I’ve recently completed a job for a customer who absolutely loves leather. I think he would have used it almost everywhere if I let him. Needless to say, I wasn’t over the “moooo”n about this idea at first. 🙂 And, don’t get me wrong…I am all about the use of leather- great shoes, fabulous handbags, or beautifully dressed furnishings, but the question arises- how much is too much of a good thing?
I have always found that leather specifying is easier in a commercial project, but as I navigated this residence, I had to have an open mind to its uses and quantities as compared to a typical home that I work on. And although most people resist it, I do not mind being pushed out of my comfort zone. It is a part of growth in any aspect of life, both professionally and personally. Sometimes it is that push that we all need to elevate our design to the next level. But, I always proceed with caution!
I had to find a way to play on what leather has to offer by way of its many different textures, vast array of colors, embossing options, and of course suedes create a whole different feel. It is a durable product, but it can also be quite pricey, and certainly hard to control color variances since no two cows are alike. Some of my favorite go to sources for variety in leathers are Moore and Giles, Edelman, and Garrett Leather to name a few. Each of these companies offer something unique which makes it much easier to find different ways to incorporate this material into our projects.
The placements of these different types of leather products ended up all balancing each other throughout the home to allow each use to feel special and not overdone. There are full walls of leather, display cases clad in suede, laser etched hair on hide pillows, and your typical expected uses on furniture items.
What I have learned in this business is that you cannot always give a customer every single thing they want, but it is their home after all and you need to learn how to utilize your skills as a designer to execute what they want tastefully. I made my customers request work on this job and I have a new found appreciation for the use of leather products in our residential projects.
