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Guide to Choosing a Leather Bed for Style and Comfort

Leather is a material known for its sophisticated, luxurious appearance and feel. For those who truly love leather and need it in their homes, the biggest and fanciest option is a leather bed.

Leather beds are not whole beds, but bed frames, upholstered partially or entirely with either real or faux leather material. Leather-upholstered beds are resistant to damage, especially stains, in a way that other fabric-upholstered frames are not.

Let’s explore more about what to look for and what might work for you best.

 

What is a Leather Bed?

A leather bed is a bed frame either accented or totally upholstered with leather material. Leather beds are a luxurious choice for home decor, but they’re also long-lasting and durable. Leather beds make a unique addition to any bedroom and can be a bold addition to almost any home decor style. These beds are available in different silhouettes and shades to accommodate any taste, but they can also be styled to fit in with an existing theme; they can be soft and feminine or rugged and masculine.

Black Leather Bed - Liberty Leather Goods

Black Leather Bed

What to Look for In a Leather Bed

 

Size

The size of a leather bed will determine its price, with the smallest available size (single or twin beds) costing significantly less than larger sizes. Keep in mind that because a bed is a large piece of furniture, the price will increase accordingly with the bed’s size. The size of the bed frame determines the size of the mattress and vice versa; if you already own a mattress, your leather bed will need to match the mattress’s size. It’s also important to keep room size in mind when purchasing a leather bed – while a bigger bed feels luxurious, a bed that’s too large for a room becomes cumbersome and inconvenient.

 

Material

Because beds don’t leave their rooms (unless you’re moving, of course), weather resistance isn’t a factor when choosing between faux or real leather beds. The factor determining the choice for most buyers is the price – faux leather beds are significantly less expensive than real leather beds, with an average difference of about $200-$500. If you’re on a budget, choosing faux leather will give you the look and durability of a leather bed without the inflated price tag of genuine leather.

 

Color

The shade of leather for your new bed is almost as important as its size and price. Most genuine leather beds will be available in black and natural brown shades, while faux leather will likely be available in shades unachievable with real leather. If you’re hoping for your bed to be a statement piece, choosing an unconventional faux leather shade is a great option. If you’re looking for a natural, rich brown, there’s no substitute for genuine leather.

 

Beige Quilted Leather Bed Headboard - Liberty Leather Goods

Beige Quilted Leather Bed Headboard

Types of Leather Beds

 

Faux Leather Bed

Faux leather beds are made from faux leather, a plastic product, rather than real leather. Many choose faux leather goods because they are vegan, vegetarian, or just want to avoid using animal products. Others might choose faux leather for its lower price point or wider selection of colors and finishes. Despite being plastic, faux leather is almost as resistant to damage as real leather.

 

Modern Leather Bed

Modern bed frame styles like midcentury and platform beds are elevated and made even more modern by leather upholstery. A modern silhouette in a modern fabric is a minimalist’s dream and creates an opportunity for completely customized decoration in the home.

 

Tufted Leather Bed

Tufted bed frames are extremely popular because of their luxurious, high-end look. Typically, these frames include a leather-upholstered frame and a tufted headboard. Tufting is an upholstery technique that involves the placing of anchored points in a pattern to create a raised pattern. Tufted leather headboards may include button detail or simple, sewn tufts.

 

Genuine Leather Bed

A genuine leather bed uses high-quality real leather to upholster a bed frame. This type of frame is typically quite expensive due to the material used, but will also last a lifetime thanks to genuine leather’s rugged damage resistance. Genuine leather looks beautiful and high-end while also serving as a highly protective surface for an expensive bed frame.

 

Modern Leather Bed Frame - Liberty Leather Goods

Modern Leather Bed Frame

Woven Leather Bed

An unconventional choice, woven leather involves weaving strips of finished leather to create a pattern. Woven leather beds usually feature only a woven headboard, which lends a quirky bohemian vibe to the decor in the room they’re in.

Leather beds are long-lasting and durable.

 

Leather Upholstered Platform Bed

One of the most modern silhouettes available, platform beds opt for a solid platform base rather than legs to raise the mattress off the floor. Leather upholstered platform beds are ultra-modern and extremely protective – since the bed frame itself touches the floor, choosing leather guarantees that scratches, stains, and other damage will be a nonissue.

 

High Back Leather Bed

High-back leather beds are modern and cosmopolitan, bringing to mind the luxurious high-back beds found in many palaces and estates in history. Today’s high-back beds are often quite modern, with tall tufted or quilted leather headboards for the ultimate bedroom statement piece.

 

Quilted Leather Bed

Similar to tufted leather, quilted leather creates raised, stuffed pockets by sewing fabric into squares or other shapes for a textured effect. Quilting is most often only done on headboards, but some high-end leather beds may be entirely quilted for a luxurious effect.

