as well go for broke and have something that makes me smile every time that I look at it! The price would have been almost half in fabric -To give you an idea - I saved around $600 just by making the bottom of the ottoman fabric instead of leather!
If you do go into see Warren, please tell him that you read about it here because I told him that I would be posting pictures on Apartment Therapy, so they had best take extra care with it ha ha!