Only Buy Leather Furniture If You Want The Best
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Leather furniture gives any room the patina of luxury. With innumerable looks and feels, leather can be matched to any color or decor. You can find leather furniture that is textured or patterned; dyed or natural; coated, polished or brushed; top-grain or split.
Before a cowhide can be used, it must be split, resulting in three full sized hides. The outer layer is called top grain. It has scars and imperfections since it was on the outside of the cow. Top grain is the most supple and durable layer. Imperfections may be sanded out. The grade of the leather depends on the extent of the imperfections. Some top grain is brushed with steel bristles making the nap even softer. Nubuck is top grain that has been buffed and brushed.
The other layers are called split-leather. Split-leather has a more fibrous feel than top grain. Split leather is brushed and buffed to make suede.
Leather is tanned with salts and then dyed by tumbling in a large vat with dye and other pieces of leather. The dying process is unique because leather absorbs the dye, which means it never fades. Today’s leather is suppler and stretches more than vintage leathers, so it isn’t as prone to cracking, if it is properly maintained.
Types of Leather
There are three types of leather used in furniture upholstery. Top grain is premium leather, most frequently used for furniture, vehicle upholstery, and clothing. Soft and supple, it is low maintenance and spill-proof. Semi-aniline has a finished, coated appearance. It is vulnerable to spotting from spills; making it the hardest type of leather to care for. Aniline is a soft brushed leather with an unfinished surface, which is also vulnerable to stains.
Any of these can be textured or patterned. They are available in just about any color by custom order, but traditional colors are black, white, beige, and dark brown. Most color schemes can be previewed online or in person.
Some leather furniture uses top grain for the seating areas but imitation leather is used for the front of the arms, the trim and unseen spots. Some plastic imitation leathers, or pleathers, are very realistic, but they do not feel like leather. They’re not stretchy and will crack and rip easily. Make sure you are buying 100 percent leather furniture to avoid faux leather. Frame woods vary from traditional hardwood to kiln dried alder. The suspension can be 8-way hand-tied coils or sinuous springs. Both of these variables will affect the cost considerably.
Leather furniture, if properly maintained, will last 20-30 years. It breathes and warms up to body temperature quickly, which makes it especially body-friendly. It’s fire resistant and smolder-proof. The dyes will not rub off because they have been absorbed into the leather. It will not gather or absorb dust mites or allergens because it breathes.
Leather Sofas
When most people think of leather furniture, they think of a nice, big leather sofa. By definition, a sofa is a long upholstered seat with back and arms and room for three or more people. It can have two or three cushions, which are usually down- and feather-topped, high-reflex foam for a deep soft seat. An especially luxurious model is the leather chesterfield sofa.
A stately, premium top grain sofa will cost $4000 or more. Low end leather sofas cost $500. This shows the price variation between highest quality leathers, frame woods and suspensions as opposed to lesser combinations of material, wood and springs. A sofa can be a stand-alone purchase or it may be bought in a set with an armchair or as part of a sectional package.
Leather settees
Leather settees are a modern take on the 1600’s seat. Settees are beautiful and unique, coming in a wide variety of styles. A settee is a long seat with a back and arms, having seating for two or more people. The back can be full or partial, on either the side or back, so you could sit on it or across it. Settees might have one arm, two arms or zero arms. That’s how wide the range of interpretations is on this piece. Settees can look like an Art Deco sleigh, a Rococo bench or a Victorian spaceship. Check out various designs here, here and here.
Settees, due to the very nature of their extreme designs, vary widely in cost. Depending on the leather quality, frame type and suspension variables mentioned earlier, a settee costs between $1000 and $5000.
Leather armchairs
Leather armchairs are usually bought in a set with a sofa or loveseat. An armchair has thick back and arm rests. It has the same framing as a sofa, only smaller. Matching sofa/armchair combinations are impressive and give depth and focus to a room.
Armchair styles vary to match sofa styles by era, like Victorian or Art Deco. An armchair is handy in the bedroom, as well as family rooms. Armchairs are less expensive because they’re smaller than sofas and less ornate than settees, costing between $300 and $3000 or more, depending on the accoutrements.
Leather Loveseats
Larger than an armchair, but not quite a sofa, a loveseat holds a couple quite nicely. A smaller, two-seat version of a sofa, the loveseat is usually associated with the Queen Anne style. They can be purchased in a sofa and loveseat set, or individually. Loveseats look great in a foyer or bedroom suite.
A loveseat on its own will cost between $600 and $2000. When added to a $3200 two-piece-set, including a sofa and armchair, the loveseat increases the cost by about $1600. Most sets or individual sofas can be purchased with a matching loveseat.
Cleaning Leather Furniture
You need to condition your fine leather furniture every 6 months to keep it soft. There are many leather conditioners available. Try a good saddle soap. Clean it annually with a recommended leather cleaning agent. Keep it out of direct sunlight. Leather is tanned and treated to make it last and withstand punishment, but sunlight can make the material deteriorate.
Finding cheap leather furniture
If you’re diligent and patient, you can find cheap leather furniture. Check the local printed ads, like Thrifty Nickel. They’re free at the supermarket. Watch the Craigslist “for sale” section. Marriage sales, when two people are reducing their possessions before moving in together, are great for finding used furniture.
Join the local chapter of FreeCycle at Yahoo. They only post ads for free items. Visit the local thrift stores. Once you’re used to what they have on hand, it takes just a few minutes to see if their inventory has changed. Call a large leather furniture store. Ask them when they have clearance sales on last year’s styles. They may have a lay-away that was never completed or a special order that wasn’t picked up. They might have some discount leather furniture for you, which they will for a good deal, to get it out of their warehouse.
The beauty, durability and sheer opulence of leather is unmatched. Nothing gives off that vibe or lasts as long. A large leather office chair says executive. It says power.
If money is no object, buy the best. One good purchase will last decades. If you have a marriage sale and decide to sell it, leather maintains its value, provided you took care of it. If you’re on a budget, keep your eyes peeled for a deal. They’re out there.
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