A furniture store called The Dump! Love it! This is a store coming to Atlanta soon. Check out the article, I found it very interesting. Any store that is up 20%-25% in this economy must be doing something right. Also, the fact that it is moving into a 300,00sqft Home Depot space says how much ther have to offer.
WOW!
http://budurl.com/jzzs
Please let me know what your thoughts are on this.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Why Buy More When You Can Restore?
People often ask, "Why should I restore an old sofa when I can buy a new one for the same price"?
I can think of three reasons to restore instead of replacing:
1) Price
2) Comfort
3) Convenience
In my experience, you can't buy new for the same cost to restore. Unless you currently have a very inexpensive piece of leather furniture, the cost to restore should be about 30%-50% of the cost of a new piece.
I shop furniture retailers all of the time to keep up on marketing, and prices. I know what buying new furniture costs.
In many cases, people want to replace their furniture because of the way it looks, not because it's not comfortable anymore. So restoring, can keep the furniture you already know you like in your home. During the restoration process we can change the look by changing the color. Many people don't realize you can recolor leather. Now the leather sofa you now and love looks new, and has a new look.
To buy a new leather piece you have to go shopping, and deal with sales people. Where do you go? What is quality? Do you know the difference between Leather and Leather Match?
Suede or Nu buck? Aniline or Performance? What does Distressed Leather mean?
Are you dizzy yet? We haven't started negotiating prices yet. Do you buy online OR in the store?
What about delivery? What do you do with the old stuff? Sell it? Move it to another room?
WHEW! I'm tired already and I am not buying anything.
If you restore, we pick it up, and deliver it. No messes, simple, and convenient.
Unless someone has a piece that is beyond repair, and these are few and far between, I always recommend restoration. I do not like to see leather end up in a land fill, when it can be made beautiful again. I also hate watching people waste money on things they"think" they need.
Before you decided to throw out, discard, set the old stuff to the side....consider restoring what you have and save yourself lots of pain and agony. LeatherSmith's, We bring Leather Back To Life!
I can think of three reasons to restore instead of replacing:
1) Price
2) Comfort
3) Convenience
In my experience, you can't buy new for the same cost to restore. Unless you currently have a very inexpensive piece of leather furniture, the cost to restore should be about 30%-50% of the cost of a new piece.
I shop furniture retailers all of the time to keep up on marketing, and prices. I know what buying new furniture costs.
In many cases, people want to replace their furniture because of the way it looks, not because it's not comfortable anymore. So restoring, can keep the furniture you already know you like in your home. During the restoration process we can change the look by changing the color. Many people don't realize you can recolor leather. Now the leather sofa you now and love looks new, and has a new look.
To buy a new leather piece you have to go shopping, and deal with sales people. Where do you go? What is quality? Do you know the difference between Leather and Leather Match?
Suede or Nu buck? Aniline or Performance? What does Distressed Leather mean?
Are you dizzy yet? We haven't started negotiating prices yet. Do you buy online OR in the store?
What about delivery? What do you do with the old stuff? Sell it? Move it to another room?
WHEW! I'm tired already and I am not buying anything.
If you restore, we pick it up, and deliver it. No messes, simple, and convenient.
Unless someone has a piece that is beyond repair, and these are few and far between, I always recommend restoration. I do not like to see leather end up in a land fill, when it can be made beautiful again. I also hate watching people waste money on things they"think" they need.
Before you decided to throw out, discard, set the old stuff to the side....consider restoring what you have and save yourself lots of pain and agony. LeatherSmith's, We bring Leather Back To Life!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Manufactures Need Leather Repair too!
During the the month of September LeatherSmiths has been working directly for a manufacturer refinishing some leather pieces that had been shipped over seas incorrectly finished.
As it turns out, most furniture is manufactured overseas, and some of it is simply assembled here in the states. The big problem is that the furniture is thousands of miles away before anyone(the retailer) knows there is a problem. At that point the manufacturer can do two things:
1) Throw out the rejected shipment.
2) Find a competent company stateside to fix the problems.
The issue with the latter is that there are very few companies out there like LeatherSmiths that can fix large quantities of furniture in a very short period of time, and price it in a way that is valuable for the manufacturer. Remember that the standard of quality must be such that the retailer is willing to put it in their showroom, and warranty it!
We were happy that they found us, and honored that this particular manufacturer and retailer chose to give us the opportunity to help them. Now they know what we mean when we say we are LeatherSmiths..... Bringing leather back to life!
As it turns out, most furniture is manufactured overseas, and some of it is simply assembled here in the states. The big problem is that the furniture is thousands of miles away before anyone(the retailer) knows there is a problem. At that point the manufacturer can do two things:
1) Throw out the rejected shipment.
