How to Refinish Leather Chair & Ottoman
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My latest DIY project has been refinishing my leather chair and ottoman. It had become worn, faded, stained and had extremely cracked arms. Although I think some natural wear adds to the patina, I wanted to restore them to prevent further damage. After watching some You Tube videos I decided to give it a try myself, and although they didn’t turn out perfectly, I am happy with the transformation.
Supplies needed for leather chair & ottoman refinishing...
cleaner...
The first step is to thoroughly clean the leather to get rid of any grease, dust or dirt. I used the cleaner I’ve had for years, but you can get a similar one here.
filler..
If you have deep cracks or tears you will need a filler and a putty knife or something flexible to apply it on curved areas.
I used this Angelus filler with a folded piece of plastic shelf liner. (Sometimes you have to get creative.)
Dye..
The Canvello repair kit I used had leather recoloring balm, some disposable gloves, 2 foam applicators and a small paint brush for edges and fine detail areas.
Sealer...
Finally, you will need a sealer to protect the new dye. I used the Angelus Matte Acrylic Finisher you can get here.
Allow time to dry in between coats...
The filler dries quite quickly to touch, but it is important to apply in thin coats and allow to dry completely. You may want to give it a light sanding with a fine sandpaper in between coats too. It is important to allow time for drying in between the coats of dye and the finishing sealer too. Be careful not to touch it after applying the sealer until completely dry. (I made the mistake of leaning on the ottoman before it was dry and had to re-do the spot that stuck to my finger.
Apply leather dye evenly and get in all the grooves...
This was the most challenging part for me. I tried applying it in a circular motion and in straight lines, depending on the area. For the fine creases and piping around the arms the little paint brush came in handy. In the space between the cushion and the base I used foam paint rollers and jar lids to keep the surfaces from touching until they dried. I applied two coats of the dye with “touch-ups” in some areas until I had a consistent finish.
This project took four days for me to complete because I wanted to allow the extra time for drying. It isn’t perfect, but I am quite happy with the result.
You can watch the video below...
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