Congratulations: You have made the very exciting decision to have your furniture custom designed for your home.
Wow, great choice! This way you can showcase your very own personal style, no trends for you!
Yes, size and shape is on the top of the list, but we know you are very excited to do the fun part first. Let's talk about the colors and covering selections Palliser offers you, time to turn this dream into a reality!
I would suggest bringing in anything you have to aid you in finding the perfect color or pattern, bring pillows, curtain fabric, paint chips, or carpet samples, they will all help with you making the absolutely perfect choice! Even articles you have seen on Pinterest or in Magazines will ensure you get your exact vision.
What About Wear?
100% leather softens and relaxes over time, not affecting wear, but increasing comfort. You will notice that on many valuable antique pieces the leather is worn to a beautiful wax soft sheen, it has proven to stand the test of time. Leather is very easy to keep clean and demands no real maintenance, most spills can be easily wiped clean with a cloth.
Leather is put through some vigorous testing in the Pallister Manufacturing plant, not all leather makes it to the furniture floor.
Palliser maintains a corporate leather lab staffed by experts with extensive tannery experience. They perform a physical inspection of each hide and use a color matching assessment using a spectrophotometer, (don't worry, we are well educated in these processes so you don't have to be).
All leathers are tested for:
- Light & rub fastness
- Finish adhesion
- Flexibility
- Seam & tear strength
Top Grain or Leather Assortment?
Palliser always uses top grain leather to ensure your furniture is as beautiful as it is durable. Top grain leather is made from the top or outermost layer of a hide, allowing for fewer imperfections as the entire hide is used organically without altering the surface.
Palliser is an industry leader in custom leather upholstery. They understand the demands of different lifestyles and budgets, and offer two different leather assortments to choose from without compromising the quality or integrity of your furniture.
When selecting a leather cover, you can choose to have the entire piece covered in 100% top grain, or opt for high-touch areas covered in top grain, and the rest in leather match. I personally love this option because if my sofa and recliner will both be up against a wall with no backside showing it makes sense to save some $ there, ( you can use that extra savings for the new area carpet).
Leather Finish Options
Top grain leather requires a special finish to ensure the upholstery stays protected.
Pigmented
Pigmented leather is buffed or corrected to reduce and conceal natural markings or blemishes. Leather with this type of topcoat will provide excellent wear well if maintained properly.
- Excellent durability with minimal maintenance
- Minimal color variation
- Most practical, least likely to fade or stain
Semi-Aniline
Semi-aniline leathers offer good medium protection from day-to-day use. Semi-aniline leather may be slightly buffed, but no pattern or embossing has been used to alter the texture
- Medium protection
- Light topcoat helps control fading
- Softens and relaxes, without affecting wear, but rather increasing comfort
Full aniline
Full aniline is regarded as the highest quality of leather, often seen as the most authentic. Full aniline leather will show all natural marks, grain and color variation.
- Most natural looking
- Develops a beautiful patina over time
- Superbly soft and supple with rich, penetrating color
- Direct exposure to sunlight or heat sources, will result in fading or discoloring
Leather Or Fabric?
Now that you have had a chance to read over your leather options you can either choose to move forward with leather, or you can look at other furniture options such as fabric. I will cover fabric pro's and con's in my next newsletter.
Our City Furniture Designers are fully educated on every aspect of Palliser's Custom Furniture process. You can feel confident that we will work with you every step of the way, FROM DESIGN TO DELIVERY you can count on us!
