Sundance Sectional in Weston Sand

[BevoGal]

I just ordered two Luxe Recliners in Weston Sand from Duane. Bevogal was so helpful with her pictures and advice. I can't wait to get them and post pictures. I also was looking for a taupe color I wanted anything but brown in the best quality leather. I would have LOVED to get the capri but I liked the Weston Sand better than any color in the Capri series.

Dmarie, I can't wait to see photos! You will LOVE the recliners in the Weston Sand =)

[BevoGal]

Hi ViviV! I'm glad you have the samples - that helps a lot. Be sure you look at them in all the different lighting situations, but most importantly, be sure you like the "feel" of the one you choose.

Definitely rule out the curtains as they can be changed to go with this much larger investment. I have hung on to some silk drapes from PB that are "wheat" (gold) b/c I liked them so much, but they'd never go in my current living room. Just moved them upstairs in hopes they may work well in the future media room (just a junk room now!). I just have shutters on the windows in the living room and that has actually been much easier to keep clean and maintain!

Your husband should help choose -- hope you can come up with a compromise =) I remember the Equestrian leathers were able to take a lot of use and not show it. I wouldn't want something too orange either. Taupe is a great neutral that you can dress up or down with the toss pillows! I'll look for pictures to offer color advice.

I am not logged in very often here, but I'll check back soon.

[drcollie]

The thing with colors is there is rarely one perfect choice. Usually there are several that will be excellent, and only a few that would be disasters. So you have a wide spectrum in most cases, that can cause uncertainty and confusion, believe me I see it every single day. Most the time, folks come back around to their first choice more often than not. Keep in mind that colors change throughout the day as well, Morning light will look different than afternoon, and then evening as well. For most people there are no bad choices, just different ones. As a very general rule, the high line leathers look better than the entry level ones, that may or may not help - just something I have noticed/

[ViviV]

I know what you mean about color schemes. Tricky, tricky. Well for what they're worth here's my pictures..... If y'all find it impossible to advice then please tell me what I should photograph to help.





First photo of entire living room. Excuse the mess of pillows, children/hubby were on couches and I asked to leave for a few seconds so I could take the picture. I have accents throughout the living room in blues, including a deep aqua color. Our Lazy Boy set is a true milk chocolate color which distorts everything for me when I'm looking at the leather colors too.

Leathers samples from left to right: Weston sand, Tiburon Mink, Hyde Park Tan and Equestrian Desert. In order of MY preference. Husband likes them almost in reverse order :S

My observations:

1) I like the color of the Weston Sand; obviously its a match with my color scheme..... but maybe it's too matchy, matchy?? That's what my husband thinks.

2) Hyde Park Tan burnished and Equestrian desert are superrrr sooooofffttt and I love them for that. The colors.... I like Equestrian desert more. But have read that the leather is squeaky and rigid. Would it have trouble with the tuffing that the Lacross sectional has? BTW, it's almost indestructible!

3) I also ordered a Bari Taupe sample and it's tooo GREEN. Not pictured. I like it's pebbled texture and softness but the color didn't work.

4) Tiburon Mink is a REALLY good color in my point of view (2nd left to right in the pic). ANd its so soft!! It's brown, not orange, not gold, and it seems to fit really well. HOWEVER, I have MAJOR reservations about ordering it because I think I've ready several posts of forum members that ordered Tiburon leathers and the swatches were extremely off in color. Am I remembering correctly? I've read so many posts and looked at tooooooo many pictures that I could be totally incorrect. Also, Duane posted a picture of a sofa from Market (no idea what year??) that had Tiburon Mink on the cushions and suede on the sides. This pictures DOES NOT even get close in color to the sample I have. Its light and different all together.

5) So I'm confused. Probably need to get more samples. I'm considering going darker to please hubby but i'd like true browns with no red, burgundy, orange undertones. I might ask for some of these: Duane, could you please tell me if some are not good choices.... too rough or rustic? Squeaky or slick? Too shiny?? I am not going for extremely rustic. But I really want the "real leather" look that you refer to here Duane.

1) Stampede Harness
2) Prairie Taupe
3) Prairie Tobacco
4) Atticus Chestnut
5) Pecos Topo
6) Giseppe Saddle Burnished
7) Fresno Saddle
8) Buffalo Tan Mocha
9) Atticus Chestnut
10) Equestrian Toffee
11) Brigade Saddle
12) Native Butternut

Sorry for the long post.

thanks,
Viviv

[ViviV]

Here's Tiburon Mink:


And Hyde Park Tan Burnished:


Does the Hyde park tan look "off" ??

[drcollie]

You have a neutral palette so there are a lot of leathers that can work, but I get a sense you are focusing on the perfect color when textures, drape and hand really do come into play when selecting a leather. Color is only one component. And yes, leathers do vary - any aniline will see a wider dye lot variance than a finished leather, because the finished is painted and its easy to make the same paint formula time and time again. An aniline is dyed, so it takes on the characteristics of that particular cow skin, hence the variances. Do you like Pull-up leathers? Do you want a matte finish? Do you like the hand-burnish effect? A thicker hide vs thinner (everyone says they like thick, but the truth is they don't tailor up as well and thinner cut leathers look better on the frames)..... all that comes into play.

