Oh, hey! Together again! Actually, make that to leather again! We know. We’re a little obsessed! This time let’s dig into slightly more technical aspects of leather upholstery we sometimes find our customers stressing out over a bit. (Psst… we’ve got you! This is easier than you think!)
While KOVI is thrilled to offer a range of affordable offerings to choose from amongst our 150+ leather options, we know that there’s still a sense of leather being more of an investment than some other upholstery. So let’s do a quick review of what we love — and are sure you’ll love — about leather!
Leather is hide, not fabric — more on that later. As such, while it’s decidedly the friend and favorite of classy folks like you, it’s NOT the favorite of allergens. They might visit, but they’re not sticking around! Leather is naturally hypoallergenic.
But wait, there’s more!
Allergens aren’t the only undesirable visitors that see leather as emblazoned with a “no trespassing” sign. Also, dirt!
Leather feels so misunderstood sometimes! People think it’s fragile and delicate. Ok, fair enough. Sometimes it can be. But not the genuine leather KOVI offers. Our focus for our customers is not having to choose between sacrificing elegance and sophistication or durability and ease of use. Nope. Here again, we lean heavily into the gift that is leather’s natural inclination. It’s easy to vacuum, clean, and lovingly lotion to supple comfort and style.
But wait, there’s still more!! (Even more, fun to say the second time!)
One last piece for our Leather 101 review. You can be at peace with how leather will fare over time. Much like you, leather gets better with age! Many types of leather even show off a bit as they age — developing rich luster and character, also known as a patina.
So, that’s just a quick leather primer to get you back up to speed. If you’d like to dig a bit deeper into leather basics, check out our previous love letter to leather here.
ON WITH THE DETAILS ABOUT LEATHER SHOW!
With most of these posts, we look to offer tips and/or inspire you with usually just a dash of “Oh, by the way, KOVI sells _______ too!” But when it comes to leather, honestly, we hope you’ll forgive us for talking a bit more about ourselves.
You already know how thrilled we are to be able to maximize the quality we offer you while minimizing the price — we go to the source and cut out the overhead so you get the best for the best price! All so you get a longer life for your furniture AND your finances! Yep, that’s us.
This is the part where you’ll either love us or hate us. If you’re someone who prefers no options — being forced into colors and styles regardless of what you’d actually love, you’re going to hate us! Sorry, not sorry!
We love options!
But no need to be overwhelmed! This is great news!
You don’t need to know a million things about leather. Or interior design, for that matter. All you need to begin is you. We’ve got you from there.
I’M SOLD! HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT LEATHER FOR ME?
Crackle. Tipping. Soft. Healed wounds. Suede.
Now, that list started like a breakfast cereal and ended like a weird Beatnik poem! In fact, though, those are just a few of the words that describe some of the array of KOVI leathers available.
But — more great news! — you don’t really need to know or remember any of that. All you need to know is what you like when you see it. So, where do you start? Well, the same place you finish — YOU.
Ask yourself a few basic questions:
Piece
What piece(s) you’re looking to refresh or reimagine? Sofas in the great room of your AirBnB? A treasured heirloom? The RV that has gone from your sometimes vacation spot to your forever home on wheels?
Use
How will it be used? Is this mostly an “uh and ah” piece to delight and impress that will rarely be sat in? Or is this going to be the site of many an epic nap, chat, and — let’s be real — more than a few spills?
Tone
What are you after? What’s the vibe you want to create or build on with your new leather piece? Warm and dark for a mellow space? Bright and smooth for a space that sings with energy?
Once you P.U.T. (see what we did there?) those questions to rest, you’re on your way! It’s time to take your fingers and your eyes for a spin around KOVI’s leather options!
One of the things we love about our genuine leathers is that we start with high-quality leather hide, and then the sky is pretty much the limit from there. Okay, maybe not the sky, but you get the idea!
Thanks, in part, to our precision machines and supple milling process, we’re able to start with high-quality raw materials and then transform them into the color, texture, and desired durability best suited for you!
Go ahead and explore!
HOW TO MEASURE FOR LEATHER
Measure twice, and cut once. Alright, you’re not actually going to cut anything. That’s our job! However, leather is a bit different than other fabrics. The short version of the long story is: more is less. That is to say, better to get a bit more than you might need than it is to fall short of what you need!
First, measure. This may seem obvious, but you’ve gotta get clear about what you’re working with. We’ve written about this in some previous posts. Also, we love the way Lee Carol walks you through the process of measuring a sofa. It’s a great intro to getting your head around measuring any furniture piece you might be reupholstering.
Fear not. This part is decidedly DIY. You’ll find it’s not yard… errr, make that hard… to get clear about how many total usable yards of material you’ll need. (Sorry, feeling quite a bit punny today!)
Usable yards. That’s the phrase it pays to remember with leather!
Hide is, well, hide-shaped — check out our guide for a handy visual. Traditional fabric options are wall-to-wall yards, and edge-to-edge usable. Given the naturally varying shapes of leather hides, the interior rectangular space of usability is going to vary. That’s why we recommend ordering slightly more than you’ll think you need so as to guarantee the coverage and consistency of the leather.
YOU’VE GOT PEOPLE!
So that’s more of the lowdown on leather. And we’re not even digging into the vegan and other faux leather options we’ve covered before! Our hope here was just to offer you a primer about some of the technical things unique to leather to consider.
Remember, you’re not on your own.
Give us a call, and we can walk you through all of this. From leather striking your fancy, to choosing your dream piece, to thumbing through our 150+ leather options until we find just the right one for you, and then helping you make sure what order measures up to what you need.
Whether you’re after luxury, character, or performance, your leather dreams are closer than you think! Drop us a line or give us a call today and let’s get started!
Check out these links for more information:
“150+ leather options”
https://www.kovifabrics.com/search/category/genuine_leather
“here”:
“KOVI’s leather options”:
https://www.kovifabrics.com/search/category/genuine_leather
“previous posts”: https://www.kovifabrics.com/blog/how-to-measure-furniture-for-upholstery-basic-fabric-measurements/
“the process of measuring a sofa”:
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/measure-couch-upholstery-material-55776.html
“our guide”:
https://www.kovifabrics.com/pages/leather-size-guide\
“vegan and other faux leather options”:
“let’s get started!”:
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