Buyers Guides
All the information on this site has been brought together to enable you to find exactly what you are looking for. We have synopsised below some of the most important points for consideration when buying products, to ensure that the form and function suit your needs.
Where to Start
When planning your furniture arrangements we suggest starting with the main living space. By prioritising investment for the larger items, which not only have the highest volume of use, (sofa systems, rugs, coffee tables and easy chairs for example) but will also serve to create a back-drop that frames and sets the tone of the rest of the room.
Creativity with Colour
Concerned about colours? Then stay neutral and inject layers of colour with throws, rugs, accessories, lighting elements and pieces that are transferable from place to place. Love colour and sure about the colour that you love? Then go for it! Just ensure that you will be as happy with a deep violet sofa system in five years time as you are now. Whilst a colour can be a current theme in fashion and feel "great" at the time, it needs to be one that you enjoy personally, otherwise it can serve as an expensive reminder of how quickly some things go out of fashion!
Care with Colour Ways
When considering the finish for your furniture, it is important to take into consideration the surrounding colour ways as these can change the look and feel of fabrics, leathers, veneers and more. Also important to consider is the impact of natural versus artificial light. For example, a fabric will look very different in natural daylight conditions as opposed to artificial lighting and at night. Take into account painted interior surfaces, from walls and ceilings to wooden or ceramic tiled floors. Window treatments will also affect the finite look and feel of different materials.
Choosing the Right Fabric or Leather
To ensure that your choice of fabric or leather works as well in the interior scheme as you hope it will, samples are available to test "on site" as colours and textures vary in different lights. For fabrics that can handle active adults, kids and the wear and tear of family life, we suggest choosing a fabric with some visual or physical texture, or depth of pile. This way you can hide mucky paws and conceal superficial marks between cleans. Please note that for the majority of our sofa systems and many of the easy and arm chairs, Customers Own Material is possible subject to the approval of an M2 sample being sent to the design house.
Opening up the Aesthetic of the Space
When choosing an L-configuration sofa, at Leigh Harmer we like to promote the open-ended chaise longue as one of the elements. This offers a visual aesthetic that is open, as opposed to having a return arm that is potentially breaking off the visual space. Similarly oversized products enhance the open look and feel.
Oversize Products
We always like to promote oversize products, from sofas and tables to rugs and feature lights. In many circumstances it is good to buy oversize as this can expand the visual aesthetic in a small space as your eye goes to the largest object in the room. For example, when choosing a rug, people often buy a smaller rug than the room can actually handle, it is better to frame the sofa system/seating arrangement with a larger rug. The perspective of the eye goes out to the perimeter of the rug, thus visually enlarging the space.
Enhancing Light
Oversize mirrors are fantastic for bringing more light into the room to visually expand the space and create a fantastic central feature. Do note that depending on the angle of the entrance to the room a well-positioned mirror can often reflect an interesting view or artwork.
High gloss lacquers and glass/acrylic surfaces are great for visually expanding rooms as they are reflective surfaces. They also enhance the light factor and bring subtle design nuances to the space.
Beware of UV Rays!
Be aware that when ordering darker fabrics, leathers and even dark wood furniture and floors, these will be bleached by the sun when in direct sunlight. Even UV treated pigmented leathers can fade over time. Similarly wood that has been UV lacquered will fade as it is a natural material. Please note: A good intervention is UV film that can be seamlessly applied to the window and is invisible to the naked eye. For further details contact us at info@leighharmer.com
Keeping it Simple
Less can be so much more and we highly recommend taking your time when specifying the products for your room. Start with the essentials and highlight the space with inspirational elements that guide the focus of your theme.
