How to Paint a Leather Chair and Get Excellent Results

August 9, 2023

Can You Paint a Leather Chair?

You might have an aging leather chair that is faded or discolored but in otherwise good condition. The chair has become an eyesore, and something needs to be done. To replace it would be expensive and having it professionally refinished or reupholstered would be expensive too. However, you might be thinking of doing the job yourself with leather paint as it offers an economical option. Can you paint a leather chair, you wonder, and if so, what’s the procedure? Look no further; in this article we will describe how to paint a leather chair.

Make Repairs to the Leather

Before painting the leather, you should first repair holes, tears, burns. This is a job you can do yourself with a leather repair kit. These kits contain patches, adhesives and sometimes heating tools to get the job done. As we are discussing how to paint a leather chair, we won’t go into depth with the aspect of making repairs. By simply searching online for leather repair kits you will find a number of products and reviews which will help you make a choice that works best for you.

Painted with ColorBond LVP

Prepare the Surface for Painting

Properly preparing the surface for leather paint is the key to a long-lasting result. After repairs are made, the leather needs to be cleaned to remove dust, dirt, stuck on debris, and skin oil so the leather paint has a surface to which it can strongly adhere. ColorBond Prep Cleaner is specifically designed for this task. Prep Cleaner is a liquid non solvent, aqueous-based cleaner that is applied with a cloth. It thoroughly removes contaminants and doesn’t leave a residue that can interfere with paint adhesion.

Apply ColorBond prep cleaner with a clean, tack free cloth.
Remove excess cleaner.
Allow to dry – usually takes 5 minutes time.

Keep in mind, while detergents and saddle soap can clean the leather well, they can leave residue that can interfere with paint adhesion. An alternative to Prep Cleaner is scrubbing the leather with a cloth soaked in a 50-50 rubbing alcohol and water mix, which also doesn’t leave a residue.

Restored with ColorBond Paint

With What Coating Can You Paint a Leather Chair?

A big part of how to paint a leather chair and get great results is choosing the proper paint. Our customers have asked “can you paint a leather chair with standard acrylic paint?” and the answer is no, the paint used must be specifically designed for leather. That is; a paint that bonds strongly and is flexible so it doesn’t crack or peel when the leather is flexed. As well, it should remain adhered to the painted surface and not come off on skin and clothes. Another important quality is that it presents an attractive appearance and looks natural. Shiny paint on leather looks cheap and will make it apparent that the leather was painted.

ColorBond LVP is designed for painting leather, vinyl and hard plastic and provides a high-quality look and sheen that appears like the original leather finish. It dries to the touch in 45 seconds and forms a molecular bond within 10 minutes. The paint won’t flake, crack or peel and is durable while still allowing the original leather grain texture to show through. LVP Refinisher offers a far more economical alternative to replacing the chair or having it professionally refinished.

The paint application with ColorBond LVP is straight forward and easy. Apply a light mist coat 12” from the leather surface. Wait two minutes for the coat to dry and apply additional coats as needed, again give the paint two minutes to dry between coats. Note, ColorBond is a heavily pigmented paint, and a thin paint film thickness provides excellent coverage. So, you can paint a leather chair without the need for a heavy coating. When you are done painting, wait ten minutes for the paint to be fully bonded to the leather. The chair will then be ready for use.

Success!

Harry Shaw did a wonderful job using ColorBond LVP for leather furniture restoration project. Harry already knew how to paint a leather chair as he had previously used ColorBond for other projects. Among the pieces refinished was a 100-year-old horse-hair stuffed leather chair used by his grandfather when he was a judge in Aspen, CO. Harry remembers sitting in that chair as a youth, while his grandfather gave him lectures on life. We at ColorBond are honored he trusted our products for use on something that has so much sentimental value.

Harry’s Grandfather’s Chair – Refinished with ColorBond LVP

Can You Paint a Leather Chair Economically?

As Harry saw he was able to paint a leather chair he went on to with also used ColorBond on two leather chairs and a couch. Harry tells us replacing the two leather chairs and leather couch with duplicates would have cost about $10,000. Yet, ColorBond only cost about $600-$700 for the furniture restoration project.

Chair, Ottoman and Couch – After Using ColorBond

“It’s the best leather paint I’ve ever used” says Harry. For preparation, he simply cleaned the leather with alcohol mixed with water and then painted it with ColorBond LVP. “The results look great! I love it” Harry exclaims.

So, can you paint a leather chair and make it turn out great? Indeed, yes if you follow the procedure Harry used. If you have any questions about how to paint a leather chair, please let us know. We can be reached at info@colorbondpaint.com or (877) 882-6567.