SubscribeSign In
Collection by Diana Budds

These Pieces Prove Why We Love Leather in Furniture

The material of the moment is leather.

Saddle leather offers the warmth and tactility of a natural hide, but its more rigid structure holds up better than its softer cousins. We’ve spied designers deploying the material in mass-market furniture, like Blu Dot’s Toro Lounge chair; in bespoke pieces, like Brooklyn maker Friends & Family’s update of the classic Danish sling chair; and in high-end items, like Poltrona Frau’s Nivola sofa.

View 6 Photos
The Nivola sofa by Roberto Lazzeroni for Poltrona Frau (from $8,100) features two different types of leather: a supple variety on the upholstery and the more rigid saddle leather around its sides and back. Compact in size, the sofa is prime for petite spaces.
The Nivola sofa by Roberto Lazzeroni for Poltrona Frau (from $8,100) features two different types of leather: a supple variety on the upholstery and the more rigid saddle leather around its sides and back. Compact in size, the sofa is prime for petite spaces.
Antonio Citterio's Mart chairs for B&B Italia feature the look of molded fiberglass (what the structure is made from) but the warmth of natural leather (what the seat is covered in).
Antonio Citterio's Mart chairs for B&B Italia feature the look of molded fiberglass (what the structure is made from) but the warmth of natural leather (what the seat is covered in).
Blu Dot's Toro sling chair ($1,299) comes in a black, brown, and golden version.
Blu Dot's Toro sling chair ($1,299) comes in a black, brown, and golden version.
While leather is often found in chairs and sofas, the Australian furniture company Jardan has applied the material to a headboard on the oak-framed Finley design.
While leather is often found in chairs and sofas, the Australian furniture company Jardan has applied the material to a headboard on the oak-framed Finley design.
The Brooklyn firm Workstead used peg-in-post construction for its Walnut sling chair ($2,950).
The Brooklyn firm Workstead used peg-in-post construction for its Walnut sling chair ($2,950).