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There has to be a good reason why people are willing to pay substantially more for a leather interior in their cars. For probably the same good reason, people are also willing to pay more for leather furniture as opposed to upholstered furniture. Frankly, the fact is that leather is a very appealing fabric that people want to have. A set of leather furniture in the living room isn't just about comfort—it's also about status.
But owning leather furniture is certainly about more than just impressing your neighbors. One of the biggest single reasons why people choose to spend extra for leather furniture is because it lasts. Typical upholstery will only stand up to constant use for about 5 years before it begins to fray, tatter, and tear. But when properly cared for, leather furniture can last for 20 years or more before needing major repair or replacement. So, while leather furniture may be more expensive, it certainly isn't 4 X's as much! Therefore, going leather is actually the better economic move AND still will impress your neighbors!
Aside from being a status symbol and very durable, leather furniture is simply great on the skin! If you have ever noticed, leather furniture stays at room temperature. When the temp is high, the leather is very soft and pliable. But, when the room temp dips for any reason, the leather will become more brittle and less pliable. The reason for this is because leather furniture breathes.
Made from animal skins that have pores throughout them, leather furniture breathes through the pores in its surface. Genuine leather will not become sticky in the summer and is one of the most comfortable materials for your skin. So long as the leather furniture is cleaned and conditioned regularly, the leather will also not be brittle in the winter unless temperatures drop far lower than is normal in a household.
Another big advantage of leather furniture over upholstered varieties is that leather itself ages very well indeed. Developing what one might call a “weathered look”, leather takes on a patina as the years roll past. In fact, leather furniture actually looks better as it ages while upholstered furniture just fades and looks aged.
Of course, leather furniture must be cared for in order for it to age properly and stand the test of time. It is important to keep the pores in the leather free from dust so it is necessary to dust the leather furniture once a week. That way, the leather cleaner and conditioner can get down into the pores and keep the material soft, pliable, and well preserved. Plan on using a leather cleaner 3 times a year or so in order to prevent premature cracking or peeling that results from improper maintenance. But, with proper care, you can continue to impress your neighbors for many years to come while being able to enjoy the soft feel of leather the whole while!
Well, lets think about their enviable life for a minute and the role that leather furniture played. When the day's work was done, where did they relax? That's right, on a big leather chair and couch. When Ben needed to celebrate his latest victory over evil, what did he do and where did he go? That's right, he retired to his big comfy leather chair and lit up a big ol' stogie. I'm sure that he didn't even realize the subconscious impact he was having on millions of viewers and the way they came to think about leather furniture. He was a subtle man.
Now fast forward about twenty years. I didn't realize the influence that Ben had on me personally until one day we went to a furniture store looking for some new living room furniture. As we tried out every sofa, couch, love seat, recliner, and sectional in the store, it quickly became clear to me that I wanted leather furniture. I had to have it. The fabric stuff just wasn't doing it for me. When I sat on the leather I experienced an allure that triggered all that positive goodness from watching Mr. Cartwright luxuriate in his favorite chair.
At first I thought the leather appealed to me because of the sense of quality it gave me, or the subtle yet satisfying sound that leather furniture makes, or the feel of it on my skin, or even the smell. Then I realized it was none of those things. I realized that I liked more than fabric furniture because I associated the good life (Ben and his Ponderosa livin') with it. That was it! If I was going to feel successful and truly wealthy I would have to have leather.
So I had to find out a little about leather. Here's the skinny. Leather is expensive, but if you buy the right kind you will have it for many many years. If you buy cheap, don't expect it to last near as long. The highest quality leather furniture is made from top grain leather, which is the outer layer of the hide. The bottom part of the hide is referred to as split leather. This is not as durable and feels stiffer and tends to crack more easily, but is less expensive. There are all sorts of artificial or fake leather products that may be just as satisfying to you. For me, I just want to be like Ben I guess. It's leather furniture or nothing. I don't smoke stogies, but I sure like curling up on my big comfy leather chair after a day of dealing with bad guys.