Leather or fabric?
Leather has become enormously popular - once considered a luxury, new techniques to manufacture less expensive options has made it much more affordable. Plain styles give a more contemporary feel, but we have more traditional choices such as studded arms and button backs, especially in accent chairs.
Technology has enable the achievement of all sorts of finish, from distressed and antiqued to exceptionally smooth and soft, where the semi-aniline dyeing process removes most of the flaws. Corrected grain leather will have had most flaws covered up, but because leather is a natural product, markings will differ from piece to piece and dyes may not take identically throughout the hide.
Unless you go for a very smooth, highly treated finish, your leather upholstery will age with use and for many people this adds to the character - it stands up to wear and tear very well.
Leather sofas are easy to look after - just remove dust with a slightly damp cloth. Keep them at least 30cm away from direct heat sources to prevent it drying out, and remember that just like fabric it's not immune to the fading effects of sunlight.
Fabric sofas present you with a bigger range of colour options. They usually come in a fibre mix for strength and texture, and all our ranges are throughly tested for durability. We also sell microfibre upholstery that can be simply wiped down with a damp cloth to clean, and so are ideal for households with children or pets. Use soapy water or even baby wipes on stains.
Sofas with washable or dry cleanable loose covers are also available, otherwise we recommend the use of a specialist company to clean your furniture at home. Use an upholstery brush or crevice tool on your vacuum cleaner to remove dirt and dust, and always attend to spills immediately. Be sparing with the use of spot chemicals as they can cause a ring or fading - try plain water first.
Think carefully about strong colours in a very sunny room in case of fading, but rotating cushions will help to slow the process.
Upholstery swatches service
We offer a free online service to help you choose the right fabric colour and texture for your new sofa or chair. For an individual sofa or chair, you can order every colour swatch available for it, but if you like the look of more than one model, you’ll need to place separate orders for each. These will be posted to you or to any UK address by our suppliers within around 5 working days. Please order only the swatches you need. Please make a note of what you have ordered, and if the swatches do not arrive in the specified time, you should re-order them online. Should your second order not arrive, then please contact Customer Services on 08456 049 049 with details of your order so that they can chase it for you. This free service is only available in the UK. We’re sorry, but the service doesn’t include samples of leather upholstery (though you can view these in our shops), nor does it include curtain fabrics – again, please ask in our shops.
Fillings for sofas
It may not be uppermost in your mind, but the filling in your chosen sofa does make a difference. Just as they offer different levels of support, sofas and chairs will require different levels of maintenance depending on the filling. Foam or foam with fibre will make an easier life for anyone with more limited mobility or strength.
- Foam upholstery will feel firm and supportive, and lends a more tailored appearance to a sofa. It will recover well and all you'll need to do is turn the cushions occasionally to allow even wear. Over the years, the foam will compact and lose volume a little, though this process is much slower with high resilience foam.
- Fibre, or foam with a fibre wrap, will give a softer look and feel to sofas and chairs. Just plump and turn cushions occasionally to maintain comfort and wear.
- Feather-filled upholstery will have a more relaxed, casual look and a "squishier" feel - ideal if you like to curl up on the sofa. You'll need to plump up cushions daily.