How much use will the side chair get? Jist thinking about future cleaning and if you have leather would that be the only fabric furniture piece you have?
I think you can def blend leather and fabric. Other option that I would consider is if you want leather to make it a different color of leather than the couch.
Also what type of shape/style of chair? Wingback? Rounded swivel? Regular single side chair??
Having a mix has worked out well for us. The choices of where to sit is a consideration if any one in your family (or future family) or friends visits who has an objection to leather furniture.
Without too much thought, we are on our 2nd leather couch. We also have a fabric Ikea chair with an ottoman and a fabric and wood folding rocking chair. The dining room chairs are leather. Everything seems to match well enough for us.
If we get a chair that reclines, rocks and swivels, then it may become a favorite for my husband when he’s not watching TV. Otherwise I’m not sure. Our room is an odd shape (@11.5 x 18, but it has a fireplace hearth that sticks out about 21 inches on the 18 foot wall, so it makes furniture placement difficult, including the TV).
I prefer a mix of textiles in a room. It’s all about what you like, though, and it will look good no matter what.
My only caution with fabric is to make sure you check the cleaning code. Do not get S! We had a designer help us choose our fabrics a number of years ago, and we told her our needs. We were naive & assumed she chose fabrics that could be cleaned with water. Nope. Big mistake. I now choose Crypton fabric or similar & have been very happy.
Thanks for the advice, but what is S?
S is solvent only. If you use water at all on it, even to spot clean, it can leave a ring. It’s for people who don’t let anyone sit on their furniture, IMO! There are companies that are very good at cleaning with solvents, but it’s an added expense.
@kelsmom - so interesting! The fabric seat of my car seams to get worse and worse when I try to clean it - leaves ring upon ring. Maybe it’s that ‘solvent only’ fabric. Will check it out!
Not quite a question but has anyone else run into the following kind of situation:
I have an ophthalmologist appointment in a couple of weeks for my annual exam. I got a call from the office a couple of days ago saying that they wanted to change my appointment to see an optometrist instead. They claimed my doctor requested that because my appointment was for a full eye exam which included a refraction exam. And my doctor doesn’t do refraction exams. And that the optometrist would do both a refraction exam and dilated eye exam.
I’ve been going to this doctor for nine years and although they’ve tested my vision at appointments, have never written a prescription. They insist you go to their optometrist for that, which I did once and sure enough ended up with another dilated exam which I had just had. Plus a special retinal scan which they claimed was different than the retinal scan my ophthalmologist had done.
Anyway, I told them I wanted to see my ophthalmologist who was tracking me for potential diabetes retinopathy and potential macular degeneration (which my dad had) and that he was keeping an eye on few iffy retinal cells. And that I wanted to discuss the eye vitamin he has me on. Plus checking my cataracts which isn’t as big of deal. They conveniently found an appointment with him even sooner than my original appointment (even though you normally need to book months ahead). And that I should understand it was just for a dilated eye exam and no refraction. Yes, I get it, that’s what I want, if I want to check my vision I have somewhere else to go where they just check your vision.
So it sure sounds like they’re trying to shift some of the appointments to their optometry department. I’m going to ask the doctor about this but wondered if it’s a trend.
I have a OD (doctor or optometry) who does glaucoma testing as well as vision testing. But it has to be done at different appointments because the former is charged to my medical insurance and the latter to vision plan.
And I don’t have a vision plan - just Medicare with supplemental (not Advantage).
My optometrist does a very comprehensive exam. Years ago, when I switched from glasses to contacts, my ophthalmologist had me start seeing the optometrist associated with his practice, instead. I have been going to a different optometrist for a long time, and I feel confident in her skills, as well as her knowledge of when to refer me when necessary. We haven’t had vision insurance since I retired, but part of my H’s exam is charged to Medicare. Part of it is not, and it’s all done at the same time. None of my exam is charged to Medicare, based on the fact that I am not seeing her for a medical condition at this point (that could change).
Since my primary concern is retinal health (with reason), I really want to see the ophthalmologist. I want to be his patient if/when something starts going wrong.
So maybe the push to switch is insurance based in some way? Perhaps there have been issues with claims or patients who didn’t understand about refraction exams. (Which I do.) A friend who goes to the same practice recently got switched but her only issue is cataracts and she’s already had that surgery.
We only see an Ophthamologist, who is a family friend so haven’t encountered this issue. I know that we did see an optometrist for many years but switched to an Ophthamologist when my mom did since I had to drive her to appts. When this family friend returned to HI to practice, we switched to her and have been pretty satisfied. She goes the eye exam and writes prescriptions. She does charge if you miss your appointment, but that’s fair enough.
H goes to an opthalmologist for medical reasons and they wanted to add on visual acuity. They did it one time and it was really crudely done and not nearly as detailed as an optometrist. I actually insisted he was there for the medical only. He goes to an optometrist for glasses.
As mentioned in the Glaucoma thread, I’ve found it confusing that optometrist (DO) is referred to as Dr _______. I had assumed doctor title meat ophthalmologist.
So what the heck is an optician??
The one who is trained and licensed to fit your prescription glasses and teach you how to get contacts in and out. 
I think it was here I asked about password managers. I decided on NordPass but I’m having a heck of a time on the learning curve. I’m not super savvy on all this new-fangled stuff.
I had my eye appointment today and found out what happened. The staffer at the check out desk told me that the practice had been sold to a group. So new rules or whatever about what the doctors do. She said tons of patients were very upset about the switch after coming there for 30 or more years, and were leaving the practice in droves.
It certainly explained why my ophthalmologist seemed so aggravated when I asked him about the office trying to redirect me to the optometrist. And why he said things like:
Anyway, he did agree that I can keep seeing him and the staffer told me exactly what to say when making my next appointment. Luckily my retina is stable and my cataracts, although getting worse, are not anywhere near replacement stage. See you in a year. Oh, sand the staffer claimed the calls to patients about the switch were coming from Colombia, although I’m not sure if that was an exaggeration.