Today, leather is such a popular material utilized on many types of furniture because of its tough as nails durability and attractive luxurious appearance. Read on to find out more about the history, fashions, and trends of leather furniture today.
A Brief History of Leather:
The making of leather is an ancient art with established techniques, skills and traditions used for over many millennia. Leather was accessible mostly to the affluent due to the degree of work required in the production process of the material. And then, it was very expensive, so owning a piece of leather furniture was considered a status symbol.
The Industrial Revolution changed all that with its innovations in mass production. Therefore, leather furniture became more attainable to not just the elite class, greatly expanding the market selling to middle-class households.
Most Popular Furniture Types:
Sofas are at the pinnacle of the list of popular leather furniture well established as the main piece in a living room in many everyday family households today. With virtually all types and designs available to consumers from standard three or four-seater sofas, to huge multi-seat sectionals, even styles that incorporate a recliner chair.
Chairs are next from armchairs to accent; the list is immense as far as styles available. Leather chairs can be a cozy furniture addition to a family room, strategically posed in a nook to sit while reading a good novel or curl up in to have a well-earned nap. A leather chair can also be a statement piece that adds an air of sophistication to a décor scheme.
Chaise lounges are popular in their own right and are a cousin of sorts to the sofa. They typically are meant for a one or two-person use, a complete blend of aesthetics and ergonomics as you may sit or kick off your shoes and lounge on your own after a long day.
Leather furniture designs greatly vary from a classic Victorian tufted leather piece that represents a bygone era and very popular still today, to the newest modern styles that express sleek bold lines.
Leather Trends Today:
With the advancement and ease of production, the price of leather furniture has gone down significantly through the decades. But, still there are some techniques that cannot be replicated on an assembly line. Such as hand-stitching, specialty tufting, or a custom color dye that may only be achieved by a skilled artisan. This will drive the cost of a leather furniture piece up quite a bit, but makes it all the more a prized possession and added investment.
The array of color choices has also greatly expanded through the years with major improvements in the tanning process and how it absorbs the dye for a color consistency throughout the material. Nowadays leather is available in a wide range of colors from bright yellow, tangerine orange, apple green, purple amethyst and many more!
Leather furniture today is not reserved to one design style, furniture type, or color range, and continues to maintain its esteemed status as a distinguished luxury piece of furniture.
