e2alei, Author at Leisure Lounge

How to Prepare for Christmas Guests in 2018

Posted on December 10, 2018 by e2alei

The Christmas season is upon us and at Leisure Lounge our favourite part is spending time with family and friends. We understand that having guests to stay can be a little stressful over the festive season, and so to help you fill your time and space perfectly for your loved ones we have prepared a how-to for your Christmas guests in 2018. With extra seating, additional sleeping space and more, you can accommodate the whole family during this special time.

The Stylish Table

The Christmas day meal needs a delicious menu and the table styled to go with it. An eye-catching centre piece that complements your overall Christmas theme can be as simple as a festive garland, a few flowers or even a decadent dessert. Layered tableware creates a refined festive table look, and the final finishing touch to the table is a table gift for each person. These don’t need to be extravagant but are just a token for guests to open whilst enjoying their Christmas dinner, even if it’s only a cracker to pull.

Speaking of dining tables, our selection is every ounce of sophistication you could desire. Take a look at our dining tables and you might just stumble across your next favourite item of furniture!

The Splendid Sleeping Space

One of the main questions when preparing for Christmas guests is, of course, where they will sleep. If your guestroom is starting to look tired or, like many spare rooms, is storing items that won’t fit anywhere else in the home, now is your chance to refresh and declutter the space ready for your visitors.

Additional guests can be hosted comfortably on a sleeper couch, which doubles as seating space during the day. These stylish solutions are perfect for holiday sleepovers, and are ideal for spaces big and small.

A Living Room for Everyone

Finding a way to accommodate extra guests over the festive period extends further than sleeping solutions, however, as your guests will also need somewhere comfortable to sit whilst relaxing, opening, gifts, and so on! Ottomans are an excellent multi-purpose living room solution, as they can function as coffee tables (with the help of a tray), as well as extra seating that is easily moved around.

A Clean Lounge, Despite Clamour

The only real downside of having the whole family over for the holidays is that there are an exponentially growing number of clammy hands and dirty feet crawling all over the couches. The best way to protect your furniture from these offending body parts is by having a slip cover couch, or covering your existing couch with a slip cover.

Slip covers are easy to wash and thus keep your lounge looking fresh and festive.

The Cherry on Top

Most importantly, keep your festive celebrations light, make memories and appreciate the time with friends and family. Leisure Lounge hopes your festive season is peaceful and we wish you all the very best going into the new year!

How to Style a Formal Living Room

Posted on March 1, 2021 by e2alei

Formal living rooms are solely for the purpose of socialising without the distractions of television, couches that swallow you up and other items found in cosy living rooms. If you want your formal living room to be true to its name, there are several things that you can do when styling it. The Leisure Lounge team are living room experts and are here to guide you on all things surrounding home-interior.

Style Your Formal Living Room with Leisure Lounge

Learn the perfect styling tips for your formal living room here. For more guidance on how to improve your home’s interior, visit Leisure Lounge’s blog.

1. Don’t Compromise Comfort

Just because it is a formal living room doesn’t mean that you need to compromise comfort! Invest in comfortable furniture that will make your guests want to settle in with a cup of tea and talk for hours. Leisure Lounge are able to customise our furniture to suit your living room’s style- no need to miss out on a great couch because the sizing was wrong!

Now Read: 5 Living Room Decor Ideas You Can DIY

2. Use Statement Pieces

Statement pieces are great conversation starters! You can make use of detailed chandeliers or light pendants, artwork, decorative items such as vases, or a large canvas image of your family. Since this living room is formal, keep the clutter to a minimum and, instead, have tasteful decorative items that catch the eye and spark conversation.

3. Add Colour Pops

We recommend keeping your formal living room neutral/ However, this doesn’t mean that everything needs to be plain. Add some tasteful colour pops in artwork, lampshades, throw cushions and rugs. By keeping the main body of the room neutral, you can change up décor whenever you wish.

4. Structure Your Seating

Since the main purpose of this room is for interaction, you are going to want to structure your seating to encourage this. Entertainment living room seating is typically laid out facing the television. In your formal lounge, you are going to want to keep your seating fairly close together and facing each other, such as in a square around an occasional table. It is also advisable to have seating close to the centre table or ensure that seating have side tables next to them for drinks and snacks to be placed on.

