THE TIMELESS APPEAL OF LEATHER SOFAS: A BUYER’S GUIDE
A timeless classic of the furniture world, the leather sofa marries aesthetics with functionality. Crafted from durable leather, these sofas make a practical addition to a busy home, maturing and improving with age. Leather sofas clearly and confidently define the design ambience of a room, and today you're spoilt for choice with both vintage and contemporary styles.
Why choose a leather sofa?
With the right care and attention, a leather sofa is well worth the investment for its longevity - aesthetically and practically. A sofa is one of our most used items of furniture. We curl up on the deep cushions with a blanket to watch a movie or take a blissful afternoon snooze. Friends and family gather here, sharing food, drink, and the occasional spill. A sofa, therefore, sees a lot of life. With use and age, upholstery on sofas declines but leather becomes softer and even more buttery over time, developing a patina that adds to its character.
Leather sofas, in all shapes and sizes, are the perennial choice for your living space. They're wonderfully versatile, and the most popular colour palettes—black, chocolate, tan, and green—work well in traditional, contemporary, and rustic interior design schemes.
When it comes to comfort, a deep leather sofa makes an outstandingly snug spot to unwind. A cooler material, leather is ideal for the climate but can be styled with blankets and throw pillows for snuggly moments.
The lowdown on leather
The type of leather used in the construction of a sofa is an important consideration when you're looking for a new addition to your home. The part of the animal hide used and how it is processed affects a leather sofa's appearance, feel, and durability. For the best all-round experience (and to keep the leather purists more than happy), look for sofas handcrafted from:
- Full-grain leather – Derived from thick animal hides and retaining this hide's top layer, full-grain leather is durable and full of authentic leathery textural charm. It receives a protective top coating, which retains all the natural graining.
- Aniline—This is full-grain leather treated with natural soluble dyes, which colour the leather while keeping the unique and characterful grain visible. Aniline leather feels decadently soft and wears attractively over time.
- Top-grain leather—This is corrected-grain leather in which the top surface has been lightly buffed away to remove unwanted markings, and then graining is artificially added to produce a more uniform texture. Top-grain leather appeals to those who like this textural uniformity, and it is less expensive than full-grain while still being wonderfully hard-wearing.
What makes a great leather sofa?
In terms of looks and longevity, full-grain, aniline, and top-grain leathers are a great choice for your next sofa – and that’s what you’ll find in CB2’s contemporary leather sofa collection.
You need an expertly handcrafted frame to showcase the exquisite quality of these leathers. Kiln-dried hardwood is considered the best option because it won't warp, bend, or crack over time. CB2 uses FSC-certified hardwoods in its frames for sustainability and durability.
What could be better than coming home after a busy day and sinking into a sumptuous leather sofa? Goose-down has long been used as a stuffing for leather cushions, providing that glorious deep-sinking feeling. Contemporary sofas offer a more ethical and shape-retaining option by utilising a combination of feathers and fibres with polyfoam. This offers a pleasurably plush sitting experience and avoids the need for frequently re-plump misshapen cushions.
How to choose a leather sofa for your space
Leather sofas make a statement. Whether you’re looking to furnish a generous family living room or add a handsome leather sofa to a small home office, there’s a size and style to suit.
Think about how many people you need your leather sofa to seat. Would a sectional leather sofa be better suited to your needs? L-shaped two- or four-piece sectionals like CB2’s Salon and Lenyx designs are perfect for maximising floor space and creating sociable seating around a coffee table. For smaller spaces, make an impact with a retro leather day-bed.
Measure your available floor space and assess the type of furniture in the room and the overall style story in the space. Though your luxurious leather sofa can certainly be the focal point, it must also deliver balance overall. Too large or grand in proportions and it could swamp simple, small-scale furniture. A classic Chesterfield-style sofa may look out of place amid a highly modern scheme, while a clean-lined, sleek leather sofa may feel disjointed in a rustic, homely space.
Trending styles
As the latest trends in leather furniture and sofas illustrate, great design never goes out of fashion. Leading global furniture designers are taking inspiration from the forms of the 70s, bringing retro accents to your living room. Overstuffed, deep-seated, low-profile leather sofas like the Brace from CB2 offer an exceptionally versatile silhouette for the home. They can hold their own in a pared-back minimalist space or add a touch of snug decadence to a laid-back family living space full of colour, texture, and movement.
There's something comfortingly soft around the edges about 70s-style leather sofas, but if you like to keep your lines crisp, there are plenty of sofas paying homage to the precision of mid-century furniture design. CB2's effortlessly elegant Savile leather sofa perfectly defines a contemporary space.
Sinuous and sculptural furniture nurtures the biophilic design trend with its nod to the soothing silhouettes of nature. You can keep your curves subtle with contemporary manifestations of the classic Chesterfield like CB2’s tufted Savile or embrace sensual lines in all their glory with an undulating design like the Cecil.
Choosing your favourite leather sofa silhouette in a neutral or earthy shade offers superb flexibility, allowing you to style with seasonal colour pops and to bring other furniture into the space without fear of clashes.
When you choose a handcrafted leather sofa from CB2’s artisanal range, you don’t have to worry about the style becoming passé. Handpicked for its timeless silhouette and meticulous standard of detail and finish, a sofa from CB2 becomes part of the family for many years to come.