apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Not much to add - clean and nourish the sofa with a good leather product that contains lanolin or wax (treat your sofa like a good pair of leather shoes). I have a M&G Tribeca sofa (thrift store find) that I keep covered with a big throw most of the time - keeps the dust off and protects from the sun.

Does that window have any kind of curtain or blind?

If so, get in the habit of closing it each time you leave the house, then opening it again upon your return. That's at least 8 hours of UV damage lessened each work day and will help greatly in the long run.

I am considering the Astoria sectional from American Leather, with the bottom part (base and arms) being upholstered in leather, and the upper cushions ultrasuede.

This is a major purchase, and the best way to arrange it in my living room now, unfortunately, is so one part of the sectional will sit on top of my heating vent, which is a floor vent. My heat is fueled by gas, forced air. Hot air would not be blowing directly ONTO the leather, but rather underneath the sofa, which sits above the floor, and presumably would come out from under the sofa to heat the room.

Salesperson at furniture store tells me "no problem", just keep the leather conditioned. Methinks salesperson just wants to sell me a high ticket item.

Still researching, still pondering...

Hot air is bad -- but not nearly as bad as the sun! Any chance you could live without that vent open (which tends to force more hot air out of the nearest vents)???

Also -- do you have a humidifier integrated into your heating system -- this will go a long way towards ameliorating the situation. Bottom line is that the temp of hot air heat is not all that destructive, but the dryness is a killer!

Sun is bad for just about everything in large doses. Art. Rugs. Wood. Paper. Skin. But you can't live in a cocoon. Just take modkatie's advice and attribute any fading to "character."

I have a leather chair with some scratches on the back of it - anyone have an idea about how to get those out? They aren't super deep (I think they were made with a fingernail), and they haven't been treated thus far....any ideas out there about how to get rid of them/make them less prominent!?

speaking of leather sofas and chairs...

any one have any experience on these @ Spacify?

http://www.spacify.com/ListProducts.asp?dept_id=25&parent_id=411&ALL=2

considering going w/ the Jackson or Dawson @ Room and Board, but would like to compare to some other places- and these seem rather on the low end for leather sofas.

-Kellen-

Daphne -- Leather conditioner does wonders on hiding scratches. I speak as the owner of a leather chair and two mutually hostile cats who have pushed each other off it.

Marianne,

If the sofa goes over the vent, you have to close that vent off. Green wood is the dirty little secret of the furniture industry. I'm not accusing AL , but the exposure to direct heat like that could cause the frame to warp and compromise the life span of the sofa.

Marianne,

Take a look at this. Hope the link works.

I have a George Smith leather chair right in front of my window and, which has a blind over it, and next to a forced-air heat vent. I have an aniline-dyed leather sofa in the same room, which was there before I got window film and blinds on my window wall. The couch faded a lot -- but not unattractively. The chair has faded only on wear spots. The leather is "healthy" on both pieces of furniture, though the sofa is getting some wrinkles in its old age. Fading and wear give leather character and keep them from looking like showroom pieces (or so I believe). You do have to watch out for dryness, though. You can buy plastic diverters for the heat vent, which kick the heat out sideways to the back of the sofa.

I have leather seats in my car, which started to dry out too much. I bought leather conditioner from Land Rover, which I am told is the same brand carried by Cadillac dealerships. It made hard leather as soft as a baby's whatever. I would love to know what brand this is when it's not sold by a car dealer. Anyone know? It's the consistency of expensive hand lotion. In fact, I put it on with my bare hands. Furniture makers tend to say you should never put leather products on their pieces, but I suspect they're just worried about liability. I am tempted to try this stuff on my old sofa.

I didn't mean to hijack Clayton's thread, but thanks everyone who commented on my 'placing sofa over heat vent' dilemma.

Anon, I don't see a link. Please re-post the link you intended to post.

I can arrange the sectional at least one other way, maybe two, but having the chaise over the vent is really the *best* way to maximize the space in the room, unfortunately.

I may have to have a "warm weather room arrangement" and a "cold weather room arrangement" and will plan for both.

Anon, never mind, got it.
Thank you!

Marianne,

Just click on my name on the other post. Brings you to a very informative page about sofa construction and fabric/leather information.

Have you considered using the GILA window films? They cut out a considerable amount of UV, keep in winter heat, keep out summer heat. They come in a variety of surfaces, mirrored for privacy etc, but they also come in clear. I'm planning this for my house to protect my LCMs and art and to continue putting off buying newer more efficient windows. I

May I suggest getting a paper blind? It will still let in the light, but not the UV rays.
My mom's leather couch has faded in the sun, I think they bought it about 5 years ago. It's fairly noticeable

I work for a family owned furniture store that carries a great leather line from California. If you treat the leather with anyting other than water the waranty is void so you might want to check your paper work if you purchased the piece new.

My aunt and uncle had an absolutely un-pristine, old caramel couch in their library that they'd had to for over 20 years. I loved it. It was like what Ralph Lauren aims for, but it was the real thing. Abuse adds some character to leather, imo.

ya sun bleaches leather and wood furniture. I want a white bed and white bedding to get hit with direct sunlight while I am out though to kill germs and bleach it too.

My leather sofa is positioned in my family room directly under a window that gets the afternoon sun. There is no avoiding it. Over the past two years the seat cushions have dried out and are no longer smooth and soft. Can I restore this with leather conditioner? And if so, how can I keep the leather soft and supple in the future (without moving it away from the window?) Should I place a blanket over it when not in use?

Thanks!
Suzanne

Pat,

What was the name of the leather conditioner from Land Rover, which I am told is the same brand carried by Cadillac dealerships. It made hard leather as soft as a baby's whatever.
Ty,
Stephen

Depends on the amount of protection that has been placed on the leather. The more protection the less likely you'll get fading. Does your leather feel like the leather in cars? That leather is typically slick as it has a lot of protection on it to combat the sunlight. Or does it feel more glove soft? If it does it has little to no protection on it and should be kept out of the sunlight.