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DIY: Painting Leather with Velvet Finishes

July 6, 2015 • By

Have any old, ugly leather or pleather furniture you’re thinking about dumping?

Well good news!

You don’t have to get rid of it – you can paint it with Velvet Finishes!

Painting leather with Velvet Finishes will

transform the old and ugly into the new and fabulous!

Paint leather with Velvet Finishes | Design Asylum Blog

You won’t believe how ugly this was before I started.

I snagged this ottoman at a consignment shop for a steal!  It was dirty and the buttons were snarled with dog hair.  Ugh.  I used a shop vac to remove the hair and the Ready product to clean the leather.

leather otto

I chose Luxurious in Velvet Finishes, the neutral black seemed like the perfect color to dress this piece up.  It took, what I call, one and a half coats, meaning after one good coat, I only needed to touch up some of the thin spots.  I pounced the brush down onto the buttons and made sure all of the folds and wrinkles were painted well.

Painting Leather with Velvet Finishes | Design Asylum Blog

I then painted the the legs Understated and slightly distressed them.

The ottoman had nailhead trim that we were careful to avoid, but The Handler easily wiped off the paint that did land there with a damp cloth.

Painting Leather with Velvet Finishes | Design Asylum Blog

The last step I took was to use the dark glaze on the legs.  Because they had great detail, I applied the glaze fairly heavily so that it would get down into the grooves.

http://www.velvetfinishes.com/more-cool-stuff.html#!/enhance-dark-glaze-timeless/p/37603223/category=9624024

I used a lint free rag to drag the glaze back off, allowing it to sit the grooves.

And voila!

How to paint Leather Furniture | Design Asylum Blog

Now check out this cute little number…

How to Paint Leather | Design Asylum Blog

This pleather chair was in ok shape except that the arms had big rips in them.

How to Paint Leather | Design Asylum Blog

How to Paint Leather | Design Asylum Blog

To paint, I cleaned the piece with Ready before I began, then dealt with the rips.  I literally glued it back together with E6000 glue applied with a popsicle stick.  I smeared over then entire split and let it dry, then painted right over it.  One coat almost covered it but you really have to look for it now that the chair is completed.

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/e6000-and-quick-hold-craft-adhesive-set-814004/

To get the color even, it took me four coats of Glamorous, which is more than wood usually requires.

It was worth it,  I love the chair!

I painted it’s dainty little ball and claw feet with Bold and gave it’s toes a a little brightening up with the Glamorous.

And see that awesome abstract pillow?  I painted it with VF too!

This chair sits in my Velvet Finishes filming studio, where I film the VF youtube videos.  Check them out, there is a ton of good info there!

I have people ask me how the leather/pleather feels after painting.  Honestly, the feel even shocks me.  It is as pliable as it was before it was painted.  There is no cracking or any issues.  Pretty cool!

So, do you have leather furniture that could use a makeover?

PIN IT 2A

How to Paint Leather | Design Asylum Blog

Paint leather with Velvet Finishes | Design Asylum Blog

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