If you’ve landed here and you’re a PETA fan or a vegan, you’ll probably want to mouse on over to your back button and go that way because I’ll be using my first amendment right to be talking about leather furniture. That’s right, large pieces of hard wood frames covered in the skins of previously yummy cows. I’ll be the first to admit that there is something definitely luxurious about a piece of furniture expensive enough to cost more than a car and there are few fabrics that can demand those kinds of prices but leather can. And though leather is expensive, it’s about 4 times as tough as any other fabric, except maybe kevlar (do they make kevlar furniture?). Here are some things to look for when you go to buy your next piece of leather furniture.
First, you’ve probably seen those labels on leather goods before telling you that blah blah leather is a natural product blah blah and each piece is unique blah blah and not defective blah! Turns out that it’s true and certainly something you need to think about when shopping. The quality of top grain cowhide is certainly worth paying higher prices for but why is it so much higher?
A Tale of Two Cows (or several...)
Do you remember the tale of Ferdinand the bull from spain? Ferdinand was a peace loving bull who loved to smell flowers, while his brothers were into fighting and smashing things to impress cows. Well if both cows were made into sofas, Ferdinand the sofa would sell for a lot higher price because his hide would have much less scars and blemishes. His brothers on the hand, would require the leather worker to have to add additional dyes to cover up all the scars and scrapes and other blemishes borne from a lifestyle of fighting. Ferdinand would also be a lot softer and more supple too, not because of his lack of exercise but again because his hide had less dye applied.
Now I’m not saying that dyes are typically a bad thing, because even the more natural hides use some dyes. A little bit of dye serves to protect the leather and of course you’ll never find a purple cow (except in a Seth Godin book perhaps) in nature but with dyes, you can do it. Coincidentally, the dye used on cows with more blemishes is an opaque dye that actually covers up the hide.
Another process done to lighten the color of the leather is infusing the cowhide with waxes or oils. Not only does this lighten the leather’s color, but adds a bit of “depth” to the leather upon close inspection. Lastly, when shopping around, you’ll find various textures available as options although most of these textures are appropriate in southwest or country themed rooms. Some of these include leaving the fur intact on the hide. Designs can also be embossed or stamped into the leather as well.
How to Care for Leather Furniture
The first piece of leather furniture I ever owned was a large suede blue sectional couch that was purchased in Germany. It cost over $10,000 but has been and still is worth it. Having paid so much on a single piece of furniture has taught me that the best way to care for leather is to not get it dirty in the first place. But should you find life happening, the best thing to do is clean the spill as immediately as possible. Suede by the way is especially bad and I can’t recommend it if you have children, or lazy roommates. As there are many kinds of leather out there, it’s best to follow the care advice the came with your piece of furniture (that’s lawyer speak for I’m not responsible if you screw something up) but generally speaking, wiping the piece down with a slightly damp cloth should work for dust that might accumulate. Some leathers also need to have a leather conditioner applied occasionally to keep them soft and prevent cracking.
As far as pokes or tears go, it’s generally had to put a hole in leather upholstery but if you manage it there are leather repair shops can handle this part. I’ll also point out that in regards to those infomercial and auto-parts store leather repair kits, save your money. Besides do you really want to be using a $19.95 product on a $5000 couch? It should also go without saying that cigarettes and animals with sharp claws should be kept away from your leather furniture. Besides, I hate to say it but nothing looks more “white trash” then a couch with cigarette holes burned in it.
The Final Word
Right now, I’m sitting in a leather office chair by Okamura and I can honestly say that leather furniture is the most exquisite purchase you can make when decorating a room. I’m sure everyone has had the experience of touching real leather and noted how incredibly soft it is. In a world where vinyl looks so close but feels nothing like leather, getting your hands on the real McCoy is remarkable—a purple cow. On top of that, leather furniture develops character over time, something than no fabric can do.
