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Leather Sofa Living Room Ideas: Timelessly Sophisticated

Leather Sofa Living Room Ideas: Timelessly Sophisticated

At Raft, we have leather sofa living room ideas in abundance. We are enamoured by the beauty and comfort of real, high quality leather and love to incorporate it into our interior design. With a rich history, leather furniture is timeless in style and durability. Keep reading to learn all you need to know, from the history to leather sofa living room ideas.

Why we love leather

Leather stands for versatility, luxury and durability. Easy to clean and maintain, it offers both form in function as it will never go out of style. Ageing with grace, this material is like a fine wine and becomes more beautiful over time. Whether you're looking for a sofa, armchair, dining room chair, or even upholstered bed, it's best to source your leather furniture from an expert. That's where Raft comes in. Our skilled team of artisans and upholsterers have been making handmade leather sofas for over twenty years, each one with meticulous attention to detail. Pairing traditional techniques with our unique style from years of experience, leather sofas from Raft are beautiful and made to last a lifetime.

The History of the Leather Sofa

The use of leather in furniture upholstery has been documented since 3100BC. Leather is naturally durable and doesn't absorb the odours of food. This, paired with its unmatched comfort, has long made it a popular choice for furniture in all kinds of homes.

However, leather is also considered luxurious, charming and regal. Why? Because of the skilled craftsmanship that was first applied to it in the 1700s. Buttons, bevells and other beautiful details became a signature part of upholstering with leather. This culminated in the first commission of the Chesterfield Sofa by the Fourth Earl of Chesterfield. Today, we celebrate the Chesterfield as the archetypal leather sofa and love how leather in general embraces both traditional style and contemporary aesthetics.

Why you can't find Raft leather sofas online - (and how to find them)

If you've noticed that we don't currently offer leather models online, there's a reason for that. As we insist on sourcing from tanneries with the highest quality leathers, each swatch of fabric is completely different to the next. The tanneries where we source our leather meet strict European regulations and animal welfare standards. They cure, preserve and tan the leather properly without over processing it, meaning that each leather sofa will vary in its colour and markings. For this reason, we encourage customers interested in buying a leather sofa to arrange a video call with a member of our team or come into their local showroom to be talked through our range of leathers.

Leather Sofa Living Room Ideas

A Leather Chesterfield 

In terms of leather sofa living room ideas, a leather Chesterfield is the first thing that comes to mind. The classic Chesterfield is an indulgent choice that offers a formal class that cannot be beaten. There's nothing like a Chesterfield to elevate your room and give it a classic, London lifestyle feel. At Raft, we have two beautiful variations of the Chesterfield model, giving a nod to modern sensibilities and comfort while remaining true to the skilled craftsmanship, silhouette and opulent design of the traditional model.

Below is the Stanford Sofa

What is a Chesterfield Sofa?

Was there ever a piece of furniture more suited to uncertain times than the reassuringly solid and instantly recognisable Chesterfield sofa? Once a staple for of English country homes, hotels and private clubs, today the Chesterfield has been . If you’re thinking of buying a Chesterfield, the Raft range offers a style and size for every setting. We’ve taken the essential elements of traditional design and brought them up to date with a contemporary sensibility. All Raft sofas are handmade in England and can be upholstered in thousands of fabrics.

Below is the Embassy Sofa

Deeply buttoned upholstery and high, curved arms are what give the Chesterfield its distinctive style. Early Chesterfields tended to have low seats, which made their suitability restricted to an agile audience. However, Chesterfield styles today are designed as much for comfort as style. What's more, although we love a leather Chesterfield, today’s models are also available in fabric upholstery. At Raft, we offer our Stanford and Embassy Sofa in leather and fabric, from velvet to cotton.

Neutral Scandi with a leather accent chair 

Below are our Leather Sling Chairs  Scandi style stands for pale neutrals and simple, minimalist styling. A leather living room idea if your tastes align with nordic interior design is to incorporate a leather accent chair. Not only will this provide a contrasting accent, it also adds some height and depth to a room. Low, occasional seats can help to create a relaxing, moody ambiance that can sometimes be overlooked in minimalist Scandi interiors.

Leather to pass down the generations

No matter the style of your interiors, from traditional to contemporary, minimalist or maximalist, Scandi or countrycore, leather is a must. It wears in and gets more beautiful with age, developing an irresistibly soft and rich feel over time, contributing to its tactile charm. A leather piece will last a lifetime and can be passed down generations. That is why we use high quality, 100% real, full-grain leather.

A Brown Leather Sofa for a Classic Charm

Above is the New York Sofa Nothing beats the timeless charm of high quality, brown leather. Simple yet sophisticated, this expensive looking material is a sure way of elevating the feel of your living room. The earthy hue of brown leather allows for you to build out a room tonally, pairing it with natural materials and a neutral colour palette for