Kids Playroom - Am I Crazy for Wanting a White Leather Couch???

Groan! How about a BLACK leather couch? Better yet, a black couch that is not totally leather - it's cheaper. White is just going to give you grief...

Dawn

I'll have to agree with others about the color--white sounds like an invitation for disaster, especially in an area where kids should feel free to play. You really need a color which will not require constant cleaning, and white is not that color. Remember that the kids aren't going to care about the color scheme; they're going to use the room for activities.

I think a sectional would actually be great in a play room because the kids can move around the pieces and create makebelieve ships, islands, buildings... okay, maybe that's not the degree of play which you would want to allow, but it was the first thought I had. As for the material, I don't have any strong thoughts on that one. If you have had good experiences with leather, go with that. The main thing is to have something which you can clean easily and will withstand lots of pounding.

Enjoy the decision!

A couch with a washable cover is the way to go. In addition to being washable, it is replaceable if and when you redecorate.
Also aqua and chocolate brown go great with lime green and white. If you want leather, the brown will ordinate and hide the eventual stains. (maybe save the white for a chair rail)

Rethink the color WHITE,what happens when you put a white shirt on a child?That should answer your question

nuts!!!!!!
:X
khairete
S.

Yes, you're crazy. I have a brown leather couch and my kids muck that thing up with their grimy fingers... I can't imagine having a white one! Please, save your sanity and go with something else!

No experience with white leather couches but I would think so. I think putting kids near anything white is asking for it. :)

I do agree with the leather though, its much more durable with kids and pets.

Leather would be fine, I wouldn't go with white though.

Get an inexpensive couch with removable, washable covers, or get slipcovers you can wash and put them over a better couch. This is a playroom. It is just inevitable that things will be spilled at a minimum, or markers or crayons will end up left on or in the cushions of the couch. It sounds from the post as if you're thinking about the room's appearance (white couch, lime walls, bright accent colors) but not enough about the wear and tear and damage. Leather is tough, but even leather can rip. And just think about the effects of even a "washable" marker on white leather.

Save your money and save yourself headaches later. Forget the color scheme and decorating idea, and get something you can clean easily and won't be brokenhearted, or furious, to throw out after a few years if necessary. You do not want to be in the position of constantly telling children -- in what is really supposed to be THEIR space for fun -- to be careful, don't do this or that, watch out around the couch, etc. That stresses both you and the kids. Yes, they should learn to care for things and not go wild on any furniture, even iin their own playroom, but a white leather couch, to me, would be a constant source of tension and you'd be wondering, "Are they going to mess it up?"

Short answer, YES, you're crazy!! lol!! Think about INK - it NEVER comes out!!! I would buy a less expensive, easier to clean, sofa for now. Then when they get a little older go with the leather. Just my opinion!!

My husband bought an upholstered brownish/greyish three-piece set made by Flexsteel - not sure what the fabric is - but we've been married 19 years, he bought it before we even met, and it still looks great!! I actually use baby wipes to spot clean it and I've never had any problems.

Good luck!!

I would never buy a white leather couch. We have a leather sectional in our playroom --it's perfect. Go with a dark color, and you won't regret it.

I think leather is the perfect material for little people because you can clean it constantly without much effort. It takes less than 15 minutes to clean, and I do it at least once a month. We didn't go cheap, we just went and bought what we liked. My oldest was 1 at the time. A friend of mine thought we were nuts, but we had such great luck with our leather couches in our living room that I just knew leather was the way to go in the playroom.

Yes, white is crazy. What's wrong with black? When you get sick of the decor, you can change it and the couch will still fit in.

I had a white leather purse and my kids don't destroy anything, but they still managed to get a couple pen marks on it.

If you like the lighter color, I saw a light gray leather sofa on the IKEA website. Not sure if real leather or bonded.
I agree - Leather is THE WAY to go. White, however, scares the bejezzus out of me:) The contrast is great. - check out the gray. it may be too light also, but on the website it look great.
OH - If you do go the route of slip covers, buy an extra two sets in the event they discontinue. Happened with one of my chairs;(

This is a very bad idea.

In a playroom you want things that are washable, which leather is not. Ideally you would want something with removable cushions as well... again no luck with leather. You really don't want white furniture with young children.

We have cloth couches and two cats (one is a long-hair). It's not a big deal. Weekly vaccuum and lint roller "as needed".

If it's not washable, you don't want it in a playroom. Afterall, the whole point is that they can go in there and play without you having to "hover", right?

Lime green and black is an awesome contrast and is very popular right now so you could find lots of zebra print with lime green accents, black geometric stuff with lime green, etc....it's very hot right now. I think the black leather would be the one to go in the kids room.

Buy yourself a new couch for the living room...lol...give the kids the older one. Even though it still looks good it will last longer than they will be kids.

White leather is hard to get marker, ink pen, finger paint, crayola, all sorts of dirt from clothes, and just about anything else you can think of.

No other color than black will highlight that lime green wall better. Other colors will diminish the lime and make it more avocado colored. Do the black...

Here are some links to the color scheme.

Lime with black accents and a lot of pink. If it's boys leave out the green and do lime green walls, black furniture, and white trim on the doors and on the windows.

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Girls-Rooms/Hot-Pin...

This is a different color on the walls but I put it in so you could see some accessories that are the black and green, I know we see the lime and black stuff all the time.

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Nurseries/Black-whi...

Are girly room with lime walls and black accents.

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Girls-Rooms/Pre-tee...

