Crystal Valley Blog

A Leather Furniture How-To

POSTED April 2, 2019

Sitting on leather furniture can be like sinking into a favorite shoe – comfy, enveloping, familiar. And while lots of designers like the look of leather and the advantages it offers over fabric, DIY decorators may wonder, “how expensive is it, really?” “Is it cold in the winter?” And, “what goes with” brown leather? With all of that in mind, we sourced the best design advice to find out.

Matched Set Optional

Pretty much everything goes with brown leather, so don’t sweat that! And you don’t need a matched set of the exact same leather on, say, a couch and loveseat, or couch and chairs. Design experts know that it’s more than okay to mix different leathers in a room — or even on the same piece of furniture. And, you don’t have to match leather to leather – you can integrate fabric furniture and accents, like the pros at Pottery Barn. All you need are a few design principles and pointers about choosing leather-covered pieces.

Lines and Scale

The lines of furniture refer to the outlines and the structure, whether clean and straight, or curvy and rounded. As long as the pieces have similar lines, you can mix colors and styles. Scale is another matter. For example, an oversized leather sofa will eclipse a Victorian parlor chair sitting next to it. But if pieces are of similar size, height and “weight” visually, they’ll likely work together.

Unexpected Elegance offers a few more tips about scale, as well as decorating for high ceilings and how to balance small, medium and large-sized objects. 

Color and Contrast

Lots of today’s homes feature white or eggshell walls and wood flooring. That’s the perfect backdrop for a tan or chocolate sofa – offering a beautifully warm contrast to pale walls while complementing wood floors. One designer featured in Houzz maintains that brown leather works with any style. Whether it’s a couch with clean lines and a modern profile or a sturdier roll-arm sofa – both can shift into a variety of style preferences with a timeless appeal. 

Timeless and Durable

Speaking of timeless, one reason we love leather is because it lasts. In fact, it is four times more durable than fabric – which means you might go through three fabric sofas ($$$) long before a leather couch wears out! And if you have kids, no need to worry about spills and dirt, because leather wipes clean with a damp cloth, or at most, a bit of leather cleaner. Better Homes and Gardens has a few tips about the care and feeding of leather furniture, and some inspirational groupings, as well.

Leather can fade if it’s exposed to the sun over time, but one remedy is it buy a leather stain which you can rub over a piece of furniture to bring back some of the richness in the color. Oh, and about whether leather is cold? HGTV reports that leather takes on the temperature of your body within 12 seconds, so that’s a myth and misconception! (We actually counted and think it’s more like 15, but still!)

Buying Leather Furniture

HGTV devotes a lot of site space to helpful advice about which leather is right for you (aniline, semi-aniline, pigmented, etc.) so take a look at the benefits of each – and the expense.

If you love the look of leather, you don’t have to limit yourself to leather sofas and chairs – the options are endless for headboards, bar stools, ottomans, pillows, rugs (cowhide and sheepskin) and even leather wall accents (thank you, Allure Collection!).

Loving the Look of Crystal Valley

The “look” that typifies the master-planned community of Crystal Valley, is one surrounded by nature, yet convenient to nearby amenities, shopping, entertainment and recreation. Explore all the beautiful models and move-in ready homes from Richmond American Homes, Kauffman Homes and D.R. Horton – ranch and two-story designs, priced from the $300s. 

accent

Keep Me Informed about Crystal Valley

Our community enjoys a year-round schedule of events and activities. Register to receive the latest progress and news of upcoming events at Crystal Valley.

Download Brochure

Want to learn more? Simply fill out the fields below and we’ll send you a community brochure all about the Nature of Happiness here in Crystal Valley.

Keep Me Informed about Crystal Valley

Our community enjoys a year-round schedule of events and activities. Register to receive the latest progress and news of upcoming events at Crystal Valley.

Relocating to Colorado?


Schedule A Private Tour