Leather Sofas

Welcome to our Leather Sofas page at Leather Sofas.

When designing your ideal space, if you want to make a statement then the centrepiece of any room has got to be the sofa.  There are many different styles and colours of sofa available but leather sofas make for a truly stunning and dramatic interior.  Leather sofas will give any room a great new look and will a provide a fantastic focal point to the room, providing the perfect finishing touch to any home. 

It can be said that the interior of your home speaks volumes about who you are.  Your choice of carpets, curtains, soft furnishings, lighting and artwork all contribute to the overall ambience and style of a room.  Wherever you live, whatever your lifestyle, creating exactly the right atmosphere for your home is so important.  Interior design can be something of a fine art and attempting to keep up with ever changing design trends can be a daunting task.  However, one great way to refresh and re-vamp any room is to change your sofa.  This will give your room a fantastic new look.  Nevertheless, many of us tend not to change our sofas very often so deciding to purchase a new sofa is a big decision. 

Why a Leather Sofa?

A leather sofa will offer a striking focal point to your room and in designing a room to include leather sofas you can guarantee that this type of sofa will go with almost all colour schemes whenever you decide to redecorate.  Leather sofas offer comfort, age well and display an effortless, classic style that never dates.  Most leather sofas are easy to care for as they are easy to vacuum and wipe clean.  All leather sofas look good with accessories, and texture and interest can be added to them with colourful cushions and throws. 

We’ve established that a leather sofa will be an outstanding new addition to any home, and things to consider when choosing a leather sofa include:

• Type of Leather
• Style of Leather Sofa
• Colour of Leather Sofa
• Price of Leather Sofa

Guide to Choosing the Perfect Leather Sofa

What is Leather?

Leather is a natural material created from a range of animal hides.  The most popular used is cattlehide.  The cowskin is treated via a process known as tanning to form leather.  Leather is a very versatile material used to make many products and is popular because it is exceptionally durable and flexible. 
 
Today, leather is one of the most popular materials for many pieces of furniture including leather sofas, corner leather sofas, reclining leather sofas, leather sofa beds and leather armchairs.

Why Buy a Leather Sofa?

The advantages of leather sofas are many. For years, leather sofas have been identified with luxury and high quality, and are able to lend a touch of class to their surroundings.

If you thought leather sofas and leather armchairs were solely for luxurious penthouse suites, hotel lobbies or for the extravagant super-rich then think again.  Nowadays, leather sofas are becoming increasingly fashionable and proving a popular choice for many homes.  An extensive range of leather sofas and leather furniture is on the market and for many people they are becoming more and more affordable.

Types of Leather Sofa

Leather sofa furniture comes in a wide range of colours and styles ranging from vintage leather sofas through to modern and contemporary designs.  Cream leather sofas and red leather sofa pieces are a popular choice yet the most popular and universally appealing leather sofas have to be the black leather sofas and brown leather sofas.  These colours will always remain firm favourites for their classic style and effortless class.

For a long time it has been the case that black leather sofas were the most popular choice in providing rooms with a chic, modern and contemporary look.  However, brown leather sofas are now rapidly growing in popularity and are quickly becoming the new black. 

Two seater and three seater leather sofas, corner leather sofas and leather armchairs are all favourites too, and offer a classic combination to any room.  It is fair to say that leather sofas are often more expensive to buy than fabric sofas but this is because leather is more expensive than traditional upholstery.  However, buying a good quality leather sofa is a wise investment as a genuine leather sofa will always be in fashion, will last a great deal longer, and will actually improve with age, often becoming softer and smoother.

A leather sofa certainly combines style and comfort whilst also offering quality and durability.  To determine which leather sofa best suits your needs and budget, make sure you choose the right style of leather sofa for your room.  If you are short on space then a space optimising solution, for a long narrow room for example, would be a corner sofa. This would offer you additional seating without taking up too much extra floor space.  A leather sofa bed offers a practical yet stylish alternative for those unexpected additional guests.

All leather sofas offer a warm, inviting and luxurious touch of class to any room, whether a lounge, study or dining room. Famous models include the iconic Chesterfield sofa, which is perhaps the most famous of leather sofas.

Price is always going to be a determining factor when you make your leather sofa purchase.  The price of your leather sofa will be heavily dependent on the type of leather used to make it.  There are various materials that are used to make a leather sofa and not all leather sofas are the same.  If a leather sofa is advertised as incredibly cheap then check the quality of the leather used.  It is likely to be very low-grade leather, maybe even made from another animal skin other than cowhide.  This type of leather is very unlikely to withstand particularly heavy use.

