Leather Furniture Today

November 3rd, 2014

Leather furniture classes up any room. It adds a hard-to-replicate, versatile element of aesthetics to any space. It could add to the classic look and feel of a solid oak library/study/den or could add to the clean lines and modern design of a minimalist loft on the Lower East Side. Leather is available in tons of shades and tones to meet the color scheme of any space. Not all leathers are created equal however and there are some things to watch for.

In most cases we all assume that a higher grade is a better products. In the case of leather this isn’t always true. The highest grades of leather called “top grain” or “full grain” are beautiful soft hides with few scars and require the least amount of processing. Because furniture requires large areas of this quality, and they represent the top 1% of all the hides produced in the world, they make for very pricey furniture. They are also very open pored so oils from your hair and skin (or popcorn!) will stain this type of leather and they should be treated like delicate fabrics.

The starting grades of leather furniture, that are not quite so perfect, still represent the top 10% of the worlds hides. These hides are rolled through a imprinting drum (corrected leather) to hide some of the imperfections and are then coated with a durable finish (protected leather). These hides make up the largest share of the leather furniture sold today. Furniture made with this type of leather is durable, cleanable and more easily repaired than fabric.

There are a few things to do to keep your leather furniture in top shape. Most spills can be wiped of with a damp cloth but avoid dish soap which will dry the hide out. Use leather products designed for furniture not foot ware or old made using old family recipes. Keep your leather moisturized but don’t get carried away.

Finally, “bonded leather” is not leather, it has some ground up leather by-products in the backing but is at best a eurathane top coat that would be better on a durable cloth backing. Splits are the second level of hide after the “top grain” is removed. Splits can be finished to look like leather but do not have the strength. They or PVC are often used on the outside of a leather piece of furniture to keep the cost down and might well be worth it for that purpose.

Good leather came from a cow and it will have variations depending if it came from the animals side or neck. Some may have barbed wire scars or even brandings of the ranch it grew up on. If this doesn’t appeal to you it might be worth checking out some of the new materials that look just like leather.

 





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