Please tell me about the leather used in your sofas ?
Italy is home to the world's leading tanning industry. It produces 15% of the world's production of all types of leather and 60% of European production. Renowned for their quality and style, Italian leather goods are known all over the world for their sumptuous feel.
There are many types of leather used in the manufacture of upholstery.
At sofaitalia.co.uk we use Italian Full Grain leather in our sofas. Most of our exclusive designs are manufactured in semi-aniline leather. This maximises their practicality whilst still providing a luxurious seating experience:
“Full grain” or “Top grain” leather is the upper section of the animal hide and only the hair is removed. The hide has not been 'corrected' in order to remove imperfections on the hide surface. This results in the hide retaining most of its natural characteristics and allows it to develop a patina with age. Only the highest grades of hide are used to create full grain leather products. There are three types of full grain leather: aniline, semi-aniline and pigmented.
'Aniline' is the most expensive type of leather and is taken exclusively from carefully selected hides. The dye is lightly impregnated into the hide, a process which leaves a natural finish. Aniline is the softest leather which has shade and markings showing clearly. It is also the most delicate and absorbent of leathers. Any of our sofas can also be supplied in “aniline”. Please call for a quotation if required.
'Semi-aniline' leather processing is designed to create a natural feel and appearance at a sensible price. Hides are selected with some marks and then sprayed with a pigmented dye to give a closely matched finish. A light protective coating is then applied to increase resistance to staining.
'Pigmented' leather is coated with a fine pigmented spray. This gives the leather a thorough colour match with no shade variation and minimal markings.
How do I care for my new leather sofa ?
It is important to condition and protect any leather product and in particular upholstery. We supply, on all orders over £500, a complimentary Care Kit so that you can look after your new sofa from the very start.
In addition, we have created a 'Four Seasons Leather Care Plan'. The plan recommends cleaning and protecting your upholstery at the start of each of the four seasons. This will prolong the life of your product and reduce the chances of fading, splitting and general wear and tear.
The Cleaning and Protecting process should be adopted from the day you take delivery of your new leather sofa. The process allows the following benefits :
Clean : if a leather sofa gets dirty, the dirt particles can hold the grain open and create cracks and creases. These can result in the sofa looking old and worn.
Condition : leather is a natural material and, just like our own skin, benefits from being moisturised regularly. Without conditioning it can become dry and crack.
Protection : using protective cream helps it last longer, repel stains, dirt and sunlight. All of which can damage your sofa.
We recommend using the sofaitalia.co.uk leather care kit. Every order over £500 receives a complimentary kit and additional kits can be purchased from us online.
We pride ourselves in using only the finest quality leather in our sofas. To enhance our beautiful sofas and to extend their life we recommend that you follow our Four Seasons Leather Care Plan.
