Leather furniture in a Formal Living Room?

[DawnCt1]

There is such a wide variety of leather sofa/chair styles, colors, etc. that I am sort of questioning my "own conventional wisdom" that leather is more casual and belongs in a den or family room and other fabrics belong in a living room. Any thoughts on this? I saw a very lovely pale yellow/gold leather set that I think would be nice in my living room. I get a lot of sun on that side of the house, I love sun so I need something that if it did fade, it wouldn't be noticed. This pale yellow looks like a very flexible neutral and I can't think of one accent color that it wouldn't go with. Not ready to do it now but it might be a good winter project.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

That is the exact color I have in my formal living room. My living room isn't huges, but it isn't small either, what I did was a love seat, love seat combo instead of the love seat and a couch, For the shape of our room, it works so much better for conversations. I have an occacional chair at the head of the stone coffee table.

 

[DawnCt1]

That is the exact color I have in my formal living room. My living room isn't huges, but it isn't small either, what I did was a love seat, love seat combo instead of the love seat and a couch, For the shape of our room, it works so much better for conversations. I have an occacional chair at the head of the stone coffee table.

Do you have leather??

 

[Cindy's Mom]

Yes its leather

 

[golfgal]

You know, the decorating police really don't have arresting capabilities and can't put you in jail so if you want to put leather in your formal living room, put leather in your formal living room. The decorating police don't live in your house, you do.

 

[KelNottAt]

I think leather can go anywhere. In fact, I'm thinking about using it for the upolstery on my new dining room chairs.

Thinking about it, but not sure yet. Anyone want to give me an opinon?

This is the table: http://www.statton.com/Collection_Item.php?ID=161
And these are the chairs I want, with red or green leather seats: http://www.statton.com/Collection_Item.php?ID=7573

BTW, don't be fooled, my home is not NEARLY as formal as these manufacturer's pictures. My house is "colonial minimalist," kinda williamsburgy. Not fancy shmancy formal.

 

[RitaZ.]

We have a leather set in our family room and I love it. I just clean it once in a while with leather cleaner and it looks like new. It was the best choice for our family room.

My brother has a leather set in his living room and it looks great. The leather has an aged look to it and it looks really elegant.

 

[Skatermom23]

I have leather in both the family room and my formal LR> The one in the family room is huge overstuffed...you know the kind you sink into! My LR has a sectional that is more elegent looking. Both are a light beige color.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I love REAL leather, however DH refuses to buy it as he thinks the dogs will tear it up.

It goes anywhere...but the thing with leather is that the color of the display may not be exact as the couch you get and leather does change color slightly as it wears. Not significant but for some it may bother them.

 

[DawnCt1]

Yes its leather

What accent colors did you pick to go with it?

 

[froglady]

I think that the design of the piece is just as important as the fabric.

I've seen some leather pieces that are definitely formal appearing, because of the design. A tufted or channel back would be more formal than an overstuffed style, for instance. A wing back chair with Queen Anne style legs would be more formal than a recliner, and so on.

 

[ilovepcot]

I've seen a good many formal living rooms (mostly at Ethan Allen) that have sofas done in leather. Very stately and rich!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Unless you have a house that people will tour on a Homes and Gardens Tour, I wouldn't worry about what anyone else says about what is the proper couch or anything else for your house. Think about what you like, what will fit with your lifestyle, with your colors, etc, etc. You will be the one living with it, afterall. I don't worry about having a certain style of furniture throughout my house--I have light colored contemporary dining room furniture and in my bedroom traditional cherry. I buy what I like and have yet to have the decorating police cite me.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

What accent colors did you pick to go with it?

Dawn, when you asked if it was leather, I said yes to the love seats....then I starting thinking maybe you were asking about the occasional chair, and that answer is no it is not.

My accent colors are walls are deeo pumpkin color; floors are hardwood' that chair is forest green (with a tiny pattern of the pumkin and "gold" in it). w/ cherry wood legs and arms; bookcases, sofa table, and curio are all cherry wood. The carpet underneath the coffee table brings it all together.