Visit Leisure Lounge for All Your Furniture Needs

If you are planning to style your formal living room, or any room in your home, Leisure Lounge have everything that you could possibly need. From couches to occasional tables, headboards, dining tables and chairs, furnish your home with the best in the business! All of our furniture can be customised to your specifications. Browse our website today or get in touch for a quote.

Now Read: 5 Living Room Remodel Ideas to Consider for 2021

How to Style Your Leather Couch

Posted on December 15, 2016 by e2alei

So, you’ve decided to finally treat yourself to that gorgeous leather couch you’ve been dreaming about? You’re in for a treat! Nothing quite shouts luxury as loudly as a well-placed, well-styled leather sofa. The first step is to decide where you want her, and the second step is where the fun begins – making it pretty with these four leather couch styling ideas…

Add a touch of fabric

A leather couch is extravagant on its own, but really comes to life when adding a touch of fabric. One or two cushions featuring vintage patterns in complimentary colours will really make your couch pop! If you intend on using your leather sofa for seating, consider draping a faux fur throw over for that luxurious vintage look, with one or two cushions to finish it off. Remember to colour code accordingly – earthy colours work well on brown and lighter leather finishes, while a black leather couch can host bright colours of any hue.

Compliment leather with chic

Your leather couch can look absolutely fabulous without even having to style it at all! Use the space around the couch to accentuate its unique beauty, with vintage chic furniture. Consider adding an occasional chair or two and a vintage standing lamp to the area, giving your space that luxe 1920s feel. Don the wall closest to your couch with a large golden framed mirror and you’ll never want to leave…

Remember your rug

Depending on where you plan to place your leather sofa, think about the floor space directly in front of it. If your floor area is not carpeted, a good-looking rug can really bring out your leather couch’s best features. Great rug ideas include zebra, kudu or Nguni hides – if you’re looking for that ‘out of Africa’ feel – and a good shaggy rug in a light earthy colour will do wonders for the colour contrast of the area. Compliment your leather display with a stunning deep-buttoned leather ottoman.

Centre your attention seeker

Turn heads and make your neighbours jealous by making your new leather couch the centre of attention! A leather couch looks good from every angle, so consider allowing yours to stand freely in your area, instead of against a wall. This opens the space up nicely and really draws attention to the important elements.
If you would like some tips on getting your leather sofa styling just right – give us at Leisure Lounge a shout!

How to Throw a Stress-free End of Year Party

Posted on November 1, 2021 by e2alei

With the end of the year just around the corner, it is the season of festivities and that means parties! Throwing a part can be an extremely stressful occasion. Whilst everyone is having fun, you are thinking about everything that still needs to be done, what could go wrong, what hasn’t been done- the list goes on. Leisure Lounge love a good house party, which is why we are sharing 3 ways that you can throw an end of year party, stress-free!

3 Ways to Throw a Stress-free Party

Here are just three ways that you can ensure you are relaxed and ready to have a good night. For more tips on home life and furniture, visit our blog page.

1. Ensure All Appliances Are Working

This may take awhile but it is a necessity. Checking all appliances and getting them ready for the party eliminates any technical issues or major problems. Appliances that need to be checked are the oven, the television (if you will be using that for music or a live sports game), speakers and the fan (if you are predicting hot, summer weather). It is also advisable to clean out your fridges to ensure that there is plenty of room for food and beverages.

Now Read: 5 Rules to Follow When Decorating a Living Room

2. Close Off the Sections You Don’t Want People In

If you are extremely houseproud and don’t love the idea of acquaintances and plus one’s snooping around your home- take away that option! Lock off any and all areas that you don’t want people to be in; the last thing you need is a drink spilled on your formal living room ottoman or freshly washed duvet. By having all your doors locked, you will be able to enjoy the party without worrying about what is going on in the rest of your home.

3. Stress Less About Mess

If you are going to be throwing a party at your home, you aren’t going to be having a good time if you are constantly stressing about spills and stains on your furniture. Slip Cover couches are the answer to all your entertainment prayers. Not only are they extremely comfortable and visually appealing, but the covers are removeable! Any spill or stain can be removed withing minutes by simply popping the cover in the washing machine. These couches can be a great addition to your outdoor entertainment areas, as they can be washed when needed.