 

Leather Bed Components

 

Leather Bed Frame

A leather bed frame is a bed frame that is entirely or partially upholstered with leather. Some leather bed frames may only use leather as an accent for an understated, protective decoration, while others may be entirely upholstered in leather for a high-end feel.

Leather bed frames are more expensive than non upholstered bed frames, or those upholstered in more traditional fabrics. With an elevated price, though, comes much more protection and long-lasting style. Leather’s damage resistance means that a leather bed frame is an investment piece, intended to last a lifetime.

 

Contemporary Tan Leather Bed set - Liberty Leather Goods

Contemporary Tan Leather Bed set

Leather Bed Frame Queen

Over half of adult Americans sleep on queen-sized beds, making the most common bed size in the country. Queen beds provide more than enough room for couples while still taking up only a fraction of most bedrooms. Leather queen beds are a great choice for couples who are looking for a grown-up, sophisticated addition to their bedrooms.

 

Leather Bed Frame King

King beds are the largest bed size widely available (though there are bigger sizes available from some specialty and luxury retailers). At just over 6 feet wide, King beds provide the same mattress space as two single beds – plenty for a couple who both need their space to sleep. King-size leather beds are quite expensive, but offer an impressive focal point for couples who want their bedrooms to be a luxurious retreat.

 

White Faux Leather Bed Frame

Faux leather is a practical, inexpensive option for leather bed frames. Another bonus for faux leather is that it’s more widely available in bright, bold, or unconventional colors. In white, faux leather is easy to clean and looks bright and mature.

 

Modern Leather Bed Frame

Modern silhouettes mesh well with leather in home decor, especially bed frames. Modern leather bed frames are often platform beds or midcentury-inspired styles, with either full leather upholstery or an upholstered headboard.

 

Black Faux Leather Bed Frame

Black faux leather is a great choice for very modern bedrooms. Faux leather is easy to clean and dust and works well with almost any decor style. Faux leather is available in many finishes, allowing a black faux leather bed frame to serve as a bold centerpiece for a sophisticated bedroom.

 

Real Leather Bed Frame

For those who need a truly long-lasting bed frame, real leather is the way to go. A real leather bed frame will resist scratches, bumps, and stains while also being easy to clean and looking luxurious. A real leather bed frame is an investment due to its high price, but if it’s treated well, it’ll last a lifetime.

 

Leather Bed Headboard

Many leather-upholstered beds will only include leather on the headboard. This keeps costs down while still retaining the beautiful look of a leather bed.

Build your own Leather Headboard using the tutorial below.

Leather Back Bed Design

Leather-back, or leather headboard, beds have a leather-upholstered headboard and a wood or metal frame. A frame with a leather headboard can allow consumers to find leather beds that still match the rest of their furniture for a cohesive look while also benefiting from the sophisticated look of a leather headboard. These beds often cost far less than those entirely upholstered in leather, making them a great option for buyers on a budget. Leather headboards can also often be used with basic bed frames, allowing shoppers to switch headboards if they change their bedroom’s decor.

 

Faux Leather Upholstered Headboard

Choosing a faux leather-upholstered headboard is a cost-effective way to integrate leather-look furniture into your bedroom decor. Faux leather is a great alternative for home decor, especially headboards, which see significantly less wear than furniture like couches or chairs.

Choosing a faux leather-upholstered headboard is a cost-effective way to integrate leather-look furniture into your bedroom decor.

 

Popular Leather Bed Colors

Brown Leather Bed

Brown is a classic choice for leather, especially genuine leather. Brown leather works with almost any type of furniture and wall shade or pattern, making it a universally appealing choice for a leather bed. Brown faux leather feels very modern and high-fashion, while brown genuine leather feels vintage, warm, and expensive.

Because brown leather can be found in an enormous array of shades, it works with almost any style. Lighter, more natural browns are perfect for those who favor a more natural, earthy, bohemian style. Midtone browns are universally appealing and unexpectedly perfect with unconventional furniture for a vintage touch. Deep browns are ideal for ultra-modern decor, especially with stark black or white furniture.

 

Cognac Leather Bed

Cognac is a rich, warm tan shade of leather. It’s prized by many because of the way it ages: its amber tone deepens with age, developing a beautiful, unique patina. A cognac leather bed is sophisticated yet light, perfect with equally rich wood tones, and especially beautiful when its warmth is offset in a cool-toned room.

 

Gray Leather Bed

Gray leather is unexpected and moody, a lighter alternative to bold black. Gray is also extremely versatile – it can be made even moodier with dark wood furniture and deep, complex jewel-toned walls, or breezy and serene with warm, inviting walls and lighter-toned furniture.