Why, yes. Yes, you are. :) :) :)

How about a cheaper fake leather if you have to have that style? That way you can just wipe it down and not worry too much, but....ack! Also, a couch with a white slipcover? I'm all about a slipcover you can throw in the wash as often as necessary, and when they're older toss it.
I'm just thinking our playroom is for our children to just let loose and PLAY. It's big: it fits right over the garage, so it's an extended length 2 car garage size room. It's not to impress my friends (though it is very very cute if I do say so myself); it's to let my kids have fun and play. I wouldn't want stuff that couldn't get dirty, or that I'd be worried about. My guys have a "different" color (reddish-orangeish(?) with white trim) color room with a sleeper sofa that I got off craigslist for $40 (it looks good in there, but I'm not gonna sweat a $40 couch and worry about it lasting 10+ years), a little TV stand with a little TV/VHS for some of the old Disney movies, awesome toy storage system that can last into their college years later for books, a train table, indoor playhouse, a full play kitchen, and loads of room to play in the middle. I'm proud of the room, the boys adore it, but we don't furnish it with things that would cause stress for me or trouble for them.

You could purchase one and go ahead and spill some nail polish on it maybe on the back... .. that way any other spills or accidents will not be as painful.

Our daughter suggest purchase it and have a plastic cover made for it like her Great grandmothers sofa.

Just having fun with you.. Children can learn to take care of things.

Microfiber. Anything and everything wipes off and no stains. White leather. Don't think so.

I HATE our microfiber couch. It's only 5 years old and already looks raggedy. WORST purchase ever, it holds on to every stain (though it's ok with our dog's hair). Impossible to clean!
My Mom has a burgundy heavy leather couch that still looks great even after 20 years, several cats and 5 grandchildren. But it was very expensive and honestly not really my style. I also don't like that it is kind of cold to sit on, so I always want a blanket under me.
My sis has a white Ikea couch. I have to say when she first got it I thought she must be crazy, she has 4 kids ages 14 - 5 and got the couch before her 5 year old was born. But it held up GREAT. I am impressed! The cotton covers come off and she washes them on the gentle cycle with some chlorox and voila - all the stains come out and it looks like new. I am definitely going the removable cover route next time I buy a couch.
Good luck.

I wouldn't buy a white anything as long as I have kids in the house. As for the playroom, we had a playroom when the kids were little. The kids didn't actually play in the playroom, or use the sofa. It was more of a storage room for toys. The kids wanted to play in the parts of the house we were in. They would get the toy they wanted from the playroom and come play wherever I was.

I am single and my white Italian leather sofa gets stained from my skin's oil in the summer when I lounge on it. I love it but it can really look dirty after simply sitting on. I have to clean it every month with a special soft leather cleaner. It gets tedious and expensive.

I would NOT do leather!!

Microfiber is the easiest to keep clean. I own a brown one. I just scrub it down with a microfiber sponge with hot water and dawn soap. My kids are 1 and 2, so the couch gets pretty dirty.

Have you tried something like a micro suede? I think that is what out family room couch is and love, love, love it for kids and dogs. Any marks or spots come right off. Even pen! I have a dog and when my mom brings her golden to visit the hair doesn't stick to it at all. I also love that I can remove the pillow covers and wash if I need to. You could also go with other colors. Brown and green are always fun with white accents.

I had tan leather seats in my old car, yes, my jeans turned the driver's seat a bit blue.

Thing with leather is there are ways to restore it. No other material can say that. It is a matter of can you accept that it will have to be done, ya know?

I put ceramic tile in my kitchen because I knew I could always restore it, I love things that can be restored! Our new sofa is leather but brown is what goes with our family room.

I would get it if that is what looks best and then find yourself the best leather company you can find. It will last you darn near forever. :)

White leather with kids and pets. You are joking right? Ink and dyes bleed on light colored fabrics, leather included. Something durable in a nice stain-hiding print is perhaps best. I don't really like microfiber. I have seen some really nice sofas with fabric similar to a corduroy pattern. A print will camouflage stains. If you prefer leather go with a darker shade. I have a charcoal grey leather sectional and it is beautiful and durable.

why not put the old black couch in the playroom and get a new one for the other room?

Leather will hold up long enough for your grandkids to play on it. As long as you keep it up. You can use a lether cleaner/softerner on it once a month and it will last forever. Oils from your skin and sweat will break down leather but if you do the upkeep it will last a long time. Think leather seats in your car, the drivers seat will break down first because that seat is the most often used. Again leather treatment and cleaner will stop this.

I would go with a nice brown color. Would still look good with green walls and not show so much dirt. You can change the color of the walls and the brown will still look good.

You k ow, I still pine for my Natuzzi ivory sofa/love seat set.
It handled my husky in her senior years AND my toddler--no sweat.
Easy to clean with water & we even got blue ink off of it when my dog carried a pen onto the sofa and chewed it apart.
It was the most durable furniture -- ever. I wouldn't hesitate to use light leather in a playroom!

If its there play room and you can afford it I would look into some comfy fruniture from Ikea they can write on! Color and scrible on and make there own. I have seen some featured as art but a white simple Ikea chair or three would be fun for the family and great for a play room.

I would not have anything but leather in my family room or play room. I love it! Not sure about white though. I do have a cream colored leather chair in my study though. It is 14 years old and looks brand new although it doesn't get a lot of use.

In my experience, kids will ruin a couch. Any couch. We'll only have fabric because I don't want to deal with leather cracking, ripping, or any toxic smells. The kids would beat leather up. Fabric holds up but it starts to sag like anything. White? No way! :) There is just no way...I can't imagine! Good luck!