The Once Trendy Furniture Material That Is Ruining Your Home's Aesthetic

Living room staples like couches and coffee tables heavily contribute to a space's overall ambiance. You want your furniture to create a feeling of comfort that positively impacts the room. Some homeowners choose to use furniture as a distinct design feature or focal point. This is how leather started to take precedent over other furniture fabrics, particularly from the 1960s onwards: it feels high-end, looks luxurious, comes in numerous colors and textures, and touts exclusivity. Around the 1970s, however, people began embracing PU leather furniture as a more humane, stylistically flexible, and affordable alternative to authentic leather pieces and their high price tags.

Pleather is not made of animal products and looks identical to real leather. But it comes with numerous issues, and quite frankly, it does not fit into the chic appearance of most contemporary design schemes. Over time, it is easy to tell the difference between artificial leather and the real thing. Faux leather can be damaged by high heat or general wear and tear, which can cause the material to rip apart. Paint can be used to revamp a peeling faux leather couch if it feels outdated, but given the material's limited life span (between 3 and 20 years, depending on the blend), it may not be worth the effort.

Faux leather can steal the spotlight when it is chosen for upholstery, and not necessarily for good reasons. While this makeshift leather is less expensive, it lacks the substance and strength that the real material delivers. Artificial leather is not as long lasting as real leather, nor is it as breathable. It is not hypoallergenic and it is prone to peeling, which will bring attention to the fact that it is not authentic. Real leather has a distinctive patina that develops as it ages, but faux leather does not change. This lack of a patina will prove its inauthenticity as time goes on. Since the material is made of plastic, it can look flat or give off a chemical smell.

While leather furniture is known for making a bold impression, the faux leather look often flops. To avoid dealing with decaying pleather, consider getting a couch made of real leather. Just keep in mind what you need to know before buying a leather couch: the different leather grades, the higher costs, and the material's special care requirements. Alternatively, make your home more eco-friendly with vegan upholstery materials that are just as strong and beautiful as leather, like cotton or linen.