Leather is very much the upholstery of choice for quality modern seating. From Italian leather sofas through to everyday leather chairs for dining or relaxing, there are plenty of examples in modern life of leather seating used in a luxurious context. Of course, seldom do leather chairs and sofas come cheap, and as such it is important before you buy either to understand the main methods of maintenance and care for the upholstery to avoid causing irreparable damage to both the appearance and finish of your seating. So what should you do to protect your leather upholstery and what's a no-go area when it comes to looking out for the well being of your leather chairs?



The first thing to understand about leather chairs of any kind is that leather is traditionally a thinner material than some of the others used for upholstery. By this, it is meant that leather is less robust when it comes to sharp implements or pressure points, particularly when it is stretched taut across a wooden frame. As a result, it is important to consider what potential damage you could do sitting on your leather chair. For example, are you wearing stiletto heels? A sharp belt buckle? Anything pointed could rip through the upholstery with a little pressure and ruin the chair for good - an undoubtedly disastrous outcome.

Next, if you smoke it will be important to ensure a number of key elements of leather chair protection are put in place. Firstly, understand that leather is very difficult to repair and so any cigarette burns in the upholstery are likely to stay that way. Secondly, smoking leaves nicotine particles on furniture, including leather, which can cause discolouration and lead to premature aging of the leather. To avoid this, wipe down the leather upholstery with a warm damp cloth on a regular basis to take off any nicotine that has found its way on to the seat - alternatively, just avoid smoking around your furniture.

Leather repair is tricky and can be somewhat more expensive than you might at first think. For that reason, you really need to look out for your sofa and ensure the likelihood of any ripping or tearing is kept to a bare minimum, through the use of strategic risk management processes. If you do need leather repair, a word of advice - call in a professional. The number of botched DIY leather repair jobs out there is hardly surprising, given that fact that leather repair both highly skilled and very in-depth.

Leather chairs can be a great way to add to the interior design features of any room, but they can also be quite expensive. Unfortunately, that means that you either have to buy on credit or save up for a period, although this usually brings with it a naturally protective instinct. However by putting to use these simple do's and don'ts of sofa care, you should be able to guaranteed your leather chair as long a lifespan as possible without jeopardising the finish