Furniture shopping can be stressful, especially when you’re furniture shopping for people besides just yourself. It can be difficult to find furniture that pleases both you and your partner or your family. For that matter, while furniture is an important part of decorating a home, it goes beyond that in many ways. You should be able to rely on furniture not just look good, but feel comfortable and relaxing as well. It also needs to last. Many find that Italian leather furniture goes the extra mile, both looking the way they want it to and feeling the way it should. Italian high end furniture also tends to last, making the money that you put into that furniture an investment in the future, in a sense. But for understandable reasons, you may not want to jump on the first piece of furniture that catches your eye, no matter how stylish. It may be a good idea to research before you go shopping — and before you get reeled in by a charming furniture salesperson. While many believe that Italian furniture, while attractive, is more “classic” than modern, there are many different types of modern European furniture currently on the market. With that being said, here are a few things you should know before buying high end leather furniture.
1. Leather Is Easy To Care For
The main issue that may keep you from buying a 100 percent leather sofa is that of cleaning. Many believe that leather is more difficult to keep clean than other types of materials, and for that matter more delicate. Leather is made from animal skins, it’s true — typically cow or calfskin, although there are plenty of different varieties available. However, leather is actually quite durable, even when it’s the type used to make furniture — which is typically softer than more utilitarian types of leather. This durability factors into leather’s ability to outlast other types of furniture materials. For that matter, Italian leather in particular is easy to care for because of the tradition and expertise that goes into making it. Italy has a grip on the leather industry in general, producing not only the leather but about 50% of the machinery that goes into making footwear and leather goods, as well as 80% of tanning machinery worldwide. All you have to do, should anything be spilled upon a 100 percent leather sofa, is clean up with a cloth. Regular maintenance requires nothing more than a conditioner treatment every six to 12 months.
2. Leather Comes In Different Types
We mentioned above that leather can be made from animal skins other than cowskin — but the variety goes far beyond that. The leather that you see in shoes or handbags is probably fairly different from the leather of which your furniture will be made. One of the more preferable categories of leather is top grain leather. Of top grain leather, there are two different types: corrected grain and full grain. Typically, corrected leather has been altered in some way to reduce scarring or damage — it’s been buffed, and may be embossed. Full grain leather has been left in its more natural state, and has been completely unaltered. Depending on the look and feel that you want, you may wish to ask the furniture seller you’re dealing with to specify whether the leather furniture you’re buying is made corrected or full top grain leather. Either way, you’re getting a 100 percent leather sofa — you just want to make sure it’s exactly what you want.
3. Leather Is An Investment
On average, you can expect a sofa to last up to 15 years. A well-cared for, 100 percent leather sofa may last even longer. You may choose to switch out your older sofa for a different one down the road, but that doesn’t mean that your sofa isn’t valuable. You may want to save it, and leave it untouched as a future antique — or you may want to sell it. Either way, leather can offer great returns.