Design: Minimo & Minimology
Fabrics come in more colours and patterns than leather does, so if you’re going for a more decorative look, choose fabrics. But make sure you have plain as well as patterned pieces for a good balance.
Otherwise, you can make your decision based on price, maintenance, durability and feel. Leather furniture is generally more expensive than fabric-upholstered pieces, but they
tend to last longer – as they say, leather wears in but fabric wears out.
Leather is also easier to clean; spills can be easily wiped off. Spills on fabric furniture have to be washed out, although you can apply a fabric protector to prevent liquids from settling in quickly.
In terms of general maintenance, leather needs to be conditioned about every six months, but fabric needs to be vacuumed more frequently to remove dust and dust mites.
In our humid weather, some may feel warm when they sit on leather furniture, but that is not a problem if your environment is cool. In any case, don’t expose leather or fabric furniture to direct sunlight, as that will cause the material to deteriorate.
Whatever the material, try sitting on the piece for about 10 minutes in the shop to see if you are comfortable with it. Leather is a natural material which is porous and breathable, so it might be a fallacy, after all, to say that sitting on leather furniture makes you warm.