written by Taylor Souder, B.S. in Textile Technology
Just like fabric, leather comes in many texture and color variations. Greenhouse Fabrics is a proud supplier of high-quality leathers suitable for use in high-traffic areas and the automotive industry. All Greenhouse Fabrics leather orders are placed by the square foot in whole-hide form only. A fabric specialist will verify the average hide size and do their best to accommodate your min/max square footage needed (Hint: 1 yd. = 18 sq. ft.). All current leather SKUs are stocked at our vendors’ warehouses for a 7-10 day lead time to us.
Country of Origin
- Italian Hides
- Very clean with little defects
- Average hide size: 50 sq. ft.
- Argentinian and Brazilian Hides
- Produced from Brahma bulls (will have a hole in the neck area from hump)
- Insect bites, brands, and healed scars may be apparent
- Average hide size: 55-70 sq. ft.
- US Hides
- Clean hides with little natural characteristics
- Insect bites, healed scare, and scratches may be apparent
- Average hide size: 48 sq. ft.
Leather Finishes
- Pull Up Aniline
- Has an additional oil or wax applied giving it a distressed look
- When pulled tight or scratched, the color will change. Rub the oils from your hand on the spot to blend the wax/oil to the lighter areas.
- Aniline
- Most natural-looking leather
- A transparent dye penetrates the hide allowing the natural grain to show
- Includes pores, scars, and fat wrinkles
- Distressed
- Hide is treated to age the appearance, giving it a rugged, older look
- Semi-Aniline
- Same as aniline but more durable
- A thin protective top coat is applied to protect from wear and staining
- Protected Leather
- Fully sealed after the dying process with a clear top coat offering protection against scratches and normal wear
- Greenhouse Fabrics offers Purely Protected Performance leather
- Resists moisture and stains, high-traffic and user friendly, high color fastness
- Pigmented Leather
Finished with a solid pigment or “paint” for consistency of color and texture
Pigments cover imperfections as well as add protection to the leather
Leather Grains
- Full Grain
- There has been no plating or correcting of the grain of the hide
- This is the natural grain of the animal and will vary on different portions of the hide
- Top Grain
- The outer layer of the hide, the strongest part for upholstery use
- Corrected Grain
- The hide has been manually “corrected” or embossed with a pattern to give a consistent appearance from all angles
Greenhouse Fabrics also offers hair-on-hide leathers. These are great for rustic and urban furniture applications (they also make great rugs). Typically, these run anywhere from 30-45 sq. ft.
For more information or to become a dealer, call us at 866.755.5000 or visit our website at greenhousefabrics.com. Subscribe to our blog for more inspiration.