LEATHER is not for
everyone. But for the dealer who has a customer base that can support
high-end designer floor coverings like a Genuine Leather Floor, here it
is!
And the timing (in spite of the
market) is just perfect. Leather is going to be the next breath of fresh
air for our flooring industry.
We believe that it’s now time to
introduce the high-end flooring dealer to a new, high profit, exciting and
exotic floor covering. We believe that leather, as a floor covering, belongs
in the floor covering industry and not with the few leather producers that
have controlled the leather flooring industry until now. As close as we can
tell, leather floors, as a business, have been around for about 27 years.
It’s been kept so quiet that hardly anyone in the floor covering industry
has ever heard of a leather floor. You may not sell many leather floors,
however, they will be profitable and they will create a lot of conversation.
The current popularity of leather
in fashion has naturally expanded into both home and office interiors. Home
furnishings almost always, subconsciously, follow fashion.
Some view leather as 'living in
skin', others as an instant heirloom material, lustrous and elegant, with a
seductive aroma and an inviting touch. A word often associated with leather is
Patina: When a natural material becomes more beautiful with wear
and age.
Think about how you feel about
your wonderful old leather briefcase or an old leather chair that you
inherited. The hottest sports cars are always upholstered in leather. The
makers of the finest shoes, handbags, luggage, outerwear and baseball gloves
all turn to high quality leather when they want to match strength and staying
power with luster and aesthetic appeal. Leather immediately conjures up
pleasant thoughts and alerts the senses. The scent, the sight and most of all
the feel of leather enhances ones desire to own it. And now, we have finally
made leather in an easy-to-sell format.
Some standard questions you may
hear from your clients: “A leather floor?” “Can you walk on leather?”
“Does it stain?” “Does it scratch?” “How do you clean it?” “How
do you install it?” “Where would I use it?”
Some answers: Yes, a leather
floor. We produce 1/8” thick leather tiles (about 12 oz per sq/ft) in a
variety of sizes from 3”x3” to 24”x24” cut from top grain steer hide.
No, we do not kill a steer to get the leather, we use only ecologically sound
leathers acquired from animals raised for food. Our leather tiles will take
the daily nicks, scratches, even spills of daily life, and incorporate them
into a rich, mellow patina. Our leather is natural, naked leather – it is
not top sprayed, it does not have layers of pigment and does not have a
polyurethane film coating. The leather is aniline dyed in six stock colors and
available in most any custom color. This real leather goes beyond seductive
aroma and inviting touch. Our exclusive tanning process produces a tile of
uncommon beauty, resiliency, and stability. The entire cross section of our
leather tile is water resistant and will not rot or mildew. Leather tile will
last 20 to 30 years - the more wear it gets, the better it looks.
Also available; Embossed leather
tiles with patterns like Lizard, Alligator, Buffalo, Elephant, Hippo, etc.
Also, with the use of a tiny computer controlled knife blade, we can cut
a wide variety of both straight line and scroll borders and inserts from tiles
or hides (which measure about 3’-6” x 7’-0”). The design
possibilities are endless.
Leather floor tile should be
installed on smooth wood or concrete sub-flooring, using only Contact Cement.
Like other resilient floor coverings, leather will ‘telescope’ the
sub-floor. A professional flooring installer experienced in the installation
of cork and custom vinyl tile should install our leather tile.
MAINTENANCE: Easy to
maintain with dusting, damp mopping and occasional waxing. Spills can be wiped
up and scratches become part of the leathers character, blending with its
natural markings.
SOME PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FOR
LEATHER:
LEATHER WALLS:
Leather wall tile cannot be installed on sheetrock, you must first install 1/8
plywood with construction adhesive and then the leather with Contact Cement.
Again the design possibilities are endless. Stripes, patterns, wainscotings,
antiquing are all available.
LEATHER IN THE HOME: Bedrooms,
living rooms, study, library, dressing room, music room, screening rooms
(great acoustical properties), stairs and other surfaces.
COMMERCIAL: Hotel lobbies,
lounges, cigar rooms, executive offices, conference rooms, reception areas,
Museums, Art galleries, desktops, stairs and even handrails.
We are proud to be a part of this
exciting new dimension in the floor covering industry. Please feel free to
contact me for additional information or samples of our product.
Interior Surfaces, Inc.
Greg Arnold
(877) 231 2100
info@interiorsurfaces.com