Hell for leather: Studioart

Studioart’s luxurious leather wall coverings offer visual as well as haptic appeal, wrapping rooms in architectural clothes that are like pieces of furniture in their own right.

By Studioart Leather Interiors and Harriet Thorpe for

Studioart Leather Interiors

May 6, 2021 | 10:00 pm CUT

The Quadrato design from Studioart’s Leatherwall collection brings sartorial allure to space with padded square leather tiles

There’s something innately luxurious about leather walls; think padded karaoke booths, sumptuous hotel lifts, a studded nightclub door or a cosy office phone booth. As well as being comforting, atmospheric and decorative, leather walls have practical qualities too. This year, Italian leather brand Studioart brings flexibility and durability to leather with the new 2021 collection featuring more textures and colours than ever before, and a special range that can be wiped clean with disinfectant whilst still maintaining its luxurious look and feel.

Founded by Nadia and Gianfranco Dalle Mese in 2006, interior leather experts Studioart combine traditional knowledge with technology at its family-owned tannery, which also counts luxury fashion brands as clients. Historic know-how has evolved with industrialised production processes that guarantee higher levels of sustainability. It is this technical innovation combined with the creativity, refinement and pioneering spirit that have been the key to Studioart’s continued success.

Pictured here, the Pattern 6 design in the deep and warm ’Natural Cuoio’ colour, which combines rectangular and square tiles to create a geometric pattern

Though rooted in traditional craft, Studioart’s broad range of products allows designers to use leather in a myriad of creative and contemporary ways. Product lines range from leather hides for upholstery to bespoke leather wall designs and leather panels. For 2021, these are now available in a wide range of different colour options, across 40 different leather collections. New treatments include matt, velour, metals, and sparkling; while new colours include more natural shades, as well as brighter shades for eye-catching and uplifting interiors.

Studioart’s new range of leather collections for 2021 include new colours, textures and functions, giving designers more freedom for creativity than ever before

While designers might see leather as a more classic finish, Studioart’s signature Leatherwall collection of leather wall coverings shows how it can be eclectic too. This collection offers bespoke designs of flat, padded tiles in curved and geometric formations. Ideal for making decorative feature walls come alive with texture, pattern, tailor-made stitching and intriguing layouts, the Leatherwall collection encourages reflection of light and new experiences of space. For example, the Mosaico collection of small leather tiles enriches walls with elegant chiaroscuro effects, whereas the larger tiles of Pattern 6 are ideal for lovers of natural leather to appreciate the beauty of vintage or naked leathers.

As we slowly return to public and commercial spaces, many clients are seeking beautiful material effects to uplift and elevate interiors. Leather-lined office cubicles and restaurant booths feel like the ultimate luxury, but this doesn’t mean impracticality. Studioart products bring useful functions, including acoustic and durable qualities. The Pezzara padded tiles have extremely high sound absorption properties, ideal for open plan spaces or busy rooms filled with noise, while the new 2021 City leather collection has been tested against industry-wide sanitisers, so even after monthly cleaning, the leather still maintains its original look and feel.

The Mosaico design (top) features small leather tiles with graduating shading patterns, while the Ryder design (bottom) recalls the dynamism of racing cars with varying textures and finished metal inserts

Today, comfort and wellbeing is a key function for space too. Leather has the ability to connect humans to interiors through its naturally soft and tactile properties. Studioart’s products offer plenty of opportunity for designers to combine different types of leathers to create a visibly tactile effect. DUO, designed by Massimo Brancati, is realised with two layers of different leathers, matt and suede, with cut-outs in triangular geometries revealing the contrasting effects. While the Ryder, designed by Grove Studio combines matt and velour leathers, spaced out with metal inserts, for a refined, accented effect.

Texturised leathers add captivating three-dimensional effects to walls, seen here with the Rettangolo design (top) and DUO design (bottom)

Combining traditional craft and contemporary spirit, and decorative pizazz with functionality, these leather collections challenge the stereotypes of the material, emancipating it through flexibility and versatility. The company offers designers the option to design, curate and customise tile sizes and combinations, as well as installation services and fast delivery options too. So, with Studioart, luxurious leather interiors no longer have to feel out of anyone’s league.