CHOOSING A CONTEMPORARY LEATHER SOFA

When choosing a contemporary leather sofa there are a number of important decision you will need to take and in the following article we will look at the major ones which are material, style, size and colour.

Material

In deciding to purchase a leather sofa rather than a fabric one you will have done so for a variety of reasons. Leather sofas look great, can be very soft and comfortable, are relatively easy to maintain and will keep their good looks for very many years, though not all leather sofas are the same.

It is very important that you choose a sofa that is made of high quality leather. Leather comes in a number of grades. The softest leathers tend to be the most expensive, though sometimes they are not as tough as medium grade leathers which offer a compromise between softness and resistance to staining. You should avoid cheap low quality leather than is susceptible to drying out and cracking.  If in doubt ask the sales person about the leather quality.

Style

Contemporary leather sofas are available in a large variety of styles. These range from the ultra-modern with sleek lines and minimalist looks, through to retro-styles that emulate furniture from a past era. Naturally there are many styles in between these two extremes. .

The style you choose should take into consideration the style of your living space, but it need not necessarily be dictated by it. Often it is considered chic to mix different styles, for instance the old and the new. Even if your other furniture is classical, with care you can blend in a contemporary leather sofa in such a way that both styles complement each other.

Size

When choosing the size of your sofa you need to exercise considerable care. If you are viewing a sofa in a showroom it is very easy to be misled.  The large dimensions of furniture stores can make you think that the sofa is much smaller than really it is.

You should measure how much space is available; decide how many people are likely to sit on the sofa; and check the accessibility of the space, for instance whether the chosen sofa will fit through the door.

Often it is worth considering a corner sofa. These make the best of the space they occupy and can look particularly appealing. As many of them are modular, they can also provide an answer to accessibility problems.

Colour

The colour of your sofa should blend in with the rest of your colour scheme. Contemporary colours tend to be on the neutral side perhaps with some contrasting highlights, but this should not stop you thinking out of the box.

Although there is not as much variety in colours and patterns with leather sofas as there are with fabric ones, they are not all necessarily black, brown white or cream; some leather sofas can be bright and colourful.

Rather than choosing neutral colours you might wish to make a bold statement with a splash of colour. If the rest of your space is neutral in colour, then you might consider a bright yellow leather sofa or one in another primary colour.