Buying guide · Living room

Kid- and pet-friendly sofas

The question is never whether the dog will get on the sofa. It is what the sofa is made of when he does. These are the materials and details that hold up, and the pieces in our showroom that have them.

Performance fabric first

A performance fabric is woven to shed liquid and release stains with water. Ashley’s Nuvella is the one we carry most: a juice spill beads up, and pet hair brushes off a tight weave. Look for a tight, flat weave over a loop or bouclé, which claws catch in.

Sofas in Nuvella performance fabric

Leather and faux leather wipe clean

Leather takes a wet cloth and gets better with scuffs; it is the choice for a house with dogs, with one caution: a cat will scratch it. Faux leather costs less, wipes clean the same way, and is the sensible pick for a playroom sofa that will be replaced in five years anyway.

Leather and faux leather sofas

Construction that survives jumping

A kiln-dried hardwood frame and sinuous-spring or pocketed-coil seats take years of children landing on them. Fixed back cushions cannot be pulled off and used as a fort wall; loose seat cushions can be flipped when one side wears. Tight seats with no loose cushions at all hide the fewest crumbs.

Reclining sofas for the family room

Colour and pattern that forgive

Mid-tone greys, browns and greens hide more than cream or black. A subtle texture or heather hides more than a flat colour. If the dog is golden, do not buy charcoal; if the dog is black, do not buy oatmeal.

Sectionals that hide the day

A sleeper for the sleepover

In a house with children, a sleeper sofa in the family room is the guest room for the cousins. Choose one in the same easy-clean fabric and the sleepover does not cost you a sofa.

Sleeper sofas

Asked in the showroom

What is the best sofa fabric for dogs?
A tight-weave performance fabric such as Nuvella, or leather. Both release hair and clean with water. Avoid loops, bouclé and velvet, which hold hair and catch claws.
Is leather good with cats?
Leather wipes clean and hides dog scuffs, but cats scratch it. For cats, a tight performance fabric is the better choice.
Should I choose loose or fixed cushions with kids?
Fixed backs stay in place; loose seat cushions can be flipped when one side wears. Either is fine, but tight seats with no loose cushions hide the fewest crumbs.

Tell us the room and we find the furniture: your personal designer, or call (925) 325-8537.

More guides

  • The best sectionals for a large family — How to choose a sectional that seats six or more: width, U-shape vs L-shape, reclining, fabric, and getting it through the door. With pieces we deliver across Northern California.
  • Living room furniture for a small apartment — Furniture for a living room under 200 square feet: sofas under 80 inches, pieces that do two jobs, and the measurements that keep the room open. From our Northern California showroom.