My furniture looks different to what I saw in the showroom. How can this be?

Furniture is viewed under a wide range of environmental conditions, and it is normal for the same piece to appear different from one setting to another. This is particularly true for products made from natural materials such as leather, timber, marble and travertine.

Natural variation

Many of our products feature genuine natural materials. Unlike synthetic alternatives, natural materials are inherently unique, with variations in colour, grain, texture, veining, markings and pattern occurring from piece to piece—even within the same production batch.

For example:

• Every leather hide has its own grain, pores and natural markings.
• Timber varies in grain direction, density, colour and figuring depending on the tree and where the timber is sourced.
• Marble and travertine develop naturally over thousands of years, resulting in unique veining, movement and tonal variation.

These characteristics are not defects—they are evidence of the authenticity of the material and mean no two pieces are ever identical.

Why lighting has such a big impact

The appearance of furniture is also influenced by its environment. Research in colour science and architectural lighting demonstrates that colour and texture are highly dependent on lighting conditions and surrounding finishes.

Factors that may influence appearance include:

• Colour temperature (Kelvin): Warm lighting (approximately 2700–3000K) enhances warm tones, while cooler lighting (4000–6500K) can make colours appear brighter, cooler or more neutral.
• Colour Rendering Index (CRI): Light sources with a higher CRI reproduce colours more accurately. Different light fittings can significantly change how leather, fabric and timber colours are perceived.
• Natural daylight: The amount and direction of daylight changes throughout the day and across seasons, meaning the appearance of your furniture will naturally change between morning, afternoon and evening.
• Light intensity (lux): Brighter environments reveal more detail, texture and grain, while softer lighting creates a different visual impression.
• Surrounding colours: Wall colours, flooring, rugs, curtains and neighbouring furnishings influence colour perception through reflected light and visual contrast.
• Viewing angle: Materials with texture or sheen—including leather, velvet, timber and stone—reflect light differently depending on the angle from which they are viewed.

For these reasons, the furniture displayed in our showrooms or online may not look exactly the same when placed in your home. This is an expected characteristic of both natural materials and the environments in which they are viewed.

Our showroom lighting is designed to present furniture as accurately as possible using professional commercial lighting. However, every home has its own unique combination of natural light, artificial lighting and interior finishes, which means some variation in appearance is both expected and unavoidable.

We provide information about the natural characteristics of our materials in-store, online and with your furniture care information upon delivery.

For more information about the characteristics and care of natural materials, please refer to our Cleaning & Care Guidelines.