HERE’S THE THING WITH LEATHER: It stains. That’s hard for many people, because unlike oak or brass, the patina can’t be sanded off or polished away. Vegetable-tanned leather is actually petal pink in its original state, but with the oils and oxidation of touch and air, it mellows from light tan to deep chestnut. Along the way, it acquires the stains and blotches that make it deeply imperfect and perfectly satisfying. Best of all, it is also wholly practical, used originally (and still today) for riding tack. When you consider that a Birken bag is the direct descendant of an Hermes saddle, a leather Mogensen chair or a Kjaerholm daybed takes on new meaning—the ultimate intersection of utility and luxury. 📷 @chucandy @patina.modern