Hello Design Enthusiasts!

If your house is like mine it probably revolves around the living room and, most importantly, the couch.

We live in our living room. It’s been the dining room more often than I should really admit and currently it’s my office.

You probably pledged that “when the kids are grown and we have money we’ll have nice things”. That’s an excuse to not invest in pieces that will hold up to our living. Not a good one, but it’s an excuse.

To help you, I’ve put together 4 sofas that you MUST have and 3 you can live without. Your must have should stand up to kids and pets. Plus, they’ll stand up to living. I also have the 3 that won’t, just incase you want to wait for your family to grow out of, you know, living.

The 4 MUST Have Sofas

Leather: Timeless and classic with a little more squeeze on the wallet. Leather is timeless and incredibly durable. Like wine, it ages well – something we all wish we had. Over time, you will spend less money.

Leather Every Where You Touch: Not as sexy as it sounds, but definitely a way to save on leather. Real leather where you use it and faux where you don’t. A good way to get leather at a lower price.

Polyester : Bad suits of the 70’s anyone? Polyester is a durable and easily cleaned product, perfect for sofas. Great if you want the benefits of microfiber (see below), but the look of a regular woven fabric. Available in a wide range of colors and styles, its a great solution for kids and pets.

Velvet Polyester: AKA microfiber, this is an amazing fabric that’s affordable. (It’s what I have in chocolate on my wingback sofa!) Durable and water resistant makes it perfect for kids, pets and any other living, like eating. And pet claws don’t get caught because it’s not woven. Plus, the velvet look adds a touch of luxury at a great price.

The 3 Sofas You Can Live Without. Really.

Overstuffed: I know they look and feel comfortable but it’s short lived. Over time, (within a year really) stuffing gets packed down, therefore, cushions look frumpy. There’s no coming back from that.

Pleather: The cheap pleather that covers most affordable sofas is not breathable and will never look as good as it did on the first day. It’s also not as forgiving as the real deal. Don’t get me wrong, faux leather has it’s place, just not the low end.

White: Fixer Upper has made all of us fall in love with white sofas. I’m behind how clean they look, however, I’m not behind how they don’t stay clean looking. If your family lives in your house and you want a white sofa, I recommend a sofa cover or investing in white accessories.

And those are the 4 sofas you MUST have and the 3 you can live without. Whatever sofa you are looking at, make sure it can stand up to your family.

Interested in what the difference between a designer and a decorator is? Check it out here.