Without careful planning, you’ll waste a lot of time researching leather sectional sofas. Even the leather sectional FAQs won’t always give you the answers you’re looking for. Then you’ll get frustrated and make a purchase you’ll later regret.
Besides, when researching leather sectional sofas online, it’s essential not to forget that quality is just as important as style.
Being able to visualize the various possible arrangements is an advantage, but don’t be misled by the visual effect. Always check the quality standards before making a purchase.
Let’s look at how to approach buying a leather sectional to avoid any future disappointment.
Planning Your Leather Sectionals Research
Carefully planning your research will save time and frustration and help you avoid purchasing the wrong product.
Here’s what you ought to do.
Pick The Style That Suits You Best
Leather sectional sofas come in all styles, so it’s vital to know what you want before researching.
A traditional tufted leather sectional might catch your eye, but it could be an eyesore in a mid-century modern design living space. Then you’ll need something simple that will be an understatement.
But if you find the modern style is too plain with its clean lines, check the design of the contemporary style sectionals. These have clean lines, but with a few added details, so they will tie in with any interior decor.
Think About Where You’ll Place The Leather Sectional
Leather sectional sofas need enough space whether you have a small or large room.
First, consider what other furniture you have and where to place it. For a sectional to be a perfect fit, you don’t want it to be cramped against anything else.
When you purchase one with a chaise lounge option, you should also consider which side the chaise section needs to be on.
And think about whether there’s enough space to place a coffee table nearby. If there’s no room for a small table in front of it, maybe a side table will fit.
Measure Your Room Layout
To ensure the leather sectional is a perfect fit, measuring the dimensions of the space you’ve chosen is essential.
Without exact measurements, you could be disappointed when it arrives and find it too big and bulky for your room. Or maybe it looks out of place because it’s not big enough.
Knowing how much space is available, you should calculate the largest and smallest dimensions that will fit there. By doing this, you can then only concentrate on leather sectional sofas with these dimensions rather than waste time by checking out products and finding that they’re the wrong size.
Create A Text Document To Save Your Favorites
When researching leather sectionals, create a text document where you can download and save an image of each item that attracts you. Doing this will save time, as you won’t need to read the detailed product information at this stage.
Once you’ve finished checking products, you can compare what you’ve found and review each one at leisure. Delete the unsuitable ones, then compare what you have left.
You’ll avoid the frustration of searching once again for what you initially found. And it will help you decide on the correct item to purchase.
Choosing The Right Leather Quality
To ensure durability, you must be aware of the available leather types to avoid purchasing an inferior leather sectional.
Full Grain Leather
Full grain is a natural leather that offers the ultimate in durability. It comes at a higher price than other kinds of leather due to the preparation process of the cattle hide. But the extra expenditure is worth the investment, considering its durability.
When processing the hides, the tough outer layer is left intact with all its imperfections, like scratches and scars that occurred in the animal’s lifetime. As this layer contains tough fibers, you can expect it to maintain its natural shade and withstand a lot of wear and tear.
The hide can also be enhanced with a soluble aniline dye to give it a unique, natural appearance which adds character to the upholstery.
This aniline leather is rich in color and has a smooth texture. It even improves with age as the leather absorbs the body’s natural oils, causing an attractive patina effect to develop on the surface.
Top Grain Leather
Top grain leather is also an extremely long-lasting, high-grade leather worth investing in. It is slightly cheaper than full-grain, and the preparation process is significantly easier.
Unlike full-grain leather, a different process is used whereby the tough outer layer of the hide is sanded down, making it softer to touch. As no imperfections remain, the surface has a smooth, uniform finish.
It can also be treated with a soluble aniline or semi-aniline dye that penetrates deep into the leather to bring out the natural shades of the hide.
The aniline leather is then treated with a protective coating to make it stain-resistant. This coating makes it the perfect choice for families with kids, as you won’t constantly worry about wear and tear. And it’s also great if you like to host parties, as most spills can be easily wiped away from the surface of top-grain leather with a damp cloth.
