Newbie with a question regarding leather cushions

[SteveC]

Greetings! I've been browsing this forum for a while now, and finally decided to join. I look forward to sharing my experiences and - more importantly - learning from everyone here.

The wife and I have been shopping for a leather chair and ottoman, and after looking at Stickley, H&M and a few others, we have settled on Thomasville's Martini & Cigar chair. For us, it's the best option when considering style, quality and price.

This will be a Custom Leather Group order, as opposed to Leather Choices which I understand is made in China. The salesperson assured me our chair would be made in NC. So far, so good.

The leather we will be getting is a Grade 7 aniline selection called Monte Carlo Slate (also known as taupe). I understand the issues regarding the care of "unprotected" aniline leather, but I'm having trouble deciding on the cushioning for the seat.

Our options are Thomasville's standard foam (represented as having a density of 1.8, whatever that means) or Spring Down. The Spring Down is a $60 upgrade, and initially I was favoring that due to Thomasville's claim that it was a firmer cushion, and I figured that would hold up better over time. After reading some threads here mentioning the hairline cracks that can develop in leather with Spring Down cushions, I'm having second thoughts.

I guess my question boils down to this: Do the caveats regarding Spring Down cushions on leather chairs apply to aniline leather?

I might also mention that this will be a chair that is only used occasionally - maybe once or twice a week for a couple hours at a time. Also, I sat on both types of cushions in the showroom and didn't notice any appreciable difference in the two.

Thanks for reading!

[drcollie]

Any time you have a softer, or more plush cushion core, it going to allow more flex to the leather, and that in turn will lead to a more 'rumpled' or 'puddled' or 'relaxed' appearance in the leather. The hi-density foam keeps its shape the best, so from an appearance standpoint the piece will 'look like new' longer with poly-dac cores. I doubt that the spring down is firmer - if it is, then that's the first time I've ever seem one firmer over a standard HR foam core, but stranger things have happened. Most my leather at home has HR foam in it, but I have two pieces with down cores. I don't see a huge difference in use, so I'd say the key is to get the one that feels best to you. Hairline cracks are really just in the topcoat, and not necessarily on all leathers. The more topcoat, the more the hairline fissures are visible. They don't degrade the piece, its just a cosmetic thing.

The two things you should do for longevity are: Keep the leather clean and conditioned, and don't place the chair in direct sunlight. Do that and you will get lots of life on a well-made piece.

[SteveC]

Thanks for the quick reply. Much appreciated!

For me, the issues with the cushion are comfort, appearance, resilience and durability. I was concerned that over time, a foam cushion would compress and become unsightly and/or uncomfortable. The spring down seemed like a good option given what I read and was told by Thomasville. I may have simply misunderstood or just been told what the salesperson thought I wanted to hear.

Then, I ran across your comments regarding foam vs. spring down in fabric and leather cushions and began having doubts. That's why I asked whether the cracking concerns also applied to aniline leather (which doesn't have the topcoat).

I think I have a better understanding of things now. And since there wasn't that much of a difference in the feel of the cushions I sat in, I may opt for the foam now. It will save me $60, a bit of fluffing, and should eliminate the fear of surface cracking even if that isn't so much of an issue with this particular leather.

[drcollie]

All cushions wear out over time, but it takes a LONG time, in most cases about 10 years of hard use. If lightly used, they may never need replacement. A number of makers offer free replacement cores to the original purchaser should they wear out. Ask your Thomasville salesperson what their policy is on that.

Most anilines have a topcoat of some kind, typically a waxy finish. Only the 'naked' leathers are top-coat free, and there are not many of them because they offer no spill resistance.