When looking for the ideal furniture for your home, one thing’s for sure: you won’t run out of options! In fact, it’s this exact aspect that can end up causing confusion because the market has plenty to offer in terms of design, style, material and size.
Still, if it’s quality you’re after for such a purchase, there’s a popular option one can never go wrong with: leather furniture. Nothing can beat the feel and smell of leather chairs, armchairs and sofas, and it comes as no surprise they’re the main elements in hotels – they exude luxury. Plus, in a wide range of styles and finishes, you’re sure to find something to your taste.
Thanks to the timeless appeal, leather pieces can add interest to any room you decide to introduce them to. And you’ll love how easily they can blend in any décor style you already have at home, so you won’t be afraid to mix and match.
Feel free to pair them with wood flooring and pieces like coffee tables, TV units and bookcases or even pieces in materials like metal and glass for a bolder outcome. If you need more reasons to invest in leather, read along.
A Higher End Look
As mentioned, there’s an air of luxury wherever there’s leather, so if you want to make your abode look like it came straight out of a magazine page, you know what to buy. Of course, this higher-end property isn’t only in terms of appearance but in quality too.
No matter how much time passes by, as well as how much wear and tear you put it through (especially in families with children and pets), this material ages gracefully, becoming softer and more supple. This isn’t to say about upholstered furniture.
A Variety of Choices
Sure, fabric furniture is versatile when it comes to colours, patterns, and textures but leather offers some variety too. For one, you’ve got the chance to choose from three types of leather used in furniture: aniline, semi aniline and protected or pigmented.
In terms of grain, you’ve got full grain, top grain, split grain, bounded, and if you’re up for the looks but not the feel, there’s faux leather. Not to mention, you’ll find leather furniture in a wide range of colours and styles.
Low Maintenance
When you buy your furniture, the last thing you want is getting pieces that would require so much care, they’d make it to the list of main chores in your home. When used in furniture leather does require some TLC if you want to prolong its lifespan, but it’s nothing too demanding despite it being so high end.
All you’d have to do is simply vacuum it to remove dust once every couple of weeks and wipe it clean with a clean damp (not wet!) cloth. In case of stains and spills, wipe them dry first, then wash with a mild neutral pH liquid soap – no need for home potions and remedies. When you’re done with this, wipe up with a dry cloth to remove the water, and then finish up with a polishing agent.
To keep it soft and lubricated, as well as help it maintain its natural oils, it’s necessary to apply a conditioning agent every six months, or at least once a year, by massaging it gently with a towel. Be sure to wipe away the excess of this agent and let it dry for about an hour.
No Allergies
As long as you buy leather furniture from trustworthy manufacturers and stores that guarantee quality and no use of toxic chemicals to treat it, you don’t have to worry about rashes of allergies.
In addition, having in mind leather is easy to clean and also resistant to dust, dirt and animal dander known as the cause for pet allergies you can count on a hypoallergenic environment. This isn’t to say about fabric furniture which is a magnet for them.
The Drawbacks
Reading all this, you might be wondering if there’s any downsides to this type of furniture, so here are two.
The Cost – The initial cost of some leather pieces might be somewhat disappointing for people. But, thinking about all the benefits combined such as durability, low maintenance and versatility means investing in them would more than pay off in the long run. Buy yourself a leather sofa, ottoman, or a chair and you’d be using them for years to come!
The Feel – Not everyone is a fan of the feel of this furniture. In certain conditions, like when there’s direct heat, and the weather is humid and hot, it can stick to the skin. You can easily stay comfortable by using a fabric covering on it, as long as it’s not silk because it would slide off. On the plus side, this addition doubles as a protective and decorative element, so it may not be such a big drawback after all.
