4 Professional Tips to Use When You’re Choosing a New Leather Lounge Suite

Is your living room looking dated?  It may be time to upgrade your lounge suite. With a wide range of styles and colours on offer, finding new seating for your family’s favourite hanging out spot is easier than you think.

Whether you’re considering a traditional suite or one with a recliner chair, you may already have decided that a leather fabric will be more durable. It may also be better suited to your intended aesthetic. We share a few tips that will help you find the best leather covering for your new lounge suite.

Still a Classic and Timeless Option

Leather has long since been a top choice for anyone looking for long-term durability and a classic aesthetic. However, it’s essential to point out that the local market is flooded with inferior and faux leather options. Our furniture experts have shared a few top tips to help you find quality leather options to ensure longevity and durability.

1.      Check the Whole Suite for Imperfections

If you’ve never had leather furniture, then your first thought may be that it should be perfect, smooth, and flawless. Here’s your first golden tip that you should look out for. Genuine leather will never be smooth and flawless. This is because the natural grain will contain a significant amount of unevenness, which also looks like grooves or small dents.

The primary reason that genuine leather looks like this is quite simple. Leather is essentially animal hide that’s been treated. If you’re looking for a genuine product, it will resemble the hide as it truly is.

Be sure to check for these small imperfections that will highlight the authenticity of the suite. Run your hand over the leather to feel for these little imperfections, as they may not always be visible. If you’d prefer a smooth, flawless option, you may need to look for a faux leather suite. Keep in mind that this may not be as durable as a genuine product.

2.      Request a Sample Swatch

Online shopping may have streamlined the shopping process, and it may even be your medium of choice. However, when it comes to buying a new lounge suite, our experts recommend visiting a showroom and physically looking at and sitting on the lounge suite you are interested in. Ordering online may be convenient, but you may end up with a suit that you’re not happy with.

While in-store, ask for a sample swatch. This is a little booklet that shows the colours and textures available for each suite. This will not only help you choose the best colour for your space but will also help you determine if you’re looking at a genuine lounge suite. The colour on the swatch should match the side and back panels of the couch. Remember that the pattern or grain may differ, but the colour should match.

3.      Check for Flexibility and Durability When Stretching

Once you have the sample, be sure to check if the fabric stretches. A tight piece of material that doesn’t stretch means the leather is likely to crack and won’t be as durable as you think. Ideally, there should be some stretch and flexibility when you give the leather a slight tug.

This means it won’t tear over time. This is especially important if you’re going to place your lounge suite in a sunny room. Exposure to the sun will harden the leather, and if it’s already too tight, it will most likely crack and tear.

4.      Inspect the Back and Side Panels

You should also be aware that some retailers or suppliers may try to pass faux (fake) leather off as genuine. If you’re buying a leather item for the first time, you may not instantly know the difference. The problem with faux leather is that it doesn’t last. It fades and cracks within a few years.

Check for this by looking at the back and side panels of a couch. How large are the panel you’re looking at? Keep in mind that real grain leather doesn’t come in huge sheets of fabric. Once again, it’s an animal’s hide, and since this is likely not to be big enough to cover an entire lounge suite, you may notice a few small grain variations.

The back and side panels should also be made of smaller patches. One long, consistent patch of the same grain is likely to be fake. Some lounge suites are advertised as part faux. This means that the sides and panels may be faux, but the seating is genuine.

Some manufacturers add faux sections to the areas that are less likely to get a lot of sun and exposure. Remember that this must be disclosed upfront as it will affect the price, durability and maintenance routines.

Final Thoughts

Opting for a new lounge suite is one of the easiest ways to give your living area a much-needed makeover. Choosing leather over fabric as your primary material covering not only ensures that you have a durable suit but one that’s easy to maintain!