Some leather undergoes treatment to improve its appearance.  There are pros and cons to the different leather types. Decide what type of finish you would prefer for your leather sofa.  Different treatments and chemicals are used to achieve different finishes and these in turn will affect the cost of your leather sofa.

Leather is sometimes coloured in order to offer additional distinctive colours to choose from and to present a fresh, unusual alternative to the more traditional black and brown leather sofas.  However, some types of leather are coloured to disguise imperfections and hide blemishes.  With other leathers, the imperfections and blemishes are buffed out of the hide and the leather is dyed and given a protective coating.

Types of Leathers

What is Full Grain Leather?

Italian leather is famous worldwide for its quality.  This is because many of the producers of Italian leather specialise in using full grain leather from the top of the hide.

Full or top-grain leather is thought to be the best quality leather you can buy as this uses only the highest quality hides which tend to have very few flaws in them to start with.  Due to fewer flaws, Full grain leather is less processed and therefore it is not subjected to as much chemical treatment.  As a result of this, the texture of the leather remains softer, smoother and suppler.  Pure, natural leather using the top grain, or surface layer, of the hide, is known for being the softest and strongest.

Natural leathers are valued for their soft, natural feel and are known for being the most attractive.  They are the most expensive leathers to produce because only the very finest selection of hides can be used.  Aniline is a natural, transparent dye that is added to the leather, soaking through it to create a rich colour and highlight the natural grain.  Aniline leather is not coloured and no colour coating is added to the surface.  Using a full aniline dye achieves a very desirable, soft, supple and extremely natural looking leather.

As top grain leather is the most durable and is the finest quality, top grain leather is the most expensive leather you can buy.  Although a natural top grain leather sofa will look great and will last for years and years, one word of warning would be that extra care should be taken to look after and maintain it. The surface of natural leather sofas is uncoated and can therefore be susceptible to stains and damage, as the natural porosity of the hide means they can be more susceptible to absorbing liquids. Don’t worry too much though, as any damage can often be repaired.  One advantage to these leather sofas is that because they don’t have a top coating, the leather breathes more easily and is therefore more comfortable, being cooler to sit on in summer and warmer in winter. 

Remember that many natural leather sofas will still contain some imperfections and variations in the hide such as wrinkles and scars, but these will only add to the charm and unique characteristics of your sofa.

What is Semi-Aniline Leather?

Semi-aniline leather is a term used to describe leather that is dyed using the same process as full aniline leather but in addition, a waxy colour coating is also applied to the surface to protect the leather from stains or fading. This type of leather is more durable than natural leather as the top layer protects the leather sofa and makes it easier to maintain.  Due to the natural dye, only a thin colour coating is applied so you can still feel the softness of the natural leather yet benefit from the protective finish.  A good compromise!

Some semi-aniline leather sofas aren’t dyed and just receive a surface colour which protects from stains, scratches and fading. 

What is Distressed Leather?

Distressed leather is a term you may be familiar with.  The distressed look is created by using aniline leather which has an extra layer of wax and oil added to the top surface.  Over time, the leather becomes distressed looking as it wears unevenly and displays shades of light and dark. Because of the wax finish, this leather can look as if it has been scratched.

Split Leather Sofas

Cowhides are split into layers.  After using the top layer, the next layers of the hide are used to make split leather sofas.  The lower layers are less soft and durable and although this leather may be treated in such a way as to make it look as good as top grain, it will never be as strong.  Inevitably, many still look good and will provide a cheaper alternative if cost is an issue.

Styles of Leather Furniture

There are cheap leather sofas available on the market.  Not all are made from 100% genuine leather.  If you want a leather sofa to last a lifetime then be cautious of purchasing a sofa made from a vinyl and leather mix as vinyl is certainly not as durable as genuine leather.

Whichever type of leather sofa you choose, as with all sofas nowadays, ensure that you check your new leather sofa is fire resistant and complies with fire regulation standards.

If you really cannot decide which leather sofa to go for then you could always opt for the best of both worlds with a combination of leather sofa with upholstered fabric seating.

Using leather to add a touch of luxury to your home does not end at simply installing leather sofas in your home.  Other leather furniture pieces you can add to your home include leather corner sofas, leather sofa recliners and leather sofa beds.

Arguably, there is nothing quite like the look and feel of leather and introducing a leather sofa is a perfect way of styling your home.

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