Leather is an interesting material for many reasons, some of which is that it’s one of the most well-respected and sought-after materials available – it has been that way for many millennia. Leather is made from the hides and skins of animals that have been either tanned or chemically treated. Once the leather is made, it’s incredibly flexible, durable, and tough – its resilient properties have made it the go-to choice for humankind for over 7,000 years.
Leather is popular in fashion, art, and furniture; with this blog, I wanted to talk about some of the leather colors that work best for interior design layouts, particularly with furniture. Leather furniture comes in various colors, and it can be hard to choose which piece will work with your space, not so much because of form factor but because of colors clashing! Let’s take a deeper look at strategies for leather colors!
Now, I don’t have defined metrics on this, but I would say at least 80% of my clients who have leather furniture choose either a variation of light or dark browns, black, or white. These are the primary colors for leather furniture and most leathers in general. Homeowners with expensive pieces of leather furniture want to expose the leather in its purest, unique form, usually brown.
Leather with elaborate, loud, and exotic colors has most likely been treated heavily with dyes, chemicals, and various compounds to achieve vibrancy. If you own a pink, purple, or green piece of leather furniture, unless it’s from an extremely rare (probably outlawed) exotic animal hide, it’s almost guaranteed to be dyed.
I realize that saying “brown leather” is a generic description, so let’s acknowledge the most popular subsets of brown leather and discuss a few of my favorite shades of brown.
Cognac is a gorgeous leather color with the best of both worlds; it is a little bit beige but also a bit burgundy red – it works beautifully in cozy home areas. Much like the liquor it is named after, cognac leather pairs wonderfully with a study or living room saturated in warm woods and earth tones.
Tan leather furniture is slightly more playful than darker leathers, like chocolate or cognac, because it’s between a creamy off-white and beige. Tan leather furniture is quite common, and you’ll often see sets of tan leather in a room with light and airy neutral tones. Picture a tan love seat in a charming reading room with sky blue walls and white trim. It’s sophisticated but also very friendly and approachable.
A white leather sectional sofa may not be appropriate for every home, but it’s breathtaking when you see one in the right space. White leather is best suited for modern homes, with minimalist design elements, cool and neutral colors, and lots of glass. Think of homes in Malibu or South Beach, with stunning vistas by the water; white leather blends effortlessly into the surrounding design.
Black leather is more versatile than white, as it pairs with rooms that rely heavily on modern neutral colors like cool greys and off-whites, but it can also work well to contrast with spaces with louder colors, like a royal blue or even chili pepper red. Black leather will complement any richer color palette and look as elegant as the day is long!
As I said previously, leather can come in all colors today. Ekornes, a renowned Scandinavian leather furniture manufacturer, made a splash in the United States in the 1960s when they imported recliners and office chairs with bold leather colors, such as turquoise, red and green. Many homeowners have gravitated towards the louder leather colors ever since. If you choose an electric lemon or grasshopper-green piece of leather furniture, you have to be certain that the surrounding colors compliment it and do not clash. You almost need to think of brighter, more colorful leather furniture as a statement piece, and the rest of the room’s color arrangement must be molded around it.
My parents had a beautiful home, well decorated even though they did it all themselves. One of the pieces that everyone loved was an expansive creamy warm-colored leather sectional. It was the first place we would go to relax when we got to their house. We loved it, and it was always complimented with throw pillows that made it the focal point of the room. I remember it for its comfort and striking look in the design of their home!
What is best about using leather in your design is not only the leather color itself but also how the room’s design comes together with the leather as your focal point! The Color911 app, which I created to show people how colors can complement each other, offers color themes of a wide variety of colors, each with a different vibe. I’ve shown you three examples here of how you can choose a color theme and use it as your guide in the design of your space. With dozens of color themes to choose from in the app, you can find what is inspiring for your home!
So, how do you feel about leather colors and leather furniture? Do you have any in your home, or do you stay away from the material? Please share your thoughts in the comments, as a color specialist, I love hearing your stories!
