Sustainability is a term that we are all familiar with these days, but for us it's always been old fashioned values - you buy once and well. You may have heard us say we only sell what we love - and that's because we are keen to make sure the sofas we offer to our customers will be right for their family, and built to last. This of course means that we pay extra attention to how they are built, what they are made of to ensure they are a long term family member rather than a flash in the pan.

Here are a few ways we design and select our products carefully to ensure they stand the test of time: 

 

1. Harris Tweed - A Sustainable, Practical and Beautiful Choice

As you may already know, we are specialists in Harris Tweed Sofas. What’s the reason for our love of Harris Tweed? Well Harris Tweed has so many incredible benefits, made from 100% wool, it’s a completely natural, sustainable product that is naturally fire resistant. Handwoven by Islanders on the Outer Hebrides, we’re proud to be supporting the makers of this artisan product, helping to ensure the skills continue generation to generation. On a practical note, Harris Tweed is breathable and water-resistant -  cool in summer, warm in winter and incredibly soft to touch. And finally, it’s a classic look that won’t date - smart and sophisticated, whether it’s for your country bolthole, or city pad. 

 

2. Aniline Leather - Buttery Soft, Wearing In Not Out 

We are known for our love of aniline leather but what makes this leather so special? The highest quality leather, aniline is the most natural, soft and gracefully supple of all leather types. 

Quality leather is an exquisite durable material that will offer countless years of comfort with a long-lasting sophisticated aesthetic. With minimal processing, aniline hides proudly display their history and develop a natural patina and character over time. Much like a fingerprint each piece is unique. Because it is a natural product without chemical and plastic coatings, it allows the heat from the body to be absorbed into the leather - this is the sign of a top quality aniline – it feels natural – and you can tell the difference immediately. And the leather itself is a material which would otherwise go to waste, a by-product of the food industry, so it makes sense to use this product for a lasting, useful, celebrated place in your home rather than waste it. 

 

 

3. Hotel Quality Velvet - what does that mean? 

Soft, tactile, and wonderfully decadent, it’s almost impossible to resist. A great way to add warmth, color and a touch of timeless style to your living room, velvet sofas and armchairs can look great in all types of interiors.  Velvet brings a naturally rich tone to the color of its upholstery, making it ideal for those who want to add a bright and bold feature to their interior.  

Velvet is also surprisingly durable. This is because unlike many other types of fabric, velvet doesn’t have a raised weave or loose threads. The resulting flat pile is resistant to snagging and is easy to clean, making it ideal for those who want a sofa that’s resilient to daily wear and tear.

It’s also a lot easier to remove pet hair from velvet sofas compared to other fabric sofas. This is because pet hair won’t get caught in the flat pile of the fabric, so it can be vacuumed out quickly and thoroughly. 

Velvet is also one of those timeless fabrics that never really goes out of style. We tend to stock velvets with extra high rub count too so they are designed to be very durable, meaning you really are buying something built to last. 

4. Sustainably Sourced Wood

Our solid wood sofa frames come from sustainable woodland to ensure that we are doing our bit to protect the environment for future generations. 

 

5. Supporting the best of British Manufacturing

You don’t have to go far to find a fantastic sofa, made by expert craftsman here in the UK. Most of our manufacturers are on the doorstep, second and third generation artisan makers and we’re proud to support the British economy and our heritage, as well as reducing the carbon footprint. 

 

6. Working with Makers Who Look to the Future 

One of our manufactures has just won the coveted FSC® Furniture Award as a sustainable furniture champion. The award celebrates sustainability of materials and the commitment makers have to our lives and those of our forests too. We are so proud to work with them, as they are contributing to the conservation of the world forests, putting the environment first in their business and helping us as retailers, provide sustainable solutions for our customers. 

 

7. We’re Electric for local deliveries 

Vintage Sofa is proud to have purchased our first Electric Van for local deliveries. If you are based near our showroom you’ll see us using our new Electric van to deliver your sofas. 

 

8. Small changes make a difference too 

Not every change we make to be more environmentally conscious needs to be huge. We’ve made some small changes recently too - bringing in reusable coffee cups, soap bars rather than liquid to cut the plastic consumption, and paper wrapped loo rolls.  You might also find our accessories back using our cardboard packaging as we repurpose our packaging where possible…