 

Best Leather Bed

Leather Bed Description Cost
Vintage-inspired genuine leather luxury – Pottery Barn Raleigh Wingback Leather Bed This bed frame from Pottery Barn is upholstered in genuine leather, inspired by vintage wingback chairs with nailhead detail. Customizable with two different types of nailheads, a huge range of leather tones, and available in four sizes, this bed’s price reflects its quality and guaranteed longevity.

 

$2800
Leather detail and a classic silhouette – Liberty Furniture Avalon Platform Bed with Storage Leather is a seriously rugged material, but many still prefer wood furniture. This bed offers a beautiful combination of solid wood and leather detail, with a stuffed leather headboard for soft, comfortable luxury detail. The bed combines modern styles like platform and storage beds with classic silhouettes for a super practical investment piece. The retailer also offers the headboard for purchase separately for those who just want to switch up their current bedroom decor. $792-$948
Cozy minimalism in faux leather – Rove Concepts Mikkel Bed Scandinavian style combines simplicity and comfort for a super stylish, unique silhouette with the Mikkel bed. The frame itself is wood, and the bed’s headboard is a simple plush, pillowy cushion. Customizable in two wood tones and 6 other fabrics, the bed can be purchased with a beautiful cream faux leather headboard for a truly modern, unique look. $1886

 

Helpful Insights

 

How do you put a leather bed frame together?

Putting a leather bed frame together hinges on its source and construction. Some budget leather beds will be self-assembled and come with instructions, but leather beds from higher-end retailers will often be delivered and installed by professionals.

Want to Build your own Luxury Leather Bed Frame and Headboard? Follow this tutorial below.

How do you clean leather beds?

Because leather is resistant to stains, damage, and water, cleaning a leather bed is as easy as wiping the leather with a soft cloth dampened with water. If the bed is made from genuine leather, it may be a good idea to very occasionally condition the material with a non-greasy leather conditioner.

 

Where to Buy a Leather Bed

 

Crate And Barrel

Crate and Barrel’s leather beds are some of the most affordable on this list, coming in at around $1500 on average. They tend toward midcentury and modern styles, including one style with an ultra-cool woven leather headboard!

 

Ethan Allen Furniture

Ethan Allen’s leather upholstered beds are by far the simplest and most practical. Their selection is quite large and their prices are reasonable, with most priced around $1500-$2000.

Restoration Hardware

Restoration Hardware’s leather bed collection has a bit of everything, from vintage-inspired tufted styles to sleek modern pieces. Their pricing is high-end, with an average price of around $3000-$4000 for genuine leather, fully-upholstered bed frames.

 

Brown Leather Bed - Liberty Leather Goods

Brown Leather Bed

West Elm

West Elm is known for midcentury and minimalist pieces at mid-range to high-end prices, with genuine leather beds priced around $2000.

 

Williams Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma offers lots of simple, classic styles at luxury prices. Their leather beds start at around $3000, with their most expensive style priced around $13000.

 

Arhaus Leather Beds

Arhaus’ leather beds are robust and fully upholstered in high-quality leather. Their prices are quite high, with an average of around $5500.

 

Wyller Leather Beds

Wyller bed is almost sculptural. It echoes modern art with its thick lines and unconventional construction. At around $5000, it’s a high-end statement piece that will last a lifetime.

 

Curator Leather Beds

CB2’s Curator leather bed is simple, sleek, and surprisingly affordable. Its design is both modern and vintage, reminiscent of a turn-of-the-century explorer’s makeshift bed made for the modern day. At around $2000, the buffalo leather-wrapped bed frame is a unique, understated centerpiece for a sophisticated modern bedroom.

 

Other popular online stores/sellers

Priced on the high end, Pottery Barn’s leather beds are made with the vintage and bohemian style lover in mind. Rove Concepts’

 

 

Leather bed frames seem impractical, but they’re a great choice for anyone looking for a unique addition to their bedroom. Leather-upholstered beds are sophisticated and versatile, able to be matched with any style and color scheme.

Though they tend to be much more expensive than other types of bed frames, leather beds should be considered an investment piece. A quality bed frame, especially one made from a warm, beautiful material like leather, will last a lifetime and serve as a reflection of your excellent taste.

If you’re interested in leather accessories for the home, click here for my article about leather anniversary gifts, or here for my guide to leather drawer pulls.

 

Related Topics

 

Are leather beds good?

They’re an excellent choice for those who want a little extra glam in their bedroom decor. Leather is damage-resistant and long-lasting, so a leather upholstered bed is a great choice for those who want a unique, beautiful piece for their bedroom.

 

Are faux leather beds good?

Faux leather is just as good and genuine leather, especially when it comes to beds. Because beds aren’t used in the same way as couches and chairs, faux leather bed frames won’t crack or break down from regular use.

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