Home Decorating Decor
with Lasting Beauty

Leather furniture as part of your home decorating decor can be a practical and durable solution for any room in the home. Leather is a natural upholstery material lasting four times as long as fabric.

The strength and wear ability makes leather a great investment and value that will keep getting better with time but shopping for leather can be confusing. There are so many types to choose from so you will want to know the differences before you decide.

Tanning is the process that softens and transforms the animal hide into leather. These techniques can produce leather for use in your home decorating decor that can last for decades.

An animal hide is “split” into a top layer and lower layers.

Top grain leather is from the top layer of the hide, the layer that has hair on it. The top grain can be turned into a full grain if is nice enough or into corrected grain leather which has had the surface markings altered.

Full grain leather is the top layer of the hide that is beautiful enough on it's own and does not need to be buffed, sanded or corrected. It shows the natural beauty and subtle markings of the hide from bites, scars, barbed wire and wrinkles giving the leather it's unique character, but in no way affects the durability of the hide.

Full Grain leather, also referred to as aniline or natural grain is considered to be the most desirable and of higher quality than corrected leather and commands a higher price.

It’s easy to confuse top grain with full grain.

Top grain leather is the top layer of the hide and the most durable of the leathers but if there are too many imperfections it will require correction by buffing or sanding to minimize the appearance of obvious surface imperfections, whereas full grain is used as is with no altering.

Split grain leathers is second from the top layer and are not as soft or durable. Split leather isn't as pliable because the grain structure is not as tight as it is on the top.

This layer of the leather doesn’t have as much maneuverability so it is used for areas of upholstery like the outside back or the sides. It is also less expensive and cuts down the expense when used this way.

Split leather is what is processed into suede.

Leather is graded (priced) based on the way it is dyed and finished. There are three types of dying:

• Aniline
• Semi aniline
and
• Protected aniline

Aniline Dye

Aniline finishes also known as pure aniline.

Aniline leather is full grain leather that has been soaked in a clear dye that penetrates into the leather, coloring it natural.

The dye can fully penetrate or partially penetrate. When the dye penetrates completely through the leather, it is call full struck.

Aniline leather will have the natural beauty of the visible markings such as wrinkles and scars and contribute greatly to your home decorating decor.

Only the best hides with relatively little surface imperfections can be made into aniline finish leather.

Semi Aniline

Semi aniline describes leather that has only a small amount of clear coating finish and a small amount of pigment, but still shows the natural markings and character of the leather giving them slightly better protection against stains, spills and fading.

If only the flesh and grain are penetrated with the dye it is called partially struck and may expose a neutral or contrasting color backing.

Normal wear will not expose the interior of the partially struck through leather.

Protected Aniline

Protected aniline leather is coated with protected pigments allowing for the coloration to be more consistent, but making the natural markings less noticeable. Protected aniline leather stands up to heavy use and the pigment surface repels water and stains so it is easier to clean.

Protected aniline leather is less expensive than pure or the semi and is more common.

Pigmented leather is the coloring of a hide using opaque pigments.

This insures the uniformity of the surface. A leather treated with a surface color is made from lesser cuts of hides and are stiffer than leather that is just aniline dyed.

Adding finishes and pigments to leather provides protection against stains and sun fading.

Texture

The highest quality hides have a more luxurious hand or feel and become the softest and most supple leathers for use in home decorating decor.

Other techniques can provide distinct textures.

• Embossed leathers have a new pattern or grain imprinted on them with high heat or pressure.
• Pull up leather is treated with an oil or wax application and when stretched the oil or wax separates becoming lighter in places making the leather look weathered or distressed.

Care and Maintenance

Leather for home decorating decor is easy to care for but it’s not indestructible. The more finished the leather surface is the more resistant it is to spills and stains, while untreated leather absorbs spills or stains more easily.

Vacuum your furniture to remove dust.

A simple cleaning routine of soap and water is all you really need to care for your leather furniture. It is a good idea to keep it damp, rather than soak the leather with water.

There are also leather cleaners available with lubricating materials that keep the leather supple. Use the recommended cleaner provided from the manufacturer when selecting a commercial grade cleaner because some abrasive cleaners can be harmful.

Be sure to test any cleaner in an inconspicious spot before using.

Invest in a protective leather finish if you have children, pets or for heavy use, and place out of direct sunlight or near radiators which can dry the leather.

Leather Matches your Home Decorating Decor

One last thing, sometimes leather furniture will be made with leather and vinyl together, called a leather match. It is a way to have the look of leather but be more affordable. With a leather match the leather is used on any place you touch, like the seat, the back and arms, and the rest is upholstered in the vinyl, like the outside back and sides. If this is something you would like to consider, be sure the leather and vinyl colors match nicely.

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