Tiburon for example, is an Italian Pull-up, so it's going to show color bursts when pressure is applied to it. This is the kind of hide where people like to dig their fingernails into it and proclaim "look! it shows scratches!" Now myself, I love a good pull-up, and I don't sit around digging my fingernails into it (who really does?) and over time it gets a wonderful patina as the years go by - but if you don't like those color bursts and pressure marks then its not for you.

Any of the burnished leathers are hand-antiqued, and I have four burnished pieces in my own home - I love 'em. But they are not for someone who demands color accuracy or a precision finish. They are done by hand, and the leather is the canvas of the burnishing artist at Hancock and Moore. We all know you can't tell an artist how to paint a painting, so they are what they are.

A quick rundown on these:

1) Stampede : very rustic, almost a nude leather. Thick cut, heavy pull-up effect
2) Prairie : A new leather, deep, rich colors, surface topcoat, a little slick, mild pull-up effect.
4) Atticus : Will not be Rustic, but my go-to leather for customers that would like a pure aniline in GR 2. More upscale in appearance, not rustic.
5) Pecos: Not my favorite, but OK. Looks like a cheap variant of a nice Italian pull-up (Tuscany / Tiburon) but is a GR 2, instead of a 3.
6) Giseppe Burnished: Very nice, very handsome.
7) Fresno: Like Pecos.
8) Buffalo Tan Mocha: Spongy hide, as is all Bison hides. Thick cut.
10) Equestrian : A very good compromise leather that has all the attributes of a aniline yet is tough like a finish leather. It's a little boring to look at and tailors thickly.
11) Brigade: Like Pecos and Fresno
12) Native: A raw, highly rustic, naked leather. Heavy pull up effect, thick cut.

Last photo...won't do any good to look at that swatch like that. Any burnished leather will have a 20% +/- variance possibility from a swatch. Color accuracy should not be attempted with any burnished hide.

Hope that helps!

[Savannah]

I personally think the tiburon mink looks the best. Hyde Park tan makes your room look a little green. However, will you have the same carpet and walls for the next 15-20 years, or even be in the same house? Unlikely! I am thinking it is generally photo differences, like the cameras color settings as well as light that make photos of pieces done up in different hides look different when you are viewing photos of other peoples pieces, esp if they are indoors. I know crunchysue's tiburon butternut sofa did turn out a bit darker than her sample was... But it still looked like it was in the same colorway, like the pull up effect on her actual sofa was the same color as her overall sample...I think as long as you're happy with the general tones of it, you will like it. For instance, for some reason my pick, tiburon java, looks like it is photographing a bit burgundy on other peoples pieces, but I have two samples, one of which is large, and it does not look like that at all, it is chocolate. I'm not worried either way, because I like the hand of it, and either way it will be beautiful, rich, and soft. Hyde Park looks a lot more rustic, some of the burnished can look wild, some hides have no color effect or variation at all, some have grain, and some are perfectly smooth... What look are you going for, and how do you want it to feel?? Once you have it narrowed down, I found it indispensable to get some large samples... They are a game changer. Once you see your final picks on a bigger scale and can fold the leather over in your entire hand to experience what the hand of the leather is like, your decision will be easy.

[ViviV]

Thanks for the replies Duane and Savannah. Both of you have opened my eyes to some points I was TOTALLY not considering:

1) wall color could (and probably will ) change one day.
2) carpet will go one day too...
3) curtains shouldn't really matter

Bottom line..... Fall in love with the color and feel/ texture of the leather and not so much on the "matching " of colors.

Now, without doing the research required (in the forum's picture bank) on these leathers above,
There's one thing that's VERY IMPORTANT to me that I forgot to ask:

How do I minimize the look of stretched out, pooling leather on the seats? Would selecting a thicker, not so soft leather be best? I like it when the leather has a "tight" look and stays that way for many years. I do understand that leather is "skin", so it will stretch some no matter what but I don't like those couches that have pools of leather on them. How do I achieve what i want?

I will comment more on the recommendations posted above as soon as I can dissect it all. Busy day at work

Thanks again y'all! Have a terrific day!!

Viviv

[wisejd]

We have pooling only on our H&M pieces that have the ultra down cushions. We happen to love the look of pooling and believe it shouts comfort, however we fully understand others prefer the tight look. Our H&M pieces that are actually older than the ultra down pieces show no pooling what so ever. Our pieces are various Gr 3 Protected leather pieces.

[Savannah]

It's easy for me to think like that because EVERYTHING does change for my family every 2 years, so I get what I love and won't grow tired of and that will work in different homes! Who knows what our next floor or wall color will be or if there will be more windows than I have curtains for so that I have to get new ones...

You will get it figured out .