No.10 | When Perfect Doesn't Arrive

The Invisible Layer Series No.10 | July 2026

A note from Jacqui

Sourcing requires far more than assessing the aesthetic qualities of an item.

Every material and item has its own characteristics, acceptable tolerances and behaviours. Part of our role is understanding those before anything is specified, and knowing what to do for the best outcome while managing the risk that an item may arrive differently from what was expected.

This is where our professional judgement comes into play.

Warm regards,
Jacqui

The Invisible Layer Series No.10

We sourced twelve leather dining chairs for our client from a long-established and respected furniture manufacturer. Produced in Italy and transported to Australia by sea, six arrived with markings to the leather surface that had developed in transit. The damage was superficial and aesthetic, with no impact on the structure or framework of the chairs.

Indentation visible on leather after delivery.

Leather is a natural material, so some variation in colour, finish and behaviour is expected, and certain surface changes will settle after installation. After inspecting the full set, we determined that these markings fell outside the acceptable tolerance for a new product.

Typically, we would seek replacement of an item damaged in transit. In this instance, replacement would have required a further six months for production and transport, while leather from another tanning batch may not have matched the original set exactly.

We engaged our leather specialist to assess the affected chairs and determine whether they could be restored to the condition expected of a new product. Several were treated within the home, while the two with indentations required more extensive work under controlled conditions before being returned to our client.

Our client had invested in a new set of dining chairs and was entitled to receive them in new condition.

The decision to restore rather than replace them corrected the surface damage, maintained consistency across the set and avoided a further six-month delay.

Every project involves hundreds of decisions shaped by materials, manufacturing methods and acceptable tolerances, with these chairs providing just one example of the judgement required.