Leather restoration & textile care

Manufacturers from the 1960s to the 1990s used leathers unlike today's bonded leather.

• The Ligne Roset Togo is covered in Pampas leather, a soft, mass-dyed full grain that patinates without flaking.
• The Cassina LC2 and LC3 use aniline leather, dyed right through with no surface pigment: the colour evolves, but the grain stays intact.
• The Soriana and the Bambole use aniline or semi-aniline leathers from the same family.
• Early Camaleondas have an oiled leather, rich in natural oils, with a distinctive feel.

Cleanly tanned, these leathers can be fed and will last thirty to fifty years, whereas bonded leather flakes within five to ten years and can't be repaired. So restoring a Togo or an LC2 makes sense; a bonded-leather sofa gets replaced.

• A hole or tear under 2 cm in a low-stress area is filled, then given a pigment retouch. A longer but localised tear needs a graft from the same edition, stitched under the edge. Beyond 10 cm, on leather that's too dry or in a very visible spot, it takes a full recover by a Togo specialist upholsterer from our network.
• We keep even sun fading, which many collectors prefer, and re-ink patchy fading in thin coats without masking the grain.
• Dry, cracked leather is rehydrated with Renapur over several days, then treated with Saphir Médaille d'Or wax. If the cracking has cut deep into the grain, it's time for a recover.
• On a Togo with tired foam, the Ligne Roset multi-density foam is what makes the seat, so we never swap it for standard foam. On an LC2, strap and cushion are independent of the frame, which makes the fix simpler.

We decide from photos first, then by touch in the workshop.

1. We inspect the inner structure, the straps or shell, the foam and the leather (softness, grain, tone), and photograph every defect before any work.
2. A modular piece (Camaleonda, some LC2s) is taken apart and each module treated separately.
3. Then we choose: a localised retouch takes a few hours and keeps the original leather; a recover takes several days, but gives you a seat for another twenty years.
4. We test the seating and stitching: at the slightest give, the piece goes back to the workshop.
5. The piece is covered against hidden defects for 12 months from delivery.

We also buy back damaged signature sofas: a Togo with torn leather, a Soriana needing a recover, an LC2 with a failed strap. As long as the structure and base fabric are sound, the piece keeps its value.

Send us photos through the resale form: the assessment is free, within 72 hours. You can also browse Ligne Roset pieces or read our second-life approach.

Here's what we use in the workshop.

• For smooth leathers like the Togo's Pampas, apply Sappo Saphir every six months with a soft cloth, in very thin coats.
• On aniline leathers such as an LC2 or a Soriana, use Saphir cleansing milk, then Médaille d'Or wax.
• Keep Renapur for very dry vintage leathers, and patch-test it first on a hidden spot, because it can darken a light leather.
• Togo fabrics (Alcantara, jute, linen, microfibres) clean up with real hard Marseille soap diluted in lukewarm water; dab, never rub.
• For water rings on natural fibres, use white vinegar, 1 part to 4 parts water, then let it air-dry.

Avoid solvents, ammonia wipes, hard brushes, prolonged direct sun and a nearby radiator or stove.