Leather and steel make up the soul of Jover+Valls collections.
Quality cannot be compromised when designing and crafting exclusive and long lasting bespoke furniture. JOVER+VALLS values of simplicity, comfort, exclusivity, innovation and craftsmanship are continuously present when selecting materials.
JOVER+VALLS home décor pieces combine metal and leather in a way that ensures durability and strength while keeping the original and pure look and feel of its components.
With the aim of creating customized furniture, clients can select from the multiple metal finishes, and the finest leather qualities and colors to create pieces that complement their home décor.
● Our saddle skins are derived from the highest quality cattle in the European food industry.
● We are able to achieve greater uniformity of the hide by selecting cows that are raised in fenced pastures, free of vegetation and wildlife that can cause damage to the skin.
● European cattle are governed by strict health regulations, eliminating insects and ticks, which cause marks on the skin. Although we try to select the most uniform skins, small inconsistencies may appear that are inherent to the animal.
● Cowhide is divided into three parts: the belly, the shoulder, and the butt. The belly is the abdomen of the animal, these pieces are small, stretchy, and most likely to have marks due its proximity to the ground. Belts are the most commonly produced leather goods from this part of the hide. The shoulder area usually has wrinkles, likely to appear more visible after tanning. Finally, the butt corresponds to the back neck of the animal. This area is the largest hide with fewer marks. Jover + Valls furniture is made using only this part of the hide. While it is the best part, we still take great care in our selection to ensure uniformity and hand pick size for each of our bespoke designs.
● Our skins have a minimum thickness of 3.5 mm, making it the thickest on the market. In the leather industry, the top layer is referred to as the grain and it is of higher quality because of its resilience. When the grain is thinner the bottom layer is used as suede, therefore, generating another material for the producer. A deeper processed layer results in the split that makes it more vulnerable and lower quality.
● Our skins are vegetable tanned. Unlike the usual andmore widespread tanning, vegetable tanning is free of chromium, which gives it a more sustainable nature and is environmentally friendly.
● Tanning is a time-honored craft practiced only in two regions of Spain, France and in Tuscany, Italy. Jover + Valls uses only hide that is made in Spain. Unlike the ones made in Italy, Spanish crafted skins are the least porous giving it a more natural look and making it softer to the touch.
● The tanning process is carried out in cylindrical wooden drums more than 13 feet high, the skins are carefully placed in the drums and spin for hours, having to pass through several different processes. The first, eliminates the layer of salt placed on the skin for conservation during transportation. It concurrently removes any hair remaining on the skin. The skin is then mixed with water and pine bark in order to neutralize it. Pigments from natural seed bark, oils or waxes are used for coloring the hide. The skins are hung for weeks in ventilated interiors, until the skin is completely dry. When drying in dark interiors, it allows for the skin to look supple and natural.
● The hides used in Jover + Valls furniture place the grain on both exterior sides. These two layers are reinforced via a specialized textile glue and mesh that gives it an additional reinforcement and anti-tear qualities.
● The loose edges of the skins are then finished with a intensive manual process of sanding, painting and polishing to the match the color and tone of the leather.
● Leather care and maintenance.
We recommend applying a layer of wax twice a year to keep the leather supple and stain-free. Beeswax is a great water and stain repellent. Make sure that any product used does not contain solvents or silicone. It can cause damage to the leather.
Untreated leather is particularly susceptible to dirt and scratches. To clean use a moist cotton or wool cloth to wipe it down.
If one chooses to replace the damaged leather or prefers another color from Jover + Valls, we will provide the necessary information for the replacement part.
Metals
JOVER+VALLS selects strong but malleable metals to allow innovative pieces.
Our steel contains a portion of carbon, which gives it sufficient flexibility to shape and mold, yet maintains its resilience and durability.
The rods and metal plates are cut exactly to fit each correspondent part. It goes through a process of turning and milling in high precision machines. It is the same technology used in sectors as diverse as luxury watchmaking, aeronautics and in the medical field .
The bend and curve is created in cold semi-automatic machines of high numerical control to ensure the uniformity between the different pieces.
We use mechanical means for our joints, brass fasteners with the logo of the brand, welding tig or mig according to the type of joint to be made. This welding presents greater resistance and uniformity in the fusion of the metal. The quality of the finish is appreciated more when it is imperceptible to the consumer.
The metal finishing process consists of three different procedures. The first is the manual polishing of the metal parts to reach the smooth layer of steel which results in a glossy satin finish. Afterwards, different dyes for the furniture will be made consisting of different liquid solutions to be applied as different coatings to the metal.
The process always begins with an initial layer of nickel or brass, depending on the color of the final finish (silver or gold). The piece is then placed again in containers filled with solutions for the chosen metal (gold, silver or copper). The final phase of the finishing is the application of a protective lacquer, also done by immersion. The finished result is a coating with approximately 50 microns, depending on the color.
Our metal finish has exceeded the maximum standards in tests against resistance and corrosion for interior furniture use in humid zones. Ref. UNE-EN ISO 12944-2
We recommend cleaning the metal parts of the furniture with a soft, lightly moistened cloth and a neutral soap. Then quickly dry with a soft cloth. We discourage the use of aggressive cleaning products (acids, lye, solvents, disinfectants, etc...) and abrasives (scourer, wire brushes, etc...) Using these products and cleaning agents dulls the brilliance of the coatings in an accelerated way and may even cause corrosion.
