While researching this post on leather recliners, it elicited two types of responses from our audience: love and hate. The staff was pretty evenly split between loving this comfy seating option and flat out disliking it which led us to believe that you all must be experiencing a similar divide in your homes. So if you are going to take the plunge and purchase a leather recliner, how do you incorporate it into your home? Here are some simple tips for ensuring that your newest purchase becomes the jewel and not the eyesore of your room!
Tip 1 – Style: Make sure the style of recliner coordinates with your existing furniture. If you have a sofa with tufting or other types of decorative ornamentation, then selecting a recliner with cleaner lines like the Irving makes sense. If you are looking to bring a sense of formality into your space, then a more traditional style with nail trim or a wingback could do the trick like the Patterson.
Tip 2 – Leather Type: Selecting the right leather to upholster your chair will have a huge impact on whether the piece coordinates or dominates the room. When selecting a leather, you should look for a full grain, full aniline dyed leather. Aniline-dyed leather will lighten and soften with both use and time and develop a rich, burnished patina.
Tip 3 – Chair Placement: The placement of a leather recliner should balance the furniture arrangement. Due to their larger profile, a recliner can make a room feel lopsided, so placing the piece across from another visual element in the room like a large bookcase can counterbalance. Additionally, most recliners need 10-14 inches of clearance from a wall or another piece of furniture to fully recline, so take that into account.
Tip 4 – Care: While leather is an excellent choice for high traffic furniture pieces, it does require some additional care in the form of conditioning on a yearly basis. Second, you should avoid placing your leather recliner directly in the path of a heating vent or next to the fireplace as both can prematurely dry out the leather and cause cracking. Last, like all furniture pieces, exposure to direct sunlight over extended periods of time can cause bleaching.
Tip 5 – Accessorizing: Don’t forget to add a decorative throw or a coordinating lumbar pillow to your chair to ensure that it ties in with the rest of the room. Also if you opt to place a table next to the chair, be sure to select one with a heavy bottom on the off chance the motion of the recliner does not tip it over if it is bumped.
Whether your tastes run from traditional or modern, the addition of a leather recliner to your home is worth the investment not only for the beauty it will bring but also the comfort. Because let’s be honest, who doesn’t enjoy kicking up their feet over a long day…..now if you excuse us, we have to find the remote!
Take a look at all of our recliners and leather upholstery that can complement any space.
These are all gorgeous leather recliners. I feel like I could cozy up in those all day! I’ve been hunting for the perfect reading chair for my husband’s birthday. He has been wanting one for awhile now, and I thought that surprising him would be really fun. Both he and I love to read, and looking at all of these makes me wonder if I should just get a matching set! It would be really fun to get them, and be able to use them together. I just might have to do that!