What to remember when buying a leather sofa
When buying any sofa comes, there is a long list of things you need to remember. There are the usual things such as measuring your space and the sofa before you buy to check it will fit and taking your time to research the market to find the best deals. However, when choosing a leather sofa, there are some things you need to remember which are specific to the material.
To provide some insight onto this, we have worked with Robinson of England, who specialise in Chesterfield sofas and chairs. The Chesterfield is one of the classic sofa designs and traditionally uses leather as the main material. So, what are some things you need to remember when buying a leather sofa?
Changes in the leather colour
It’s very easy to get caught up in the colour of your sofa. When looking at a show model in-store or leather samples, you can often fall in love with a specific colour. Avoiding this as much as possible is always best. You need to remember that the colour of leather you see on a showroom model could well be six months old.
In that time it will have had hundreds of people sit on it and wear the leather, which will impact the colour. Also, dying leather is not an exact science. It’s very difficult to replicate colours exactly. So if you place an order for a leather sofa there can be differences in the colour of the leather used when compared to previous batches of the same coloured leather.
How to care for the leather
A quick google search on how to care for your leather sofa will produce more results than you could ever read. Some of the advice online tells you about homemade care products you can make yourself, while others sing the praises of more prominent brands. The best thing you can do is seek advice from the company who produced your sofa. If you buy from a small independent manufacturer, you’ll probably be able to speak directly to them, and they’ll be able to give you the best advice.
If this isn’t possible and you bought your leather sofa from a department or furniture store, go an speak to the sales consultant you dealt with. Often they work closely with the manufacturer, and you certainly won’t be the first person to have asked advice on cleaning their sofa. Some manufacturers may have their own inhouse cleaning products or work with another brand that they recommend. Whatever the case may be, seeking advice from those directly involved with those who made your sofa is always advisable.
Is it a good option if you have pets?
For lots of us, sharing our homes with household pets is a joy. They bring so much to our lives, and we love having them around. However, sometimes the furniture doesn’t quite love them as much as we do. If your dog or cat is allowed on the sofa, it can lead to some extra cleaning with pet hair getting stuck in the cracks and potentially ripping the material because of their claws.
Leather represents a good material option if you’re looking for a sofa that will be relatively accommodating to your pets. When compared to fabric, leather is much easier to clean when getting pet hair off your sofa. With fabric, the hairs can attach and make it much harder to clean. As leather is a much smoother material, pet hair can be brushed off easily and quickly. Furthermore, depending on the texture of the leather you choose, it can be quite hardwearing and help prevent scratches from claws. Leather also has the benefit of not absorbing odder as easily as fabric.
If you’re still worried about damage or a large amount of pet hair getting on your leather sofa, it makes sense to find a nice blanket you can drape over one side and set out for your pet when they want to get up on the sofa next to you. This works for both fabric and leather sofas.
Consider your cushion options
Leather sofas can be a bit slippery to sit on when compared to fabric sofas, and this can also impact the cushions you choose to go with your sofa. Cushions are the main way to accessories a sofa and an important part of the sofa for many people. Taking the time to look at different material options for cushions can help you avoid buying ones which will be slipping off the leather continually.
Leather sofas can look incredible and make a really great addition to your home, so taking the time to do your research and consider the points above will help you get the most out of a leather sofa and allow you to enjoy it for years to come.
