We bought new living room furniture this year..I liked the look of leather, but was worried about the scratches. The salesman said as long as you go with "top grain" leather, it will not scratch. he even demonstrated by letting me scratch a sofa
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Due to cost, we compromised and bought a microfiber couch and love seat & a leather Lazyboy recliner. I like the microfiber because spills seem to "pool" on the fabric and it is super easy to wipe down. I love the look of my leather chair, it is not styled like a recliner, and it adds a bit of luxury to the room. We've had it for about 4 months and it is a favorite of Cooper's, and no scratches to date!