Leather sofas were once the extravagant purchases of the affluent. Today, the range of leather sofas available in the market is so extensive that virtually anyone can afford to have one in their lounge or living room. Being a natural product, leather has a timeless appeal and durability, making it a popular upholstery choice. However, all leather requires care to maintain its elegance and long life. It has individual characteristics that make each sofa unique. Leather will always bear the marks of its natural origin, which can include shading variations, scratches and wrinkles. These markings should not be viewed as defects, but as confirmation that you have purchased genuine leather and not an imitation.

Know your leather 
From aniline leather sofas — to Italian leather — to bycast leather sofas, the list is endless. With so many options to choose from, one should know the main types of leather used to cover leather sofas and the basic characteristics of each.

Full aniline or Natural leather: This type of leather is highly prized and as a result, also exceptionally costly. Full aniline leather couches will be soft, luxurious and cool to the touch. The surface remains natural and uncoated, making it susceptible to moisture stains and damage. If you are worried about dirty hands and paws, then it is best to steer clear of natural leather couches and rather invest in hardier varieties of leather.

Italian leather: This leather is world renowned for being soft, smooth and durable, and hence, a popular choice of the people with wealth and class.

Pull-up aniline leather: It is almost identical to full aniline leather with the exception that it has been treated with a special layer of wax and oil. This process is designed to cause leather to wear unevenly over time, resulting in a subtle contrast of light and dark hues. While not quite as valuable as natural leather couches, pull-up aniline couches are nevertheless still fairly costly. “Like natural leather couches, pull-up aniline couches are also quite delicate and tend to stain easily if you are not careful with them,” says Ashok Singhal of Stanley leather furniture showroom in Delhi.

Semi-aniline leather: This type is dyed with a special pigment and sealed with a thin finishing layer. It tends to have an even, consistent colour and slight shine. The advantage to semi aniline leather lies in the fact that it is far more durable than natural leather. The finishing layer protects the leather from stains and watermarks and makes it far easier to clean.

Pigmented leather: Pigmentation treatments are predominantly used on hides that are blemished or flawed. The surface of the leather is polished to remove marks and imperfections, after which the leather is treated with a special opaque pigment. The pigmentation process improves colour consistency and protects leather against fading and damage.

“Like semi aniline leather sofas, pigmented leather sofas are also easy to clean and durable. If you know that your sofa is going to be subjected to sticky hands and dirty paws, then it will definitely be worth your while to look at investing in a pigmented leather sofa,” advises Mr Sushil Khetrapal of New Leather Furniture.

Brushed leather: Also known as chaps, stonewashed or distressed leather, brushed leather is actually aniline leather that has been brushed to give it a soft, velvety feel. The grain surface of the leather is broken open to make it softer and give it suede like appearance. “The breaking up of the surface fibres of the leather also makes it extremely absorbent and sensitive to heat and moisture. Brushed leather is by far the most difficult type of leather to keep clean and stain free, even more so than natural leather,” says Singhal.

Colours
Once you’ve decided on which style of sofa you want, and which type of leather to use; you’ll then have to turn your mind to the tricky (but fun) part of choosing the right colour. Today’s technologies mean that leather can be dyed to almost any hue of colour that you choose.

Black, red, white and brown sofas remain eternally popular, but there’s a growing market for more unusual colours such as green and orange.

Spills & stains
People are often concerned about spills and stains on their leather furniture. “Leather as a natural material, is resistant to spills and stains. As leather is a porous material, any liquid that is spilled on a leather sofa, will rest on top of the leather and bead up, allowing it to be wiped up. It is recommended that any spills are quickly wiped off your leather sofa and not permitted to rest on the leather furniture for an extended period of time,” says Singhal.