When choosing, say, a sofa or an armchair, many people opt for leather, and for a good reason.
The glamorous look and distinct buttery feel of top-quality natural leather are unforgettable. A lot of people love its smell, too. They say that leather furniture seems more luxurious than the same pieces upholstered in fabric.
Furniture makers have been using leather for centuries. Once quite widespread, natural leather now is a sign of deluxe custom-made pieces. That is why, most of the upholstered items from Bellavista Collection – the brand known for its Italian luxury furniture all over the world – are available in both leather and fabric. What is more, the brand never economizes on materials, so you can be sure that every piece of leather used in any brand’s piece is of the best quality.
Such leather is recognizable from first sight. The reason is simple: natural upholstery leather is actually cattle skin, so the surface of every piece is unique. When leather is dyed, fat wrinkles, veins, and small scars absorb the dye differently. You can distinguish natural leather by slightly uneven color and natural grain, which also can’t be the same all over the piece.
Luxurious Upholstery and Tabletops
Respectable-looking and extremely durable, leather upholstery is popular with Bellavista’s customers. Let’s take a look at just a few pieces.
A combination of wood, metal, and leather in BITTA POUFF looks really chic. Its structure is available in either of four wood species. Leather or fabric upholstery and three options of finishing for the knob give you plenty of choices. The handle is made of prime quality saddle leather, and a small figure of a cute hippo (Bellavista Collection’s mascot) on a chain serves as a finishing touch.
ODETTE was created almost a decade ago. First showcased at Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2013, this lovely bench remains a bestseller ever since then. It is offered in three variants of upholstery – fabric, leather, and woven belting leather. All three splendidly harmonize with the feet, made of moka stained ashwood, and hammered antique bronze finish of the metal details.
ELIZABETH is even ‘older’ than ODETTE, yet no ness popular. This console table was designed in 2010. Its structure, made of cast brass with hammered antique bronze finish, refined by hand, splendidly harmonizes with any of the five options available for its top. One of them is top-quality belting leather, which in its turn comes in numerous colors.
Even among remarkable Bellavista’s furniture pieces, AMELIA definitely stands out. It’s a makeup station. Designed specially for putting on make-up, this item is apparently luxurious. Its top is wrapped in belting leather of lovely dark brown color, which Bellavista’s craftsmen call ‘CAFFE’. Contrasting beige stitching serves as decoration. Chocolate-colored leather, combined with white lacquered surface, looks gorgeous indeed. So is glossy ebony veneering of drawers and partitions, which goes extremely well with antique bronze of the base and handles.
The leather-clad side table named FRANC PAULIN also looks stunning. The color options include “Sand” (beige), “Caramello” (light brown), “Rosso” (red), “Caffè”(brown), and “Testa di moro” (dark brown).
LILLIGRE bench was created relatively recently: this item is from 2020-2021 collection. Seemingly simple but sophisticated design grabs attention instantly. Cast-brass feet with blackened finish, combined with fabric or leather upholstery, looks graceful indeed. Optional roll pillows add comfort and even more elegance to their looks.
One more bench, FRIDA, also looks really tasteful. Both leather and fabric upholstery look great together with the base, made of сast brass with an antique bronze finish, refined by hand.
Two armchairs, MIRO and CHAGALL, are also worth mentioning. Both of them not only could be upholstered in leather, but also have leather-clad backrests. MIRO’s feet and CHAGALL’s swiveling base are made of the same material – solid moka stained ashwood – with a different shape.
Leather Inserts and Leather-Wrapped Details
Cabinets and bar units often have details made of prime-quality natural leather. Just look at ZEUS and LUIS, HER and HIM, LONDON and I-BAR, TREE and ARBAT, to name a few.
Among other Bellavista’s furniture pieces that have details wrapped in natural leather are ASPEN display cabinet (drawer fronts of), or TUDOR (the drawer units for the cabinet version or the edges of its removable walnut tray for the bar version). All these furniture pieces were showcased at Milan Furniture Salon in 2019.
And here is CHAROLITA 2, a lovely tray from the brand’s latest, 2020-2021, collection. This rectangular wooden tray could be coated with either matte lacquer or a glossy lacquer finish named ‘Bellavista Nuances’. Either of these finishes, each coming in a number of colors, looks really grand in combination with belting leather its central inset is made of. As a final touch, the word ‘Bellavista’ is engraved on the tray’s handle.
When it comes to leather inserts in trays, there are three more items that should not go unmentioned. Bellavista’s floor lamps named CAROL, ADALPINA an FAROLITO, have handy trays, with their bottoms cladded in natural leather.
All three gorgeous lamps turned heads at Salone Internazionale del Mobile: CAROL was showcased in 2013, while FAROLITO and ADALPINA – in 2019. All have become bestsellers immediately after the fair and are still popular now. No wonder: such a lamp becomes a quite advantageous hybrid between a lighting fixture and a handy tiny table to place small things on. This design solution is a perfect example of how Attilio Zanni, Bellavista Collection’s co-founder and chief designer, cares for both the beauty and practicability of every piece he creates. Besides, using prime quality leather for the tray inserts demonstrates that there are no unimportant details when it comes to creating a truly first-class piece.
