Leather Furniture - Long Lasting Comfort And Beauty

The intrinsic beauty and comfort of well crafted, leather furniture adds superior quality to any home.

With unique individual swirls and patterns, every piece of leather furniture increases the character and personality of its home setting. Unlike fabrics genuine leather will not rip; neither will it tear along the seam lines.

When such durability and comfort is coupled to steadfast coloring that will neither bleed nor fade, and innate shape retention, leather furniture is the natural choice for the selective homeowner.

When selecting furniture, value, look and feel, style, and color all blend together.

Along with the construction quality of the frame, the comfort, durability, and cost of leather furniture depends upon the grain condition of the original leather and the process that is applied during the shaping and dying of that leather. Purchasing decisions, at least in part, should be based upon the expected amount of use, the need for comfort, and how much one is willing to spend to meet those conditions.

For example, leather sectional sofas need not be quite so comfortable as a leather recliner or a leather sofa bed. As to durability, consider that a leather sofa placed in a parlor room is not likely to see the traffic of a leather couch located in central living quarters.

Finding balance; that is the main purchasing guideline.

When cowhide is split into two layers, different grains result.

The top layer, or the full grain layer, is the strongest, most flexible part of the hide. Provided it is not blemished, top grain leather is the premium choice for leather living room furniture. Corrected leathers (top grain material that has been sanded, buffed, and embossed), will be less expensive than top grain.

Split leathers, the lower portion of the split, are stiffer, less expensive, and reserved for those seldom seen and rarely touched parts of the furniture.

Suede is produced from split leather.

The processing of leather takes various forms. Aniline dyeing is the preferred technique for adding color to leather. My black leather chair was dyed in this fashion.

This non-toxic, translucent dye retains and enhances the natural markings of the leather. However, since imperfections will show through, full aniline dyeing is only suited to premium top grain material. Full aniline dyeing produces soft, pliable leather that is somewhat lacking in stain resistance.

Semi aniline dyeing includes an addition top coating that conceals material imperfections, eliminates fade, and creates a soil resistant piece. Though retaining the softness of top grain material, semi aniline dyeing tampers with the natural appearance of the leather.

For durability and easier maintenance, one should consider pigmented leather. Some of the leathers natural softness will be destroyed due to sanding, buffering, and embossing, but the material will have maximum resistance to the elements.

Leather furniture, no matter the finishing process, is durable, comfortable sitting, and beautiful.

Leather furniture is also flame resistant, to the point of self-extinguishing, yet quickly warms to body temperature for snug relaxing.

So, when you are considering your next furniture purchase, do not hesitate to consider leather furniture as a safe, durable and beautiful compliment to your interior decor.