Leather Lounges

Choosing a leather lounge

A leather lounge is the sofa you buy once. It wipes clean, shrugs off pets and children, and instead of wearing out it softens and gains a patina, so the leather couch that looked a little stiff on the showroom floor is the most comfortable seat in the house ten years on. The decisions are about the leather itself, the colour, and the shape.

Full-grain, aniline and corrected leather

Not all leather is the same hide. Full-grain and full aniline leather keep the natural surface of the hide, with its grain, scars and variation; it is the softest and most beautiful, ages best, and marks most easily, so it suits a formal room or a house without small children. Semi-aniline leather has a light protective finish that keeps most of the natural look and resists spills. Corrected or pigmented leather has a uniform, coated surface that is the toughest and easiest to clean, the right choice for a family room. Ask which leather each lounge uses and run your hand over it: the softer and more varied it feels, the closer it is to the hide.

Tan, cognac, brown or black

A tan leather sofa or a cognac leather lounge is the classic warm choice and goes with timber floors, white walls and almost any rug. Brown leather couches, from chestnut to chocolate, are the easiest to live with and hide the most. A black leather sofa suits a modern, darker room and pairs with chrome, marble and glass. Pale leathers, from ivory to stone, look spectacular and need a careful household. Leather darkens slightly where it is sat on and lightens in sun, so keep a leather lounge out of direct daily sunlight.

Leather sofa, corner lounge, modular or recliner

A two or three seater leather sofa suits a sofa-and-armchairs layout and a formal lounge room. A leather corner lounge or leather modular lounge seats the family and still wipes clean after movie night, and is the combination most people search for when they decide on leather. A leather chaise gives one person a place to lie down. Leather recliner lounges, manual or electric, are the most comfortable seat for anyone who naps or has a sore back; allow room behind the back for the mechanism.

Comfort and construction

Leather is only the surface. Underneath, look for a solid hardwood frame, a sprung or webbed base, and high-density foam or feather-wrapped cushions; the cushion fill decides whether the lounge feels firm and tailored or soft and relaxed. Seat height and depth matter as much as on a fabric lounge, so sit in it with your shoes off and lean back. Check the leather continues around the back and sides if the lounge will float in the room rather than sit against a wall.

Looking after leather

Dust with a soft cloth, wipe spills immediately with a damp cloth, and use a leather conditioner once or twice a year to keep the hide supple. Keep the lounge away from heaters and out of strong sun. That is the whole routine, which is why leather suits busy households.

See them in a Perth showroom

The Furniture Gallery is WA owned and family run, with showrooms across Perth and regional WA. Compare the hides side by side, sit in the leather sofas and recliners, and ask an interior stylist which leather suits your household. When you have chosen, add the lounge to your cart and enter your postcode for a delivery price; our white-glove delivery team will unpack it, assemble it and take the packaging away.