Buying Leather Furniture: Basic Info You Need to Know

Buying leather furniture can either lead to great joy or great disappointment.  You need to know what you're buying, whether for you or a client, your leather choice really is important.  Why am I talking about this today?

Someone showed me a small black swatch of leather last week and said "I need to replace a cushion on my black leather sofa because it's really worn.  Can you match this?"  Um.  No...

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 The woman who asked me this is very bright -- lots of lights on.  But, like others I've encountered in the past, she didn't stop to think...leather comes from a hyde.  From a cow.  Not from a bolt where you can order it by the yard.   I'm not being snide.  People just don't think about it.

Here's the next surprise people encounter in situations like this.  First, you have to buy an entire hide to reupholster anything.  Next, it is nearly impossible to ever match leather.  Why?  Back to the cow.  It takes several hides to upholster a sofa, or even a chair.  When the furniture is made, quality manufacturers will have tight quality control, where they use hydes dyed at the same time, and ones that are carefully chosen to blend/match as closely as possible.  

Just like us, every cow is different.  Some have more wrinkles, for example. (Have you ever noticed a leather sofa where one cushion just seems more wrinkly than the others?  That can be why.)   This is the same reason why you want to buy a matching chair and sofa at the same time, 

if you want them to look the same.

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(Okay, you have to know I love this orange leather.)

This leather reupholstery question made me realize I know a few things about leather furniture that you might like to read, whether for yourself or when shopping for a client.  I don't profess to know it all, but a few tips I've learned along the way might benefit you.  I hope so.

In Part II, I'll share what I know about leather furniture construction.  After that, I'll tackle leather finishes.

Talk to you soon,
Carol

PS  Did you notice I centered my paragraphs?  I'm trying it -- what do you think, is it easier or harder to read?