Deciding between Aniline and Finished (Protected) BY

[jmarie]

Hello,

I am very new to the leather furniture game and am in need of advice. I am in search of a for my living room and really love the Zion sofa by Bradington Young. A little about me, I have very young kids and and a dog and this sofa would be in our main living space and receiving lots of daily use. Also, In terms of design, I like rustic and unique charm and a sort of rugged look.

I really love the leather the Zion sofa comes pictured in, which is a lighter carmel colored ANILINE leather (980004-83). I ordered this swatch and love it and really want to make the purchase. However, I figured that I would be a bit stupid to do this giving my lifestyle and the amount of use/love the sofa will receive. So, I chose another swatch by Bradington Youn that is listed as one of their FINISHED leathers. Unfortunately, I am just not a fan of the color of the leather at all, and upon searching for anything close to a honey or carmel tone in finished leathers I saw that they don't really have options. I am assuming this is because of the process in finishing or protecting a leather.

So what is my actual question?

-Is it nuts to go with aniline leather with kids everyday life?

I am just struggling to purchase a finished leather sofa if I do not like the color.

Thank you very much for your advice and opinions!

Jena

[drcollie]

Hi Jena,

Here's a thread for you to read

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...-FORUM-lt-READ

It comes down to use and lifestyle. If you want to eat meals on the sofa and are not one to be tidy, then a finished leather is the right choice, its wipe and go. On the other hand, if you just have snacks and drinks on the leather and care for your things, then no reason not to go aniline. I have all anilines in my home (15 pieces of leather) and raised both my kids from babies on them - and still have them. My wife runs a tidy house however, and I don't mind cleaning and conditioning my pieces every 6 months. So, think about how you live in your house and on the furniture and make a choice from there. I find very few customers regret an aniline leather purchase - just keep them out of direct sunlight.

[jmarie]

Thank you so so much for your quick reply, that is very helpful. 2 last quick questions...

-If aniline couch is touched by sun from window for portion of the day, can I use a blanket or fabric to cover and protect in that time?
-Do I clean and condition entire sofa every 6 moths and spot treat in-between if needed (in case of spill)?

Thank you again!

Jena

[drcollie]

Yes, if the sun is clocking onto the leather piece, a blanket or cover over the top helps considerably. But those same UV rays are also damaging your floor, any art on the walls, even book covers in a bookcase. The best thing to do is have your windows solar-filmed if they are not Low-E already.

Spills are just blot up and leave them alone, do nothing and they will dissapear over time (up to 6 months). I can't stress this enough - don't rub on them with water, cleaner, anything at all or you may set it forever. Blot and leave it be. If it's an alcoholic drink / urine and saturates say overnight, it can be permanently stained.

The care kits are not for spot treatments, they are conditioners and protectants.

[jmarie]

Thank you very much for you time and responses! You are extremely knowledgeable and helpful! I am going to go for the aniline.