2) Find a competent company stateside to fix the problems.
The issue with the latter is that there are very few companies out there like LeatherSmiths that can fix large quantities of furniture in a very short period of time, and price it in a way that is valuable for the manufacturer. Remember that the standard of quality must be such that the retailer is willing to put it in their showroom, and warranty it!
We were happy that they found us, and honored that this particular manufacturer and retailer chose to give us the opportunity to help them. Now they know what we mean when we say we are LeatherSmiths..... Bringing leather back to life!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Got pets? The possibilities are endless...
Got dogs? Many do... In fact, every 1 in 3 homes has pets...
Until recently, homeowners assumed that they had to simply accept pet damaged leather furniture... That is no longer the case.
We are currently restoring a maroon leather sectional that has severe pet damage... You see, the large dog likes to jump over the back of the sofa and land on the front so can imagine the amount of nail damage on the backside. In addition, the cushions have gotten faded and lost their color. We are repairing the nail gashes, filling in the aged cracks, redying the entire piece back to its original color and conditioning and protecting it. And yes, we will be posting pictures. :)
What pieces have you simply tolerated that you'd like restored back to like new condition?
We can do estimates via email for your convenience!
Until recently, homeowners assumed that they had to simply accept pet damaged leather furniture... That is no longer the case.
We are currently restoring a maroon leather sectional that has severe pet damage... You see, the large dog likes to jump over the back of the sofa and land on the front so can imagine the amount of nail damage on the backside. In addition, the cushions have gotten faded and lost their color. We are repairing the nail gashes, filling in the aged cracks, redying the entire piece back to its original color and conditioning and protecting it. And yes, we will be posting pictures. :)
What pieces have you simply tolerated that you'd like restored back to like new condition?
We can do estimates via email for your convenience!
Monday, July 6, 2009
GOT LEATHER? 3 ways to determine what kind of leather you have
Leather properly maintained will last four or even five times longer than fabric or man-made fibers.In order to properly maintain it, however, you hanve to know truly what kind of leather you have - speculation is not an option as there are different products and procedures to take care of each kind of leather.
These are a few of the basic guidelines as shared by the certified leather specialists at Atlanta Leather Care and Repair, proving Atlanta leather cleaning services.
Fun Fact: DID YOU KNOW that all Leather Starts as Aniline Leather?
* 15% remain as Aniline leather
* 5% are turned into Nubuck leather
* 80% are turned into Pigmented leather
How to Recognize Various Types of Leather
Step 1 - Inspect the piece of furniture for a deck label or "hang tag" that identifies the leather type. Many manufacturers place the deck label on the decking of the seating area near a piece of extra leather that has been sewn in.
Step 2 - Scratch Test - A "Scratch Test" is the easiest way to determine if a leather is a Type P (pigmented) or not. Lightly scratching the leather surface with your fingernail will either yield a light mark or no mark. If there IS a mark, you have aniline leather. If you don't, you have pigmented.
Step 3 - Tactile Test - Feeling the leather surface and visually determining whether a "nap" exists will help to determine if a leather has been sanded/brushed or not. Nubuck leathers have been sanded or brushed leaving a slight to heavy velvet-like nap.
These are just a few easy guidelines to determine what kind of leather you have. Only a certified leather specialist can know for sure, but this should help guide you when contacting professional or buying products.
These are a few of the basic guidelines as shared by the certified leather specialists at Atlanta Leather Care and Repair, proving Atlanta leather cleaning services.
Fun Fact: DID YOU KNOW that all Leather Starts as Aniline Leather?
* 15% remain as Aniline leather
* 5% are turned into Nubuck leather
* 80% are turned into Pigmented leather
How to Recognize Various Types of Leather
Step 1 - Inspect the piece of furniture for a deck label or "hang tag" that identifies the leather type. Many manufacturers place the deck label on the decking of the seating area near a piece of extra leather that has been sewn in.
Step 2 - Scratch Test - A "Scratch Test" is the easiest way to determine if a leather is a Type P (pigmented) or not. Lightly scratching the leather surface with your fingernail will either yield a light mark or no mark. If there IS a mark, you have aniline leather. If you don't, you have pigmented.
Step 3 - Tactile Test - Feeling the leather surface and visually determining whether a "nap" exists will help to determine if a leather has been sanded/brushed or not. Nubuck leathers have been sanded or brushed leaving a slight to heavy velvet-like nap.
These are just a few easy guidelines to determine what kind of leather you have. Only a certified leather specialist can know for sure, but this should help guide you when contacting professional or buying products.
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