THE ART OF PARCHMENT, VELLUM, & LEATHER: CRAFTING BEAUTY FROM NATURAL MATERIALS
Parchment, vellum, and leather are time-honored materials with a distinctive place in craft and design. Their warmth, texture, and natural variations bring depth and character to contemporary interiors, while their long history in bookbinding and manuscript making gives them a quality that feels both enduring and familiar.
Both made from animal skins, parchment and vellum are closely related materials that go through a process of cleaning, stretching, and drying under tension rather than tanning. This gives them their characteristic strength, smoothness, and taut surface. Calfskin was particularly prized for its fine texture and became associated with vellum, while sheepskin was widely used for parchment. Goatskin has been used for both and may be described as either depending on the tradition, geography, and historical context.
The distinction from leather is primarily in how the skin is prepared. Leather is tanned, a process that makes the skin more flexible and resistant to moisture, while parchment and vellum retain the natural structure of the skin through the stretching and drying process. The result is a material that can be smooth yet tactile, taut yet flexible, and subtly translucent. Each skin is unique, with variations in tone, grain, markings, and translucency that reveal the character of the material.
Parchment, vellum, and leather offer a remarkable range of possibilities in interiors, from furniture and lighting to architectural elements, room screens, objects, sculpture, and fine art. Whether used across panels or shaped into three-dimensional forms, they create surfaces that feel both refined and distinctly modern by catching and diffusing light, softening a space, or commanding attention as a focal point.
The subtle translucency of parchment and vellum can give screens and panels a soft, luminous quality, while their natural texture adds depth to furniture, walls, and architectural details. Leather offers a different expression of the same natural material, bringing richness and tactility to both traditional and contemporary forms.
1. Fine art parchment offset square pattern by Sarah Pringle. Photo by John Polak Photography.
2. Illuminated lambskin parchment accent lamp by Sarah Pringle. Photo by John Polak Photography.
Working with these materials requires a close understanding of how they behave. SuperStrata artisan Sarah Pringle has spent more than 35 years working with parchment, vellum, and leather, beginning her career as a hand bookbinder before moving into custom furniture and architectural elements for the interior design trade.
For Sarah, the natural characteristics of these materials are part of what makes them so interesting to work with. For example, parchment and vellum respond to changes in moisture and tension, and their movement needs to be considered throughout the making process. Rather than trying to eliminate these qualities, she designs with the material in mind, allowing its tension, translucency, and individuality to influence the finished piece.
“When I’m experimenting with new materials or surface treatments I keep in mind what the materials need to sustain the integrity of the object. Incorporating contemporary materials or use of uncommon objects is the risk and reward of a contemporary artisan. I believe if you strive for integrity in materials, the longer you’ve been at it, the better your best guesses tend to be.” —Sarah Pringle
1. Fish parchment cylinder sculpture by Sarah Pringle. Photo by John Polak Photography.
2. Gilded fish parchment cylinder sculpture by Sarah Pringle. Photo by John Polak Photography.
The result is work that feels refined without losing the character of the material. The craftsmanship remains visible, while the natural variations in each skin help make every piece distinctive. Sarah continuously explores the boundaries of what can be created with these materials, such as crafting a fine art sculpture from fish parchment and 22K moon gold leaf.
From a softly glowing lamp to a sculptural object or a finely finished piece of furniture, it is easy to visualize how parchment, vellum, and leather lend interiors a distinctive combination of texture, light, and warmth, enhanced by the natural variations of materials shaped by hand.
When you work with SuperStrata you gain decades of experience designing and consulting on residential and commercial projects alongside deep knowledge of artisan finishes and the expertise of our skilled craftspeople, all brought together to transform your vision into something exceptional.
