If you follow us on Instagram, you might have seen that we hosted a Designer Exclusive event last week!
It was a great evening of new and re- introductions. We were thrilled to welcome almost 50 local interior designers to our Richmond showroom for cocktails, charcuterie and conversation!
We were also joined by some super special guests, including Bo Gravely and Will Dowd from Moore & Giles.
If you’re not familiar, Moore & Giles is a family-owned, Lynchburg-based leather company, and one of our premium regional suppliers. Moore & Giles has been a leader in leather since 1933, providing the finest quality hides for the furniture and home decor industries.
Bo gave a quick presentation on Living with Leather, and we were surprised to learn that leather, when processed responsibly, is an incredibly sustainable material. If (like some of us) you’re wondering how a material made from animal hides can be sustainable, you’re not alone. (Skeptical vegetarian, here.) Read on for some key points from Bo himself:
Did you know?
- Leather has clothed, sheltered and protected mankind since the dawn of time.
- Hides used in the leather industry are exclusively byproduct waste from the global food trade that would otherwise end up in landfills. Every year, the leather industry diverts over 258 million hides (out of an estimated 280 million) from landfills and turns them into functional products. That’s over 92%!
- Tanning is the process of converting cleaned, perishable raw hides or skins into leather to preserve their natural beauty and inherent characteristics. Moore & Giles was the first leather company to develop plant-based tanning methods.
- Leather is a functional and incredibly durable material that will last for generations.
- Many leather producers have introduced more sustainable processing procedures. Moore & Giles is committed to sustainability at every level, from partnering with suppliers that meet or exceed environmental regulations to developing innovative practices and internal initiatives aimed at reducing waste and minimizing their impact to land, air and water. (They’ve even planted a company garden.)
- Leather alternatives, like vinyl, “vegan,” and faux leather are often made from plastic and petroleum-based materials. Products made from such alternatives don’t last as long as those made from natural leather, and are more likely to end up in a landfills or water sources where they’ll take years to degrade and release toxic chemicals into the environment.
Click here to learn more about Moore & Giles’s sustainability initiatives.
In addition to being sustainably produced and incredibly durable, leather is exceptionally beautiful–especially in furniture applications. (Just look at the teal beauty that served as the centerpiece of the presentation stage!) Because leather is an organic material, natural variances in color, pattern and patina exist from one hide to the next. Bo walked us through the process of using leather hides to upholster a piece of furniture and described the level of knowledge, skill and craftsmanship that’s required to produce a beautiful piece. To summarize: it isn’t easy. For this reason, they partner closely with furniture manufacturers that they trust (like Wesley Hall) to honor their luxurious leathers.
Partnerships like these are what make our work so meaningful. From sourcing to application to delivery, u-fab and our partners are unwaveringly committed to quality, craftsmanship and comfort. We know that the furniture you choose to put in your homes is more than just furniture: it’s the backdrop against which you and your family will make your most cherished memories.
If you’re curious about having a custom leather piece made, you’re in luck. Visit our Richmond or Charlottesville showrooms to browse our selection of premium quality Moore & Giles leather and borrow samples to help you choose with confidence. Our Design Consultants can help you test and pick on the perfect frame, for the custom leather piece of your dreams to last for generations. Or, browse and sit-test our in-stock leather pieces. Either way, you’re in the very best hands at u-fab–even if you’re not a designer!
Stay tuned next week! We’ll be sharing what we learned from our other special guests Zack Taylor and Maxwell Mauney of Wesley Hall, along with some more behind-the-scenes snaps from our Designer Exclusive event.
Until then, stay in the fray! Be sure to follow @ufabinteriors on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.