Leather Bike Collection by Coco Republic

A serendipitous Instagram hashtag led me to a mysterious post showing the prettiest bike I think I've ever seen. But it took some more internet-sleuthing to trace this stunning leather bike collection by Australia's Coco Republic.

Of course, Coco Republic is not a bicycle manufacturer. (In general, the bike industry is heavily influenced by road cycling and mountain biking. Everyday transportation biking is often treated as an after-thought and doesn't get a whole lot of design love.)

Rather, Coco Republic is a furniture and interior design firm. They live and breathe beautiful, functional design. Their taste level is sky high.

And the designers behind the label are exquisitely aware that bicycles are no longer relegated to the non-existent garages of city-dwellers.

Bikes are taking their (rightful) place inside of our homes. So why not turn a bike into a beautiful piece of mobile furniture?

[The bikes] are made of high grade aluminum frames but are upholstered beautifully by hand, in stunning tan Argentinian leather.

Sadly:

This limited edition range is only available in Australia for a short time and is almost sold out

Look at the beautiful molded leather on the chain-guard. Notice the way the stitching along the tubes creates a delicate little motif. The thread reminds us that the work is made by hand, by a skilled artisan.

This sort of attention to detail is so inspiring to me. Even the mini leather pannier and hand pump match the rest of the bike. Who wouldn't want to give pride of place to a bike this beautiful?