Besides choosing the perfect colour palette, people often find it challenging to choose suitable home furnishings. If you are stuck for ideas for the best furniture for your lounge, consider leather. Leather has several desirable qualities, making it the go-to choice for many, but how can you make sure you are choosing the right leather lounge for you? Read on to find out.

Examine the Quality

What are the signs of high-quality leather? The answer to this provides the first steps to selecting a suitable leather lounge. 

First, you’ll want to know the types of leather used on furniture. They get their name from the part of cowhide used to make them.

Top-grain leather comes from the outermost layer of the hide. Therefore, it’s likely to have markings the animal got while alive unless it undergoes repair to become corrected grain.

Full top-grain leather is a defect-free version of top-grain leather, mainly sourced from specially bred cattle. Unlike corrected grain, it doesn’t have any markings.

Cowhide must undergo processing to make it suitable for furniture use. The three-step procedure starts with pigmentation, followed by colouring and coating. Its objectives are to make the leather firmer, easier to maintain and broaden the colour choice.

How to Choose the Right Colour

After ascertaining the quality, the next step involves choosing the colour of your leather lounge. You want to make sure your sofa set stands out in your living room. Even if you don’t go for bold, striking hues, something that contrasts your walls is enough to draw attention.

But the correct colour isn’t always about beauty. Choosing a colour that doesn’t get dirty quickly is also advisable. For example, white is an excellent colour that symbolises tranquillity, but its susceptibility to getting dirty makes it an unpopular pick for families with kids and pets. 

Black and brown are ideal for evoking a bold, formal, and stately feel inside your home. However, if you have kids and outgoing buddies, such traditional hues are better suited for your home office.

For a cosy look, you can choose a colour that matches your walls. This works wonders for small living rooms by creating an illusion of expansion. It also fosters the cohesiveness of variance elements in your room. 

Conversely, a colour that matches your walls will likely feel monotonous. Then, you’ll have to repaint your walls.

You can also choose neutrals like grey and warm white hues. These are great because they work well with all décor types. Whenever you need a touch of colour, you can add colourful pillows.

Besides the walls, consider your floor. Choose a colour that complements your flooring material. For instance, bright colours work well with dull concrete flooring, while neutrals accentuate shiny tiles and carpets.

How to Choose the Right Furniture Size

Furniture takes up a substantial amount of floor space. The secret to choosing the right size lies in balancing the number of people in your home and the amount of space you have. There’s no need to purchase too many sofas if you live alone. 

Here are valuable tips on choosing the right-sized furniture for your home.

Space

As mentioned above, it helps to consider the amount of traffic you expect in your home before purchasing a leather lounge. You don’t want a huge sofa restricting free movement around your living room.

Shape

Besides varying sizes, living rooms have different shapes. That’s why it’s crucial to consider shape when shopping for leather furniture.

Ensure that your furniture’s shape doesn’t block pathways around your living room. For example, it should leave adequate space between the walls. Also, the lounge shouldn’t block your window so sunlight can’t penetrate.

Intended Use

Lastly, you should choose your lounge size depending on the intended use. You’ll need a big set if you have a large family or are frequently entertaining. On the other hand, a small five-seater set makes sense if you live alone or with a few people.

Additional Factors to Consider When Buying A Leather Lounge

Real or Fake?

Faux leather has become so popular that you can find it in uptown furniture stores, where you would otherwise expect to find authentic products. Due to technological advancements, it’s becoming more and more difficult to differentiate between genuine and synthetic leather.

The most apparent difference is pricing. Faux leather is cheaper than authentic leather. Also, the former appears too refined and has a smoother feel than genuine leather.

Alternatively, you can ask the dealer. That way, you’ll have a reason to request a refund if you discover it’s fake.

Types of Authentic Leather

The three types of authentic leather are aniline, pigmented, and semi-aniline leather.

  • Aniline leather – this is pure leather, straight from processed cowhide. It has a unique, organic stain and feels soft and warm on your hands.
  • Pigmented leather – this has a coating to improve durability and resistance against stains.
  • Semi-aniline leather – this is a blend of aniline and pigmented leather.

Appearance

As mentioned above, authentic leather isn’t perfect. It must have some grooves and uneven markings on its surface. 

On the contrary, synthetic leather has no patches on its surface and a soft texture. However, some high-end leather grains might have artificially imposed regular grains.

Pricing 

Although it isn’t accurate, the price of leather is a good starting point when assessing its authenticity. In most cases, authentic products are more expensive. However, there are exceptions where faux leather products cost more than their accurate value.

Smell

Lastly, you might want to smell your leather furniture. Authentic leather has a distinctive and appealing scent, whereas synthetic fabric has a characteristic chemical odour.

Read the Label

Buying from a reputable store always guarantees high-quality products. Ideally, the stores should have assistants to take you through various options, explaining their features in detail. This way, you’ll know what furniture to get that suits your needs.

It’s also helpful to check online reviews. A store with positive sentiments from previous clients shows that it provides quality and reliable products.

Wrapping Up

Hopefully, this article has eased your concerns before purchasing leather lounges. Using the information above, you can make a wise investment that will serve you for many years.

Here at Brescia Furniture, we have a broad range of leather furniture to style your home. So whether you prefer a retro design or contemporary style, you’ll find a sofa to suit your taste.


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