In one of our most recent blog posts, Using Valencia Theater Seating’s Online Customizer, we briefly mentioned the different fabrics that you can choose from when designing your perfect home theater chair in our 3D customizer. But our brief descriptions are not enough to fully explain what is unique about each fabric. So let’s further elaborate on the different qualities of each material, so that when you are customizing your chair you can be sure you’re choosing the upholstery that’s right for you.
Luxury Theater Seating Made Better with Nappa Leather
Our Nappa leather is a high-quality, full-grain leather that is durable yet soft. Full-grain refers to the fact that all of the leather comes from the top layer of the hide and has a very dense amount of fibers. These densely-packed fibers make the leather much more durable, which means media room furniture that stands up to use, ages gracefully, and lasts a long time. Full-grain also means that our leather theater seats are free of any blemishes or irregularities. Knowing all this, one question still arises: what makes Nappa leather home theater seating so special?
On top of being durable and unblemished, full-grain leather is incredibly comfortable. Even though it has a high density, it is soft and supple. Because it is so comfortable and luxurious, many high-end car companies like Rolls Royce and Mercedes Benz use Nappa leather in the interiors of their cars. Media room furniture made from the same stuff you find in $100,000 cars? That’s luxury theater seating.
One last thing to note is that Nappa leather can be dyed many different colors. This is good if you are looking to create a uniquely-colored home theater or want your home theater furniture to make a bold statement that starts conversations! Choose from 17 colors of vibrant leather hues and create designer looks like modern grey leather theater seats or red two-tone gaming chairs.
Velour: Rich, Velvet Fabric Home Theater Seating
Velour is a plush, knitted material that has a texture similar to velvet. It is typically made with cotton, and because of this it is incredibly soft. Velour is known for its super-soft finish that moves with the swipe of your hand. Velour home theater chairs come in a smaller variety of colors when compared to Nappa leather, but their velvet-like texture gives them a very warm and welcoming look.
On top of that, velour fabric is able to capture the feel of old movie theater looks, since velour and velvet used to be used to create theater seats and curtains. Fabric home theater seating made of velour makes a statement that’s both classic and unique. It’s also a great option for home theater furniture that doubles as furniture for a parlor or den.
Microfiber Home Theater Seating: Casual and Comfortable
For homes with active families, whether it’s little kids or big dogs, microfiber is often a great choice for media room seating upholstery. Microfiber is water and stain-resistant, very soft, and durable. It also gives a more casual and cozy feel than other seating choices like leathers or velour, not to mention it’s affordable.
Microfiber works perfectly for home theater furniture that doubles as living room furniture, as you can pack in all the features of dedicated movie chairs with the more subtle and lived-in feel you want in your family room. It’s easy to clean, difficult to tear, and resistant to fading, plus microfiber furniture is hypoallergenic.
Italian Leather Takes Luxury Theater Seating to Another Level
The fourth type of material that you can choose when designing your Valencia custom home theater chairs is Italian leather. Italian leather is one of the most luxurious and expensive leathers there is, and for good reason. It is full-grain leather made using a special tanning process invented by master Tuscan tanners.
What makes Italian leather so beautiful is how genuine it is. It is not dyed or printed; all of its texture and color is natural. It is hand-crafted and is renowned worldwide for its quality. Italian leather theater seats feel soft and slick, and since Italian leather is made with the highest-quality hide, home theater and media room furniture made out of this amazing material is durable.
With proper care, Italian leather is able to last a lifetime, and it only becomes better with age. The only downside to choosing Italian leather for your home theater seating could be that, since it’s not dyed, it doesn’t come in as many unique colors as Nappa leather.
Have it Both Ways with Valencia’s Vegan Leather Upholstery for Theater Chairs
Just because you’re looking for non-leather options for your media room furniture doesn’t mean you have to give up on the look of leather; there’s nothing quite like rows of leather movie theater recliners. Vegan leather offers an ethical, sustainable alternative.
Vegan leather is soft and supple, just like its cowhide counterpart, and our vegan leather has been specifically crafted to seamlessly mimic the quality, look and feel of our full-grain Nappa leather. In fact, our vegan leather theater furniture outpaces our Nappa leather in wear cycles.
Valencia’s Vegan Series is also eco-friendly. Vegan leather can be made of recycled, plant-based materials, cutting energy costs of creating the leather, and is part of our endeavor to reduce our carbon footprint as artisan home theater seating manufacturers. Since 2005, when we purchased our first wind turbine, we have transitioned to 80% of sustainable energy use. But whether you’re allergic to genuine leather or you don’t use animal products in your home, vegan leather lets you have the best of both worlds: fabric home theater furniture that looks like leather.
When designing your perfect home theater furniture in our 3D build feature, the most important things to consider are comfort, style and durability. All of these luxury materials we use on our home theater seating are durable and soft, but deciding which fits the look of your theater is all up to you.
We hope this article has helped you understand the differences between materials and decide which will work best for your home theater. Now head to our Build Your Own page to start designing your new home theater seats!