Avoid Low Quality Leather
Most cheaper brands produce furniture using low-grade genuine leather, which is not tough. Initially, they look and feel just as good as the more expensive brands. But they’ll need replacing within a few years of minimal wear.
For example, split leather is made from the weaker fibrous leftover layers of the hide. It is cheap, low-grade leather that isn’t particularly durable.
Bonded leather is sometimes referred to as genuine leather, but don’t be misled. It’s made from the leftovers of the hide that are chopped into a fine powder to which a bonding agent is added. Then it’s rolled out to look and feel like soft leather.
Faux leather is another misleading leather to avoid. It’s a synthetic product made from polyurethane, so it isn’t even leather.
The first thing you’ll notice when you purchase leather sectionals made from low-standard leather is that cracks will start appearing. Once that happens, it won’t be long before the leather starts to tear, and your sectional will need replacing.
Choosing From Different Sectional Styles
Before researching leather sectional sofas, you’ll need to know what to expect from each available style.
Let’s check the three main design groups.
Classic Sectionals
Classic style is the perfect design for a timeless decor rich in history as it combines comfort and elegance with symmetry and consistency. You’ll find many elements of historical designs ranging from Queen Anne to Chippendale-style furniture.
As this style contrasts past designs with modern elements, your leather sectional could become the centerpiece of the room with its intricate details such as tufting and nailhead trim.
Just be sure that your space can take the visual impact.
It’s elegant and will give any size living space a feeling of luxury and splendor and provide a warm, rich, inviting ambiance.
And if you have any antique furniture in the room, it’s the perfect option to complement it.
The advantage of traditional style furniture is that it doesn’t become outdated, so you won’t have to worry about replacing it in a few years. It could even last for decades with the proper maintenance.
Mid Century Modern Sectionals
Mid-century modern style first became popular around the mid-1900s. It was introduced by the Modernist Movement, which was tired of elaborate design furniture overfilling rooms. People wanted functional furniture that was also aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.
And so the minimalist design came into being with its clean lines, geometric shapes, and subtle curves.
And after over half a century, it’s still in demand as it offers simplicity combined with sophistication.
It’s void of any intricate details, so it integrates well with any interior decor to give the room an uncluttered, clean appearance without distracting from any existing furniture.
And, as its minimalistic design is simple, it provides the illusion of a more spacious room as it doesn’t take center stage.
Whether you prefer muted colors from a retro style palette or darker shades, you won’t have to worry about the color clashing with the design. Whatever shade you choose will complement the design of your sectional.
Contemporary Sectionals
Contemporary sectionals are a must if you want your room to have a sophisticated atmosphere that feels clutter-free. You don’t want anything to make a statement, but neither do you want it to be an understatement.
Whatever your artistic taste, you can adapt contemporary style to match your interior decor, as it combines modern and traditional furniture.
It’s also suitable for any size of living space. It will complement a large open-plan area but also provide the illusion of a small room looking larger and give it a sleek, sophisticated appearance.
Contemporary style is unique as it combines the right amount of modern and traditional features to make it easier to integrate anywhere. It has the added advantage that it’s not bulky and will provide a comfortable atmosphere.
So if you’re looking for a light, minimalist appearance but still stylish and elegant sectional, check out our fantastic collection of contemporary leather sectionals.
Choosing The Best Furniture Manufacturers
The following companies are two of America’s top furniture producers whose leather furniture brands are known for comfort, standard, and durability.
Leathercraft Furniture
For over 50 years, Leathercraft Furniture has been producing top-quality leather custom-made furniture at its production center in the highlands of Western North Carolina.
It only employs talented craftspeople to custom-make leather furniture from locally sourced superior materials.
The innovative leather sectionals in its collection are visually pleasing and highly durable. And they’re available in each design style, from traditional to modern or contemporary.
