FAQ - Click an item to view the answer.
-
1) How can I purchase Natuzzi furniture?
Natuzzi does not sell directly to the consumer from the factory, or over the internet. Natuzzi products are only available through our authorized Natuzzi retailers. To find the Natuzzi store or dealer nearest to you please consult our Dealer Locator.
-
2) Isn't leather hot in the summer and cold in the winter?
Leather conforms to its environment. It adapts to the temperature of a room, or your body on it and will maintain a consistent temperature that will feel good to your skin.
-
3) Will leather crack and peel over time?
No, leather will not crack or peel over time in normal using conditions. What can happen is the color finish that has been applied may crack or peel. This can usually be repaired, think of it like paint on a wall. Bear in mind that the finish can not be easily repaired in all cases, and that the finishing process may leave scars.
-
4) Should I be concerned if my new leather furniture has small lines or blemishes on the surface?
Markings such as scars, insect bites, wrinkles, veining are natural characteristics of genuine leather. If you purchased leather from Natuzzi's Protecta family, one that has been protected and finished to create a consistent, uniform look and feel - then you will see fewer marks. However, leather from our natural family will show more natural markings, such as insect bites, scars and stretch marks, as well as color variations. These color variations can occur within the same hide because there is no finish applied to give the look of consistent color like in our Protecta family. This is an indication of the authenticity of the leather, and should not be considered a defect. Actually, it should be treated as a 'mark' of true, high quality leather.
-
5) Is it true that animals are not bred specifically for the upholstery industry?
Yes. Leather is actually a by-product from the beef industry. The largest consumer of leather is the shoe industry. Only about ten percent of the world's hide production is used for furniture.
-
6) I have pets and I don't want my dog or cat to damage the leather with its claws, what should I do?
If you are worried about your pets damaging leather you should look at the most appropriate leather for a home with pets. You probably should go with our Protecta family because it is more easily repaired. Repairs are also likely to be less noticeable because of the color finishing that is applied to this family of leather.
-
7) Why is one leather grade more expensive than another?
The main determining factor of a grade of leather is the origin of the raw hide. Hides from the Southern Hemisphere are more abundant and tend to show more of the natural characteristics of leather. They are less supple than hides from the Northern Hemisphere. Generally speaking, the higher grades of leather come from hides raised in the Northern Hemisphere.
Hides come from all over the world, and are classified into categories based on their origin. Then they are sorted by the amount of natural characteristics that are present on the hide. Since hides with fewer characteristics are rarer, they usually are more expensive, and require less processing to complete the leather. Hides from the Southern Hemisphere usually represent the majority of the Protecta family of leathers. However, we do use some hides from the Southern Hemisphere in our Natural collection. These hides, by their origin, have more natural characteristics and will show more variation in color. This is not a defect. -
8) Why can the price of leather furniture vary so much?
A very important part of the final product's price is based on the leather's characteristics. As grades of leather increase, the cost of the final product also increases. However there are many other factors that affect pricing including: dimension, style, leg type and stitching details. Natuzzi spends a great deal of effort to make sure your sofa is aesthetically pleasing from every angle. So if you decide to float your sofa or sectional in your room, you will notice the design detail given to the entire sofa.
-
9) What is the difference between natural and protected leather?
Natural Leather = Unfinished Leathers = More natural characteristics / shading differences Protecta Leather = Finished Leathers = Less natural characteristics / More uniformed look
-
10) How many different types of leather can I choose from?
We offer several different articles of leather and each is available in a variety of colors. The total color assortment changes constantly, and exceeds 150 different leather colors. Some are thicker, some are thinner, and some have a second color added for effect, some are embossed, while others are smooth. There are many possible effects, and the cost is determined by the final 'grade' of the leather. The grade does not represent an article, but simply the cost. So you can have several different types of leather that all fall into the same grade.
-
11) What do the leather terms mean?
Split: All leather hides have to be split because a hide is too thick to upholster or use in any type of manufacturing. The hide goes into a machine where a blade 'filets' the hide into two hides. The bottom hide is known as split leather. This hide can be sanded down (corrected) and embossed with a consistent graining pattern to be used on the outside back and sides of sofa for a slight cost savings to achieve certain price points. A split leather is still 100% leather, and has all the same finishing treatments as the top grain portion.
Top Grain: In the above process the top grain portion is the top portion of the hide. It is generally used in the areas that receive more wear since the fiber of top grain is more compact than that of split grain.
Full Grain: Is top grain leather that uses the grain of the hide. No correction is made to the grain.
Corrected Grain: Top grain leather that has been sanded down to reduce some of the visual and natural characteristics. Of the various types of corrections, the most common is to sand down, and completely remove the natural grain and then emboss a consistent graining pattern. Another type of correction is to lightly buff the hide to remove the peaks and valleys of the grain.
Embossed Grain: From above, using rollers a consistent graining pattern is 'pressed' into the leather. It can be as subtle a small natural looking graining pattern, or as different as a crocodile pattern.
Grades of Leather: nothing more than a price point. The main determining factor of a grade of leather is origin of the raw hide.
Nubuck: Full aniline that has been slightly buffed to create a velvet effect. This is a top-grain leather, not a split or a suede. Nubucks are especially vulnerable to stains and can be protected with specialized products.
Pull-up: aniline - dyed leather that has been waxed or oiled. When the leather is pulled, the oil/wax separates, causing the color to lighten.
-
12) What kind of filling and suspensions are used?
Ecoflex Foam: The high resiliency foam used in all Natuzzi cushions. It is manufactured by our IMPE division and is free of Freon CFC pollutants. Foams of varying density: we use more than ten different densities of foam. This allows for ideal customized comfort, design, and support. Wadding: a multiple layer of thermo-bonded fiber, wrapped around seat cushion cores to add shape and comfort. Webbing: The patented industrial strength elastic webbing which is used in the deck and back for suspension. This is a 100% resilient material, which is used in the automotive and airline industries and takes the place of more traditional metal springs. There are some distinct advantages in the use of webbing:
- Consistent support across the entire length of the frame.
- Silent.
- Does not rust.
- No fear of coil springs protruding through the cushions. -
13) What is the frame construction?
Frame construction varies from model to model. We use an engineered frame that is a combination of solid woods such as fir/spruce or beech with plywood, OSB, particle board, and a Masonite wrap. Some frames include metal, or exposed carved pieces of the frame. The suspension uses the elastic webbing system that is completely durable, and 100% resilient. That means that over time, the suspension system of our engineered frame will out last any spring type of construction. The types of designs that we produce benefit from this style of construction because it is easily adaptable to all styles of furniture from classic frames with nail heads to modern open base models.
-
14) How can I care for my leather upholstery?
We recommend cleaning it using a neutral soap diluted with water. Use a dry, soft and white cloth. We do not recommend any type of conditioner, or chemical to be placed on the sofa. Simply dusting the sofa, and cleaning up spots when they occur should help keep your sofa looking good for its expected life. Remember that leather is a natural material that can change its appearance as it ages.
-
15) Will sunlight affect the color of my sofa?
Sunlight will fade leather faster than leather not exposed to direct sunlight. All leathers will fade over time. Protecta leathers will resist fading longer than Natural Leathers.
-
16) Why is my leather stretching after only a couple of years?
Leather has elasticity and forms according to the amount of use an area gets. Just as new shoes need some breaking in, so does your leather sofa or sectional. This stretching is not a defect but an inherent natural quality of the leather.