How we measure sheepskins and cowhides

Every hide and every sheepskin has its own natural shape, so a size is only useful if you know how it was measured. We measure by hand, laid flat and without stretching, and we do it the same way every time.

Sheepskins

We measure on the wool side, with the wool lying flat, diagonally from the head to the tip of the longest leg, and round to the nearest 5 cm. The size you see on a pictured sheepskin is the size of that exact skin. For stock sheepskins, you choose a size and we hand-pick a skin in that size for you.

Cowhides

We measure from the top of the hide to the tip of the longest leg, and across the widest point, and round to the nearest 10 cm. Most of our cowhides are about 200 to 240 cm long, and every hide’s own size is on its page.

Why the shape matters

A hide is not a rectangle. The legs and the curve of the outline mean it covers a little less floor than its length and width suggest, which is part of its charm: it softens the lines of a room. The photos show the shape of each pictured piece exactly.

Planning your space

Not sure which size will fit? Our guide to choosing the right cowhide size goes room by room, and the sheepskin guide does the same for chairs, benches and floors.