 |
||||
Unexpected leather Leather isn't just on the living-room couch - it's sitting in the sun and lounging by the water  From the bathtub to window blinds, leather is finding itself in unfamiliar territory, but it holds its own and looks good doing it. Image courtesy THG USA Leather is one of those materials that immediately elevates status and style - from boots and jackets to belts and wallets. And while a little leather around the waist is nothing new, some places where it's popping up may leave you scratching your head. Like below your feet. "There's nothing like the feeling of walking on leather with bare feet," says Vincent Denich, operations manager for Interior Leather Surfaces, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. In addition to leather flooring, the company produces leather wall tiles and molding. For folks worried that leather is too delicate to constantly be trampled on, Denich notes that leather flooring is resilient (a lifetime close to 75 years) and requires very little maintenance - an initial waxing, regular dry or light-moisture dustings (Swiffer or Pledge) and subsequent waxings every few months to help maintain the smell and oils. "The smell of good, quality leather never really fades," he says. Consider that aromatherapy when soaking in a leather-clad tub. THG USA, Coconut Creek, Fla., has been contributing to the leather trend with luxury bath items like tubs and vessel sinks from its Paris headquarters that are cloaked in the high-end material. They don't come cheap - one done in Hermes leather starts at $40,000 - but demonstrate the ability to "woo affluent customers and double as works of art," the company says. Leather generally is water-resistant (although spills should we wiped up immediately), but any wear helps build character, says Denich. Rubbing and scuffing help develop the leather's patina, he says, likening the feel to that of an old Spanish-style leather couch. "Tough leather, kinda scratched up," he says. "We tell customers if that's not what you're looking for, you want vinyl or ceramic tile." Be it a tub or the molding Denich's company offers, what the leather does is add a very dramatic look to a room. "Everything is customized," he says. "People have just an incredible range of taste." If leather on the floor or tub doesn't seem that practical, the leather blinds from Paris-based Suntwist might be a more functional alternative. After all, they're leather. They have to be better than frustrating-to-install, impossible-to-clean vinyl blinds, right? |
||||
|
||||