Get Customised Furniture from Leisure Lounge Today

Whether you are wanting Slip Cover couches, comfortable lounge suites or welcoming outdoor seating, Leisure Lounge have you covered. We can customize our furniture to suit your home. For more information, visit our website today.

Now Read: 3 Ways to Know if Your Home Needs Slip Cover Couches

How to Use an Area Rug Effectively

Posted on February 25, 2019 by e2alei

The notorious area rug: some say you should, whilst some say you shouldn’t, but do any of them give you the tips and let you decide for yourself? We don’t want to stipulate how you should style your living space! An area rug can be a wonderful and stylish addition to any room, and we want to show you how to use an area rug effectively to yield the best and more classy results, should you decide to take the plush – I mean plunge!

Go Bigger, Not Smaller

Most people who venture into the world of area rugs are intimidated by size, because they don’t want to overdo it, but the most common mistake is to get an area rug that doesn’t suit the size of your space. All your small items of furniture should be able to fit entirely on the rug, whilst it should be big enough to fit under at least the front legs of your larger upholstered furniture items. Which brings us to our second point…

Front Legs on, Back legs off

The usual rule is to get at least the front legs of your major furniture items such as couches and occasional arm chairs, set on the area rug. The back legs can happily extend outwards, which actually helps to open the space and blend your living area nicely. If your major furniture items are still fairly compact, there is no reason why you can’t put some with all four legs on the rug.

Cover High-Traffic Areas

Homeowners often use area rugs in their entrance halls or other high-traffic areas, and to good effect. It is comfortable and pleasant to walk into a well decorated room with a rug, provided that the area rug covers the entire walk space, so that people can comfortably walk with both feet on the carpet, without having to step off.

Create Conversation Areas

Area rugs are often used to create the feeling of separate spaces, in an otherwise open plan room. For example, placing an area rug in your open plan dining room can help make it feel like a separate space, and therefore ambiance, to that of the kitchen.

Find more style inspiration and advice on our blog page! We upload regularly to keep you in the loop of home décor and interior design.

Leather Furniture Cleaning Tips

Posted on March 20, 2018 by e2alei

Real leather furniture is a serious investment, so like most investments it requires careful attention and maintenance from time to time. For this reason, some leather furniture owners are scared of taking a chemical-soaked cleaning cloth to their fine leather furniture. At Leisure Lounge we understand the struggle, so we’ve summarised a few super useful leather furniture cleaning tips just for you below:

Keep your leather furniture out of direct sunlight as far as possible, as sun exposure will cause the leather to become brittle and crack
Lightly soiled areas? Wipe with a damp cloth
Do a spot test on a part of your couch that isn’t visible to start. If no adverse reaction occurs, you’re safe to clean the whole thing
Try not to push too hard when cleaning your leather furniture, as this often pushes the dirt further into the leather
Mould or mildew on your leather furniture? We have an amazing recipe for you to use! Click here to download our Mildew Removing Recipe.
For heavily-soiled leather furniture, use a good quality saddle soap or a natural leather cleanser instead. Don’t use neatsfoot oil, as this is not the best for leather treatment
Start your leather cleaning process on the least dirty patches, and work your way to the most soiled areas to prevent spreading the dirt.

Fine Leather Furniture in Durban

Our Leisure Lounge leather furniture collection includes couches (single, two-seaters, and three-seaters), ottomans, daybeds, and occasional chairs we think you’ll absolutely LOVE! Looking for leather furniture information? Connect with us right here!

Leather Information

Posted on May 6, 2016 by e2alei

Over the past few years there has been a shift towards natural looking leather furniture as opposed to the more artificial, coloured leathers. The trend is to use one or two leather couches in combination with fabric arm chairs.

Full grain kudu and bovine hides are used most commonly in the upholstery of furniture. Full grain leather is leather which has not been altered beyond hair removal. Full grain leather is the most genuine type of leather, as it retains all of the original texture and markings of the original hide. Leisure Lounge selects only top quality full-aniline and semi-aniline leathers that are finished to give an antique appearance. These hides will mark and scuff and collect character and patina over the years. This is intentional and is designed to give authenticity to the period designs on which it is used.

Full-aniline leather is leather that has been dyed all the way through with a transparent dye. The effect is created by immersing the hides in a dye bath. Because the finish is transparent and shows the natural markings of the leather, only the best quality hides can be used. Semi-aniline leather follows the same procedure, however a matching pigment layer is added to the surface to even out the colour and add protection.

