H&M Sloane Sofa and Sloane Glider

[Strong]

Duane,

After much searching on the H&M site and your fabulous furniture forum, we selected the H&M Sloane Sofa and Sloane Glider as pieces for our family room. We just read your new post on price quotes and will send to you a private email requesting a quote. We need some help from you on our leather selection, however.

(a) For the Sloane Sofa, we'd like to use a leather that looks like Quintessence Brandy but is more durable. From your forum posts, we know you are partial to Capri in Class IV. Is there a Capri leather that you would recommend (or another leather in Class IV or III) that has an equivalent hue to Quintessence Brandy but may be a bit more durable than this leather?

(b) Additionally, for the Sloane Sofa, we'd like to use two other leathers on the piece and want your opinion (opinions from other forum members also welcome!) on whether the modifications would just over-bake the product. First, we'd like to use Laredo Whiskey for portions of the sofa - for the leather trim between the nailheads running along the top of the sofa and the tufted seat back; the leather sewn inside the nailheads on the arms; and the leather that skirts the very bottom of the front and sides of the sofa (and that contains the nailheads running along the bottom). Second, we'd like to use a leather like Quintessence Chestnut as the contrasting welt on the three cushions. Too much?

(c) The Glider would be situated adjacent to the Sloane Sofa in our family room, which has other fabric seating in it, as well as wood pieces (end tables and media cabinet). We could go with the same leather scheme as what we choose for the Sloane Sofa. We like, however, the two-tone leather shown on the H&M site for this Glider. What is your best guess as to the identity of this leather (we'd probably nix what looks like croc on the trim)? In your opinion, would that leather clash with the color scheme above? We attach a picture of the Glider. Here's also a link to the Glider on the H&M site:

http://www.hancockandmoore.com/produ...productid=1945

(d) For each of the pieces, aside from the leathers, nailhead, and the wood-finish for the feet, what other selections do we need to make (cushion cores, pillows, etc.), and what are your recommendations for these?

Tx much.

[drcollie]

The H&M Sloan series is an impressive set. All who have ordered in that series are very happy with the pieces they have ordered. I'll get price quotes to you off-forum on these.

A) Quintessence Brandy is a German leather that is one of the world's finest hides. It's the very definition of a luxury leather with a beautiful hand and is butter soft. But you do give up some resistance to spills with Quintessence. It will soak up oil if spilled on it and acid based liquids such as vinegar and ammonia. Capri and Antelope come from the same tannery as Quintessence. Capri will be about 30% more durable and resistant to the stains mentioned above, but is by no means bulletproof. It still has all the luxury and softness of Quintessence but with a bit more high-low shadowing. Antelope is fully protected, and though not quite as plush at the other two, it will repel all those liquids mentioned. And for a protected leather, its very, very nice. Capri Butternut or Antelope Harness would be the closest to the Brandy color.

B) Your Combo leathers would look very sharp, but keep in mind that Laredo Whiskey is a GR 5 leather, and it takes the whole piece to that price level. Now if I were to pay a GR 5 price for a sofa, I'd want it all in that leather so then I'd put on Continental Amber which is the creme de la creme of all the H&M leathers. It is nor more durable than Quintessence on spills, but I'd just mind the hard core oils and acids around it and you would be fine. It would look terrific....but skip the Quintessence for the welt trim because that's a high wear area and you would want a more durable leather to not show soiling in a contrasting welt.

C) The H&M glider is done in Buckingham Walnut Burnished (GR3) with Nile Croc Burnished (GR5) on the back 'picture frame' edge (Nile Croc was also on the outside and back of this chair, but you can't see that from the angle it's shot at). I like mixing up pieces and colors myself - I'm always game for making each piece a statement on its own.

D) You can do a lot of things on an H&M piece, but you don't really need to do anything more. I prefer standard cores myself, and pillows are something you can order if you like. There are custom stitchings you can do, and lacing, gimp and Neutra, but you don't have to do any, nor do the pieces really need it.