Need Advice on Buying Leather Sofa

I posted this in the Home Decorating forum but no response so far and tomorrow I'm going shopping so I really really need some advice or do's & don'ts regarding buying a leather sofa/loveseat. I see things written in the sale flyers like "8-way hand tied" but I don't know what it means and if it's really that important. Can someone please advise or share your opinions regarding leather furniture.

Many thanks
Toni

Hi, Toni - Lucky you, enjoy! Biggest tip I can give you is don't be in a rush - stores are always having sales. Often you can find a floor model for a great price, or even used (a local store here sells nice furniture that's only seen model homes and "parade of homes" kind of use, for instance.). If you do your homework first and familiarize yourself with terms, processes, etc., the less likely it is some slick-talking salesperson will sell you something sub-par.

Here's some other links:
http://www.schneidermans.com/Tips/leather_furniture.aspx
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml;jsessionid=J0CEFQM4J5SSRQFIBQPR42Q?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/12586.xml&categoryid=/templatedata/bhg/category/data/DecoratingLessons_Furniture.xml&page=3
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/12586.xml&categoryid=/templatedata/bhg/category/data/DecoratingLessons_Furniture.xml&page=4

There's a lot to know about leather furniture - more than I dreamed! We'd love to get a couple of leather reading chairs sometime.

Hi gardenwife!

Thank you so much for a response and for the links. I've had my present furniture for 14 years (bought when we first married). Always wanted a leather sofa but I was brought up with "use it till it falls apart" philosophy so after all these years it's time. I can't spend alot but I want to get the best I can for what I can afford.

Thanks again!
Toni

"8-way hand tied" is the way the springs are attached to the frame, or in other words it is hand tied with 8 strings. It's the mark of good quality. For leather always look for top grain leather, since manufacturers split the hide to double the yield. The bottom split isn't as resilient and tears and stretches easily. If you must sacrifice and not get all top grain leather, it would be better to have vinyl on the areas that don't really show (sides of cushions etc) and top grain on the parts that get lots of use. The vinyl sides will be more durable than split leather sides. Also, if the back of the sofa or chair is accessible to the room and not against a wall, it is also nice to have a hard back that you can't accidentally lean into and tear or stretch the leather. If you push on the back of the sofa and there's nothing there except leather stretched across the frame, it's too easily damaged.

Leather is great! Good luck to you. :-)

CNSwift is absolutely right on all counts. We bought a Natuzzi leather sofa about ten years ago, and it has survived 5 cats, countless guests, been used to sleep on, etc, and I've never regretted the $1200 it cost. Watch for sales, Chicago has some great sales on furniture (I get the Sunday Trib and sometimes am overcome by Shopping Envy) but one small word of warning. Be absolutely sure you love the color, and that you will continue to love the color into your dotage because it will not change, fade, darken, or otherwise become something it is not. Light shades are subject to staining by pets or kids, leather does not seal perfectly and stuff will soak into seam lines.

Make sure you sit on it, to see if it is a good fit for your butt and leg length, and that you don't "slide" towards the front edge. I had to return one because every time we sat down, and leaned back, we slowly started slipping forward. Unless you were sitting straight up with your feet flat on the floor, you got the glide and slide. Who sits like that? Certainly not us....!! We fall into the sprawl and lounge category....

Good luck, I know you will enjoy your purchase.

Thank you thank you thank you cnswift and meezersfive!

That's exactly the type of info I've been looking for. I stayed up till 3 a.m. researching leather furniture and checking out all the store sales etc. Found a few that looked pretty decent so now I have to venture out into the 90 degree fire pit and go sit on some sofas! I really would like to find something on the firmer side. I hate it when you sit down and it feels like you sat in a bucket and your knees are up to your chin. We are definately the sprawl and lounge type too expecially DH. No formal anything in our house.

Much appreciation for your valuable input.
Toni

My advice would be to shop the sales and go on the internet and compare prices, call around, etc. Some places will meet the competition's prices, even if they are from a North Carolina outlet ...

We bought a leather sofa (by Herman Moore) this year and I saw it advertised at several different price points. I also read the classified ads for nice used sofa's from the show case homes, etc. Good 'deals' there...

Also, looking back, I had my heart set on a leather sofa, and now I wish that I had considered fabric, as well...

Good luck. t.

Meezers, I had to laugh at your comment about "continuing to love the color into your dotage" because that was something I had not planned on! I've had mine for 7 years, and it looks exactly the same as when I bought it. I do like to change things around a lot, but it looks like this will be part of my decor for many moons.

Toni, glad to help. I was actually pretty excited to give someone else advise, since I'm usually the one doing the asking. I'm so new to gardening, that I'm not really up to par on advise giving in that regard - someday though! This site is REALLY informative and I've been having a great time reading and learning. (even though I'm at work right now, shhhhh)

Ok, now I've got a question for general info: What is a "DH"? I'm taking a guess at "darn husband" or "dumb husband" but I could be way off here.

Thanks, Christina

Christina, it could be either one and probably is once in a while, but it's mainly used for Dear Husband. Dotti

well that is much nicer than what I had guessed at. :)

Hey Christina...you're not the only one who thought different about what DH meant.

Well I did it. Second store in and I was sold. It was actually one of the sets I had found on the stores website. I liked everything about it so rather than run myself and DH ragged we took it. Top grain Italian leather with down/feather stuffing and sinuous coil springs. The backing and seating pillows are removeable and have zippers so if the stuffing gets flattened out by my big A** in the near future I can always have them restuffed! I can also switch the cushions around since I tend to sit on one side of the couch all the time. No slide & glide either. Best feature of all was the price (marked down by half)!

What we saved on the sofa/loveseat we spent on the coffee table and side tables. Had no intention of buying tables but it was like walking into a garden nursery. No way you can walk out without buying! Anyway I figured this was going to be the last time I went furniture shopping for the next 15-20 years so go for it.

Thank you to everyone for their suggestions and good advice. Here's some pics. Hope you like em!

Toni

This is the coffee table and side table.

Great job! I hope you and your happy hubby love them for years to come. I'm sure your room will be amazing now! Send us some photos when everything is delivered and arranged. :)

They all look soooo nice!! ~ Suzi :)

Hi Toni, thanks for telling me about your post over here. The couch is really beautiful! If I had seen one like that, I would have picked it myself. Rachel

Thank you all so much for your kind words. Delivery is supposed to be this coming friday. Now for the real adventure to begin ....what to do with all the old stuff! The house is in a complete upheaval. I didn't happen to mention that we had to widen an inner doorway by tearing off the doorframe did I? It took us over 2 hours to angle and squeeze the old couch in when we first moved here. Hubby burned his burger on that one! This time he decided to just bust out a small part of the wall. No wonder we waited this long to get new stuff!

Beautiful...I can almost smell the leather. :) Howie and I are partial to the leather furniture with the visible brass tacks, too.

Thanks gardenwife. It's funny because the main reason we chose the tables was because they had a antique brass-like design on them that seemed to really meld with the tacks in the furniture. The tables look "fussy" in the pic but when we placed them next to the more casual look of the sofa it all looked like it belonged. Maybe they balance each other out. I don't know I'm kindof an eclectic gypsy when it comes to decorating. I have some of every style in my house. Anyway I'll see when it gets here. I have the option to return the stuff if I'm not happy. Secretly hoping that my old tables will look okay because they're in great condition and I hate to get rid/sell them. They're a much lighter shade of oak than what's on the sofa.

Toni

We're eclectic in our decorating, too. We don't like being "matchy" too much.