Interior designers have a lot of challenges in taking normal, everyday spaces and turning them into something new and exciting. Everything in the room from top to bottom has to be both appealing and functional for an interior design to be truly successful.

This can make something as simple as choosing furniture to accentuate a room more challenging than one might think. Tables are an often-underappreciated design element that can make or break the aesthetic of a room.

To help make this underappreciated interior design asset stand out, some designers have started to use exotic leathers for tabletops. These leather-topped tables create a unique visual that most people haven’t seen before—a sure way to wow clients and their guests.

But not just any exotic leather will do for making tabletops. To really impress, the leather you use has to combine form and function into a cohesive whole. After all, while you want the tabletop to be attractive, it still has to function as an everyday use object.

This requires a skin that has a relatively level surface, is resistant to scratching/scuffing, and has a unique appearance to set it apart from the ordinary.

With this in mind, two of the best skins for making tabletops would have to be python skin and stingray skin.

Why Python Skin is Great for Tabletops

Python skin has many characteristics that make it ideal for making tabletops, including:

• Attractive scale patterns
• Large skin sizes
• Routinely available in Grade I quality
• Numerous dye options for matching designed décor
• Flexibility makes skins easy to work with

Each of these advantages makes python skin a great option for any designer who wants to make a unique and attractive table for their interior designs.

What Makes Stingray Skin Ideal for Tabletops

In many ways, stingray skin is the best material for a tabletop that’s going to see heavy use. Characteristics of stingray skin include:

• Incredible durability—stingray skin is covered in countless tiny calcium bubbles that resist scratching and scuffing
• Water resistance helps prevent staining from spills
• Unique eye-shaped mark makes great focal point in a design
• Plentiful supply from fishing surplus

Stingray skin is the perfect option for a tabletop that’s going to see a lot of practical use. These skins are so tough that they’ve been used in saddlebag designs for motorcycles—ones meant to scrape pavement during a steep turn without getting ripped up.

The surface of the skin is also pretty stable when stretched across a flat surface—the calcium bubbles are closely-spaced and regular in size. This allows objects placed on the tabletop to lay flat as normal.

Which One is Better?

The best option is the one that most compliments your overall design. However, if you know the table will be put to hard use, then stingray skin may be the better choice for long-term durability.

Whichever skin you choose, be sure to give the client some basic care tips to help them keep their new exotic skin tabletop looking like new for as long as possible.

Get more help for choosing the best exotic leather for your next interior design project today!