When buying leather furniture, ascertain where and by whom it was manufactured. Many lower quality hides are exported to the East where they are made up and returned to SA as finished products. Ensure you read the small print, ie. leather uppers or leather look. This would indicate that only certain parts of the item are genuine leather or that it is not genuine leather at all. Also take note of the price – if the price of the leather sofa that you are planning to purchase appears really cheap, then it probably is!

Leather vs Fabric: How to Choose The Best Covering for Your Couch

Posted on December 15, 2020 by e2alei

When you go shopping for new couches, you are on the lookout for furniture that will take pride of place in your lounge for many years to come. You have many choices to make, including size, design and colour, but one of the most important is choosing a couch covering: will it be leather or fabric? Leisure Lounge will help you make that decision.

What You Need To Know Before Choosing Leather Or Fabric

Leather or fabric? There is no one right answer to that question. The thing is to consider the possibilities, strengths and weaknesses of both and then decide. Here are the main points for you to consider. Read our blog for more expert decorating and furniture buying tips.

Fabric Couches: Variety, Affordability And Warmth

Fabric couches will offer you a great deal more variety and versatility in terms of design options. You can choose from a wealth of patterns, colours, textures, fabric types and shapes. Try to find particularly strong fabric, because most materials do not offer the kind of durability you would get from leather. For the most part, fabric-covered couches tend to have a lower price point than their leather equivalents. They also have a warmer, cosier look and feel, which is a major consideration for both your aesthetic taste and, your preferences with regard to comfort.

Leather Couches: Durability And A Touch Of Class

Leather couches have the advantage over fabric as far as durability and maintenance are concerned. They are low maintenance, will last for years, so long as you use decent furniture or leather polish from time to time, and they clean up very easily if you have pets. Fabric, on the other hand, will retain pet hair, be more susceptible to scratches, and more difficult to repair if the scratches get bad enough. Aside from their hardiness, leather couches also evoke more of a sense of luxury and class, regardless of the specific design. A good leather couch may be more expensive, but it is a worthwhile investment, as you will get a lounge suite that will keep its attractive appearance for a long time.

Leather Or Fabric – Whichever You Choose, Leisure Lounge Has It For You

When looking for your next couch, think about your aesthetic, budget and maintenance needs, and the choice of leather or fabric will become obvious. Whichever one you choose; Leisure Lounge has a beautiful variety for you to choose from- contact us or browse our range.

Now Read: Trick the Eye: 5 Ways to Make Your Living Room Look Bigger

Living Room Layout Mistakes

Posted on July 26, 2021 by e2alei

Are you currently decorating or redecorating your living room? Leisure Lounge know all the tricks on how you can get a flawless layout that works for pretty much any living room. Keep reading the blog post to learn our top tips.

4 Living Room Layout Mistakes to Avoid

Create the perfect living room layout by avoiding these 4 mistakes. For more home décor tips, visit the Leisure Lounge blog.

1. Furniture Against the Wall

Many people think that furniture looks best up against a wall. This is not always true. If you have a particularly small living room, then furniture should inevitably go against the wall simply due to space. However, if you have a bit more space to work with, furniture that is away from the wall tends to give the room a bit more breathing space.

Now Read: 5 Ways to Achieve a Cosy Living Room

2. The Less Clutter- The Better

Just because you have three occasional chairs, doesn’t mean that you have to put them all out. Avoid unnecessary items that can lead to your room feeling claustrophobic. You living room doesn’t have to be minimalistic but avoid over cluttering.

3. The Wrong Rugs

The size of rugs you use can definitely impact your room. The safest size rug is one that can go comfortably under the front legs of all furniture in your living room can be placed on. Small rugs imbalance a room.

4. Your Furniture is the Wrong Size

Your furniture ultimately makes or breaks a living room. If your furniture is too small, the room will look empty, and furniture will look out of place. If furniture is too big, the room will be claustrophobic and stuff. Leisure Lounge specialise in creating customised furniture pieces made perfectly for your home. Find out more here.

Order Your Customised Furniture from Leisure Lounge Today

Nothing beats a set of customised couches to complete a room. If you are wanting furniture that looks like it was made for your living room, contact Leisure Lounge Today.

Now Read: Why Leather is a Firm Favourite for Modern Homes