Leather is a timeless, flexible material with deep, historical roots throughout the world’s cultures. While we can liken it to the days of knighthood and travel by horseback, leather has remained a key material in helpful tools and objects for human use throughout the centuries, and still proves useful and stylish today. It comes as no surprise that it made its way into our hearts and homes, through modern home furnishings and accessories.
So, when you’re ready to upgrade your living quarters, why consider leather?
Leather Is Versatile
One of the most amazing aspects of leather is its unabashed versatility. Leather can uphold both a nostalgic, old world feel as well as compete in an era of contemporary luxury. For instance, a soft leather chair with ornate wood carvings on the legs screams history steeped in a traditional style. If the leather upholstery has an intentional tarnished or worn effect applied, this vibe is conveyed even more so.
To us, nothing sounds more appealing than curling up with a good book in an “old” leather chair, or relaxing on a plush leather sectional with trendy nail head trim!
Leather Is Luxurious
Leather has proven itself as a symbol of luxury. Upscale hotels and restaurants often incorporate leather in their design pallet to evoke an elite, sophisticated feel. The same can be applied to your personal home décor. Something as minute as a set of leather coasters or a throw pillow plated with leather on one side (reversible throw pillows are a fun way to keep things fresh!) can instantly take your living space to another level.
Cowhide leather has a buttery, durable feel that’s preferable in fine upholstery, while stiffer leathers from a pig or water buffalo will be noticeably inferior.
Leather Has Character
While leather has its perks for home furnishings and remains one of our favorite materials, there are several setbacks to this coveted material. Genuine leather is very impressionable. This means marks and scratches can appear easily. You’ll want to keep this in mind when selecting your leather furniture or décor. If you have small children or pets, you may want to deter from having expensive leather items within reach, or a fine leather sofa that could suffer from everyday wear and tear. On the flip side, if you enjoy the character and uniqueness of embellished leather, this aspect could work to your advantage.
It’s Not As Hard To Clean As You Might Think
Cleaning leather doesn’t have to be a cumbersome task. A simple purchase of leather-specific cleaning products can save you the heartache of having your beautiful leather furniture tarnished. Remember, it’s an investment and will require regular maintenance! Start by cleaning regularly with a soft or micro-fiber cloth to remove dust from the surface. Next, apply a leather cleaner like saddle soap. There’s nothing like the gleaming sheen of fine leather.
Are you ready to take the plunge and incorporate leather in your existing home décor? Stop into any one of our 5 West Coast Living Thomasville showrooms to see the latest leather styles and trends we have to offer. Our professional in-store designers can assist in making your leather décor dreams come to life. Happy decorating!
