Leather Sofas

5 Questions & Answers to Help You Choose the Perfect Leather Sofa

How does leather age over time?

Leather is a natural, breathable material, so you should expect it to change over time. That's the beauty of leather, it interacts with its surroundings and becomes lived in. Like many materials, leather is sensitive to extreme temperatures, so placing your leather sofa right under your air-conditioning or next to a radiator is going to dry out the leather's natural oils. All leathers will fade slightly over time, but darker colours tend to fade faster if they're in direct sunlight, so think about where you place your leather sofa or chair.

How do you prevent damage to your leather sofa?

Timothy Oulton leathers are very special in the market - we only use high quality aniline finishes, ensuring the leather wears in, not out. It's very easy to maintain and live with, as long as you don't let your cat use it as a scratching post or rest your hot cup of tea on the chair arm. One of the great things about our leathers is that they absorb scratches and cracks onto their surface, so over time they develop their own rich patina.

What cleaning products can be used on my sofa?

Never use any standard cleaning products on your leather sofa, but there are some good specialist leather treatments on the market including Leather Master Pull-up Cream. Some of our leathers are vigorously hand-distressed to achieve their distinctive look, and because these types of finishes are highly absorbent we don't recommend any liquids or creams at all, just a dry cloth. With these types of leathers, the marks they acquire over time actually enhance their rugged character. Read more about how to care for a leather sofa here.

Are your leathers ethically produced?

Yes. We hand-select only the best hides from South America where the cattle roam freely on the Pampas. We have our own gold-rated sustainable tannery in Brazil where we tan the hides and then transport them to our workshop to be hand-finished. Instead of coating the leather with artificial pigments, we use translucent dyes that become one with the leather and create a natural look and warm hand feel.

Which leather sofa should I choose?

We offer a wide range from classic to modern leather sofas including 1-seater armchairs, 2-seater, 3-seater, 4-seater and even 6-seater sofas for larger living rooms. We also offer a choice of leather sectional and modular sofas including our signature Shabby sectional and for the ultimate laidback experience, the Pudgie motion reclining sofa. We're known for our leather chesterfield sofas which come in all our leather options. For help choosing the right leather sofa, enquire about our swatches or visit your closest gallery to see our leathers in person.