The customization options include design features and an amazing color palette from neutral to bright shades, so you can be sure of creating a unique leather sectional.
Whether looking for a sleeper, an L-shape, or a chaise lounge section, Leathercraft Furniture offers the best leather sectionals that money can buy.
Classic Leather
Classic Leather was founded in Hickory, North Carolina, in the 1960s. It’s a family-owned business that produces superior-quality leather furniture that is exceptionally durable.
It employs around 280 highly qualified craftspeople to handcraft its custom-made products.
And it’s proud of the time-honored techniques still used to ensure that customers receive the best leather sectionals possible. The unbeatable comfort you can expect from these sectionals will last a lifetime.
All leather products are available in a wide range of design styles and can even be arranged as a seating area for a home theater. They’re suitable for the largest villa to the smallest urban apartment and come at an affordable price.
Choosing The Right Quality Standards
Superior leather sectional sofas come at a higher price, but it’s still essential to check the standards before making a purchase.
Here are the most important quality standards to focus on to ensure you’ll buy a leather sofa that will last for decades.
Solid Hardwood Frames
For the frame of a leather sectional to give you the support you need for many years, it has to be made from kiln-dried solid hardwood. Quality frames are usually made from ash, oak, or maple, as they are highly durable materials and won’t break.
Many cheaper brands make the frame from inferior materials, such as pine or plywood to cut costs. But within a short time, these frames will start to sag and eventually break.
The companies we’ve partnered with produce frames from superior hardwood sourced locally. So you can expect each hand-crafted frame to provide you with all the comfort and support you need for decades.
Excellent Leather Quality
For leather sectionals to be a long-term investment, they must be upholstered with excellent-quality leather. Lower-priced products are only a short-term investment as the inferior leather will soon crack, tear, and need replacing.
The manufacturers we recommend only supply full-grain and top-grain leather sectionals as both kinds of leather are hard-wearing.
The natural imperfections in the tough outer layer of the hide give full-grain leather a completely natural appearance.
But for a family home, top-grain leather is the best choice. As it is protected with a stain-resistant coating, you can remove most spills easily with a damp cloth.
Great Customization Options
To ensure a perfect fit for your unique leather sectional, you should take advantage of the excellent customization options available.
Maybe you’ll find just what you’re looking for, but the upholstery leather or color is not your choice. Or perhaps the size is not quite right. With our manufacturing partners you can customize the size, upholstery, and finishing touches of most leather sectionals.
And by taking advantage of these options, you’ll be reflecting your personality and style through your unique piece of furniture.
Handmade Manufacturing Techniques
When producing handmade furniture, the craftspeople are all committed to their trade. Their techniques have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries.
Some of the techniques have evolved, but one has remained unchanged. And that is the 8-way hand-tied seating construction in leather sectional sofas.
This technique is where the springs are tied in eight ways to attach them to the frames, which is impossible to do by machine. And that is why no machine-produced furniture is as durable and unique as the handcrafted pieces we have available.
American-Made Quality
The companies we’ve introduced are among the top furniture producers in America. And they have decades of experience in hand-crafting top-quality leather furniture.
They supply customers with high-quality customized products at an affordable price that will last for decades.
Their highly-talented craftspeople are all experts who produce the best leather sofas and sectionals from locally sourced materials.
As they are based in North Carolina, they can take advantage of the abundant supply of superior hardwood from the nearby Appalachian hardwood forests.
You can be proud of supporting local companies, jobs, and the American economy when you purchase their products.
Browse Our Leather Sectional Sofas Collection
Our collection’s exclusive leather sectional sofas are all produced in North Carolina by highly praised manufacturers, so you can expect them to be of superior quality and incredibly long-lasting.
Their customization options will allow you to design a unique leather sectional in any style to match your home decor.
If you need help with customizing or have questions about any products, our customer support team members are always ready to assist you.
We look forward to hearing from you and helping you to create a unique leather sectional.
