Leather furniture trends

If you’re committed to buying American-made, quality furniture, the past several years have probably been frustrating for you. Mitch Setlow from Leathers Home Furnishings says the recession has driven the furniture manufacturing process overseas. “The bottom line is the recession has fueled a lot of outsourcing,” he says.

A lot of all traditional furniture is coming primarily from China now, Mitch says, followed by Vietnam. He assures you though, that even though your furniture might be coming from India, China or Vietnam, it doesn’t mean it’s not real wood.

Trends of furniture have changed in recent years, says Mitch. “The functionality of your house is form follows function,” he says. There’s an absence of formal dining rooms and formal living rooms, which means that more people are living in the “great room.” This results in less formal furniture, he says. “People are focusing on big, comfortable furniture, or in a smaller room, small, comfortable furniture.”

When shopping for a quality piece of furniture, Mitch says
to look for top-grain leather, and, in the end, you get what you pay for, says Pete. “Top-grain leather is like a piece of oak,” Mitch adds. “You choose the finish. You can stain it, you can paint it, you can oil it; it’s the finish you’re paying for.”

When looking for quality, if a piece of furniture says “all leather,” Mitch says it’s diminished quality. You should also ask whether the furniture has coils and removable cushions, which is a mark of high American quality.

Interior Floor Designs is a proud sponsor of Home Matters.

Home Matters with Pete can be heard on KIRO Radio every Saturday at 8 a.m. and Sunday at 6 a.m. or anytime at KIRORadio.com. Like Home Matters on Facebook.