American Leather Upholstery
American Leather
Choose Your Upholstery
Every American Leather piece is built to order in the fabric or leather you choose, finished with the leg or base that fits your space. Explore all three options below, browse real swatches, see what other customers are choosing, and find out how to use your own fabric.
Browse By Collection
American Leather Named Collections
Every swatch below links to the official American Leather product page, where you can see the full color range for that pattern and order a free physical swatch.
Fabric
Performance Fabrics, Built to Last
Grades & Collections
American Leather fabrics are organized into grades — I, II, III, and V — which reflect the complexity of weave, fiber content, and manufacturing process rather than durability alone. Higher grades generally use more intricate constructions or specialty yarns, but every grade is selected to hold up to real living rooms. Collections span designer-driven brands including Crypton, Sunbrella, and Ultrasuede, each hand-selected for a mix of texture, saturated color, and everyday performance.
Performance Characteristics
Most fabrics are engineered performance textiles — many are stain-resistant, several are bleach-cleanable, and many carry pet-friendly and eco-friendly certifications. Durability is measured in double rubs (Wyzenbeek testing), and many of our fabrics test between 30,000 and 100,000+ double rubs, well above the threshold considered suitable for heavy residential use.
Texture
Fabric types range from tight basketweaves and herringbones to plush chenilles, brushed microsuedes, velvets, and specialty weaves like houndstooth. Handle varies from crisp "tech performance" textiles to soft "lifestyle" chenilles — worth feeling in person before you decide, since photos can't fully capture texture.
Cleaning Considerations
Cleaning codes vary by fabric — most performance fabrics clean with a water-based cleaner (Code W), and select bleach-cleanable options tolerate a diluted bleach solution without damage or fading. Always check the specific care code for your chosen fabric, and blot rather than rub any spill as soon as it happens.
Available Colors
Our fabric assortment spans the full palette: Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gray, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White, and Yellow — with dozens of shades within each color family across our collections.
Leather
Top-Grain Leather, Chosen from the Top 10% Worldwide
Leather Categories & Finishes
Every American Leather frame is available in premium top-grain leather, graded LTHR C through LTHR J depending on hide quality and finishing process. Finishes fall into three families: Full Aniline — minimally processed to showcase the hide's natural character; Semi-Aniline — a light protective topcoat over natural grain; and Pigmented — a heavier, more uniform finish coat for maximum protection.
Protection Level & Natural Characteristics
Light Protection leathers are the softest and most supple — full-aniline hides that often show natural "character marks" and develop a rich patina over time, but need a bit more care. Medium Protection balances natural feel with everyday practicality. Heavy Protection leathers carry a pigmented finish coat that resists spills, stains, and fading — the most forgiving choice for households with kids and pets. Because leather is a natural material, some grain and shading variation between hides is normal and expected — not a flaw.
Durability & Feel
With proper care, American Leather hides last for decades. Texture ranges from smooth, refined finishes to naturally pebbled grains with a soft, buttery hand. Heavier protection leathers tend to feel slightly firmer to the touch; light-protection full-aniline leathers feel the most natural and supple, softening further with age and use.
Care
Dust and vacuum regularly, blot spills immediately rather than rubbing, and keep leather out of direct, sustained sunlight to prevent uneven fading. Avoid household cleaners not designed for leather. Full care and cleaning guidance is available from American Leather directly, and we're happy to walk you through it for your specific piece.
Leg Finish
The Finishing Touch
Legs and bases come in a range of wood and metal finishes, so the last detail matches the rest of the room. Wood finishes highlight the natural grain of ash or rubberwood, while metal finishes range from warm brass tones to cool brushed steel. Availability varies by frame style — we'll confirm which finishes fit your chosen piece.
Wood Finishes
Metal Finishes
Swatch Gallery
See & Feel the Real Thing
Tap any swatch to view and order it directly from American Leather. We offer 500+ swatches in total — ask us for the full binder in-store.
Fabric — by Grade
Leather — by Protection Level
Best Sellers
What Customers Are Actually Choosing
Based on our national rate-of-sale data, April 2025 – April 2026.
33%
Leather
21%
Tech Performance
16%
Lifestyle
15%
Customer's Own
13%
Liveable Luxury
3%
Ultrasuede
Our Top-Selling Covers
Top 10 Overall, By Volume
| Rank | Cover | Color | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer's Own Material | — | COM |
| 2 | Babble | Indigo | Lifestyle |
| 3 | Artemis | Snow | Tech Performance |
| 4 | Archer | Sand | Tech Performance |
| 5 | Titan | Champagne | Leather |
| 6 | Bison | Champagne | Leather |
| 7 | Bison | Deep Blue | Leather |
| 8 | Bison | Olive | Leather |
| 9 | Mont Blanc | Caramel | Leather |
| 10 | Beacon | Cream | Lifestyle |
Top Leathers
- Titan · Champagne
- Bison · Champagne
- Bison · Deep Blue
- Bison · Olive
- Mont Blanc · Caramel
Top Tech Performance Fabrics
- Artemis · Snow
- Archer · Sand
- Archer · Linen
- Iris · Fossil
- Archer · Sable
Top Lifestyle Fabrics
- Babble · Indigo
- Beacon · Cream
- Quinn · Pebble
- Babble · Beige
- Hand Woven · Parchment
Top Liveable Luxury & Ultrasuede
- Tonic · Indigo
- Dolly · Camel
- Dakota · Cream
- Ultrasuede · Indigo
- Ultrasuede · Cobalt Blue
Have Your Own Fabric?
Customer's Own Material (COM)
Our #1 best-selling cover — 15% of everything we sell.
Every American Leather piece can be built using a fabric or leather you supply yourself — whether that's a designer textile, a family heirloom pattern, or something you fell in love with elsewhere. It's not a niche request; it's the single most-ordered option in our store.
What we'll need from you
- A physical sample of your fabric, submitted with our COM approval form before your order is scheduled
- Fabric that's 54" wide where possible — this is the standard most yardage estimates are based on
- For non-railroaded fabrics (pattern runs up the roll rather than across it), plan on roughly 30% more yardage than a railroaded equivalent
- Loose-weave or lightweight fabrics may need to be backed before upholstering — we'll flag this after inspection
- Written confirmation from your fabric supplier of California flammability compliance (CA TB 117-2013)
- For customer's own leather, the industry rule of thumb is about 18 sq. ft. of leather per linear yard of 54" fabric it would otherwise take
Orders aren't scheduled until your material and documentation are received and verified — we'll guide you through every step so nothing holds up production.
How To Order
From Sofa to Finished Order in Five Steps
Choose your sofa
Select upholstery
Choose your color
Select legs & options
Place order or contact Contempo
Important: Screen colors vary by device and display settings, and swatch photography is a close approximation only. Before placing your order, please request a physical swatch and confirm the color and texture in person — either in showroom or by mail — so there are no surprises when your piece arrives.
Ready to Choose Your Upholstery?
Order real swatches to see and feel before you buy, or talk to our team — we're happy to help you narrow it down.