Leather furniture is durable and adds a “natural feel” to your upholstery, thanks to the carving-out of natural product. However, not all leather materials are the same and the differences could range from the texture to the cost.
In this article, you will learn about the top five (5) types of furniture leather you can find in Nigeria – and what makes them different?
What is Furniture Leather?
It is a specific cover made for furniture and which is derived from leather. On its part, leather is a naturally-derived material, mostly from the hides of specific animals. It is known for the improved texture, long-lasting design and different finishes.
The Types of Leather Materials for Your Furniture in Nigeria
Depending on your budget, you can get different grades of leather materials for your upholsteries. The options range from top grain leather, full-grain leather, bonded leather, and split grain leather. Others are faux leather, aniline leather, corrected leather and suede leather.
Continue reading to find out what each of those offers.
1. Full-Grain Leather
This is often the favorite furniture leather due to the improved texture and the highest qualities it offers.
Mostly made from the best hides possible, it is no surprise that this type of leather is popular in Nigeria. Most furniture lovers go for it because of these reasons:
- The blemishes or dents on the surface are always minimal, thanks to the production from raw, high-grade hides.
- Full-grain leathers are also thicker, thanks to the non-splitting of the leather during the tanning process.
- The uniqueness of the leather is always in full display, courtesy of the non-touching of the topside.
The full-grain leather also has a couple of other benefits, such as:
- Higher resistance to damages, due to the improved thickness.
- It retains the natural smooth surface, due to the extraction of the skin layers’ upper layers.
2. Top-Grain Leather
There is a misconception that the full-grain leather is the same as a top-grain leather and vice-versa. While there share some similarities, they, however, have some differences.
The top-grain leather is the variant of the full-grain leather, in terms of the thickness. Unlike the full-grain that retains the topside, the upper part of the top-grain leather is usually “buffed” out.
Here are some of the attributes:
- Top-grain leathers can be molded around the edges and sharp corners. This can be done without necessarily creating creases on the surface.
- The surface gets more polishing more than the full-grain leather does.
Choosing the top-grain leather over the full-grain leather comes with some tradeoffs. The first is that due to the extra finishing, it is softer. This is why it might not last longer as the full-grain leather does.
3. Split Grain Leather
The split grain leather is also called split leather. It is the type of furniture leather that is left after the top-grain or the upper surfaces of the hide have been removed.
The split leather has a couple of attributes worth noting:
- It is harder or harder in texture. This also comes with a protective coating.
- It has a “fuzzy appearance,” which can be seen on both the flesh side and the grain.
4. Nubuck and Suede Leather
These are two types of furniture leather that have been confused to be the same thing – when they are not.
Nubuck leather is the type of leather mostly derived from cattle’s rawhide. It is also sanded from the outside to give that “suede kind of look.”
Nubuck leather also has a couple of notable properties, such as:
- It is corrected on one side.
- Nubuck leather has a soft appearance.
On the other hand, suede leather is the type made from the split leather in the lower portion of the rawhide.
Here are some of the attributes of the suede leather:
- The top-grain is sanded from the inside.
- Suede leather has a slight nap.
The similarities between the nubuck and suede leathers are the chemical-induced treatments for improving the leathers’ resistance to water and stain; as well as the usage of a product-specific brush to clean the leathers.
On the flipside, the two leathers differ. While the nubuck leather is sanded from the outside, the suede leather is sanded from the inside. Nubuck leather is more durable than the suede leather because it comes from the topmost part of the rawhide, unlike the former (suede) that is derived from the lower portion of the rawhide.
5. Corrected Grain Leather
As the name suggests, this is the type of furniture leather that has been subjected to some modifications (corrections).
A corrected grain leather is a top-grain leather, but with the addition of artificial grain impression on the surface. This aids the removal and or reduction of imperfections on the leather’s surface.
The attributes of a corrected grain leather include:
- Application of an artificial grain made of corrected grain.
- Corrected grain leather is also used to make pigmented leather.
ALSO READ:
- How Much Leather Do I Need for Car Seats in Nigeria?
- Fabric vs. Leather Car Seat Cover: Which One is Better
- How to Identify an Original Upholstery Leather in Nigeria
What is the Best Type of Leather for My Upholstery?
Besides the cost implications, a couple of factors will help you pick the ideal furniture leather. Here are some worthy considerations:
Synthetic vs. Genuine Leather
The option is to choose between real leather and a modified variant. Synthetic leather is one of the types of furniture leather materials that have non-durable texture and tend to be more affordable. Examples are cactus leather, mushroom leather, bonded leather and faux leather.
Genuine leather refers to the leather made from animal rawhides. When compared to the synthetic, it offers higher value, hardly peels nor cracks and is quite expensive.
The Cost Factor
How much does the furniture leather go for? It is always in correlation to the types of rawhides, the finishes and the tanning.
For example, leather derived from cows are more expensive than those derived from cattle and zebra.
Other cost factors to consider are the types of finishes and tanning. Examples are:
- Pigmented Leather: this is one of the cheapest, owing to the production from a variety of rawhides.
- Semi-Aniline Leather: this is more affordable and has attributes like durability and hardiness.
- Aniline Leather: this is costlier than the semi-aniline leather. Anile leather is purer and exclusive, hence, the higher price bargain for it.
Conclusion
Choosing your next leather for upholstery is an exciting project as it gives you an array of options to choose. If you have the funds, go for the full-grain leather that is thicker and has minimal blemishes. If you are working on a budget, either the corrected or split-grain leathers.
Are you in Nigeria and would like to place an order for your upholstery leather in Lagos or Aba for as many yards as you want? Reach out to Nestken Masters today using this Google Map or call +2348039388366.