Brown leathers with red undertones

[openspaces]

Hello,

My wife and I are beginning a search for new HM sofas. We would like a durable leather (five kids) that is a rich brown with reddish undertones. any ideas?

We have seen the portfolio harness, and the antelope saddle. Is there another leather that would be suitable for us in both color and durability?

We like the sundance so far, but are having a hard time finding locations which stock other models to try.

thanks

openspaces

[AZJoe]

How about Kipling whiskey or cognac?

[MJM_CA]

Columbia Coffee is a nice grade 1 leather.

[drcollie]

Look as Aspen as well. That's a leather that has a number of characteristics of the GR 4 Antelope, but at a GR 2 price point. Equestrian (GR 2) is another that can take a lot of use well in addition to those already mentioned.

[openspaces]

Duane,

The equestrian we saw appears to be an unprotected GR 3. Are we missing another leather series with a similar name?

Open spaces

Look as Aspen as well. That's a leather that has a number of characteristics of the GR 4 Antelope, but at a GR 2 price point. Equestrian (GR 2) is another that can take a lot of use well in addition to those already mentioned.

[drcollie]

Correct. Equestrian is technically an unprotected leather, but in real use it performs excellent and is very durable and kid-friendly. However if you want bulletproof, you have to go into what I affectionately call the 'cardboard leathers' like Challenger and Glazed.

[openspaces]

Thanks for clarifying. That's the type of info we need. When we sit here and look at online information we miss out on the first hand detail that can really make a difference. We have been discounting all unprotected leathers automatically because we didn't think anything unprotected had a chance with our children.

Keep the insights coming!

[drcollie]

Here's the thing...."Unprotected" leathers really aren't that fragile in most cases. However, Hancock and Moore is a conservative company that doesn't want the phone call that goes like this........

>ring< >ring< "I bought one of your sofas in Equestrian and was told that it was a durable leather, then my kids spilled olive oil all over it along with a bottle of Windex and now there's a big stain in the middle of the sofa that won't go away and I think you need to replace my sofa with a brand new one, and if you don't I complaining to the BBB, filing a complaint with the N.C. State's Attorney's Office and going to trash you all over the internet."

Don't think that happens? Yes, it does. So all makers are hesitant to say things that I will tell you. We live in a society and culture where there is a tendency NOT to take responsibility for one's own actions and as such are always looking for a replacement from a maker at no charge. It doesn't take many phone calls like the one above to make a manufacturer skittish - yet truth be told a leather like Equestrian is suitable for durability 98.5% of the time. Can you damage it? Sure you can. Get the right mix of spills on it and you can stain the leather. Things like Ammonia and Bleach, or motor oil can damage the finish. But the reality is that most people that are buying in the range of H&M don't live like that and if you're willing to assume a small amount of risk you can really increase your range of leathers to use and get much more enjoyment of the piece.

My kids are now 20 and 17. They grew up on Unprotected leathers in our family room, and we never ruined a piece. In fact, those pieces are still in service at our house, though they have been rotated into the Media Room downstairs and we have replaced them after 20 years of use mainly because we wanted something new and fresh.There are a few leathers you should steer clear of with kids. Deerskin, any of the suedes (Somoma and Nubuck), Quintessence, and Lambskin. The rest are fairly durable in normal, everyday use. Use common sense, and don't think the leather is indestructible and you'll be fine. By far, the killers of leather upholstery are failure to clean it periodically to remove the oils and dirt, and placing the piece in direct sunlight. That accounts for 95% of leather furniture kills, and then spills and cat claws make up the other 5% based on my experience.

Some tips on leather, protected or unprotected:

* If you have young children...BANISH permanent markers from the house. Sharpies and the like. If they do a Picasso on your leather furniture, its a dye transfer and there is nothing short of re-leathering the piece to fix it.

* Don't saturate leather with water. That means no wet bathing suits on the leather while watching "The Little Mermaid" on TV after coming out of the pool. That ruins all leather. Use vinyl if you can't keep wet things off it for extended time periods.

* Blue jeans are dyed denim . Some jeans lose their dye and it transfers to leather. Because this is a dye, you cannot remove it from the leather. More an issue with lighter colored leathers but if you see it happening know that you cannot get it out.

Hope that helps!