Home Decorating Decor
with Lasting Beauty

Home decorating decor using leather furniture appeals to many and offers much versatility with the look.

Whether you are furnishing a complete room with soft sensuous leather pieces or adding leather game chairs the appeal is timeless and a very durable furniture option.

But with so many choices how does one choose?

Knowing the way leather is dyed contributes to the look and the way your furniture is going to be used will help determine which is the most suitable for you.

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.

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