Cologne - Moving on from traditional armchairs and sofas, designers are now using leather to cover furniture previously not associated with the material.

At the Cologne International Furnishing Show, held each year in late January, cutting-edge creations included a leather-fronted cabinet and leather-bordered beds.

"And a lot more is coming, too," predicted Ursula Geismann, a member of the German Furniture Industry Association.

Geismann said she expected the next trend would be for other kinds of free-standing furniture, such as chests of drawers, would also be dressed in leather in future.

Consumer demand for natural materials is one reason for leather's growing popularity, she said. Another is the significant drop in prices due to decreased demand by carmakers hit by the global economic crisis.

"Consequently, furniture manufacturers are venturing to experiment and play more with leather," Geismann remarked. She said that unusual combinations were also popular, for example soft leather together with shiny patent leather. (dpa)