How to Paint Leather Furniture

*This post contains gifted product from Velvet Finishes—all opinions are my own. There are also affiliate links included in this post. Purchasing through them does not cost you any extra money, but it helps my female-owned small business—thanks!!

Update: After I painted the chair and ottoman, we got a new dehumidifier in our basement and, let me tell you, it works! After a couple of weeks of running, I started to notice that the leather on the chair was starting to dry out and crack. I want the chair to last, so I decided to put a finishing wax top coat on.

The directions said to use a brush to apply, but I think that’s more for painted wood furniture. Since I was putting this on a leather chair, I decided to use an old t-shirt I cut up. I wiped it on and am letting it sit to absorb. I will wipe it down with a clean cloth after a couple days to getting any that remains.

When I first researched this project, what I found made it sound like I didn’t have to do the wax top coat. Having done it now, though, I would definitely do this step next time, right after painting.

We all have it…that unsightly basement furniture that still functions, but doesn’t look good, right?? I have the perfect solution— you can paint it!

My dad bought this leather chair, along with some other furniture pieces, at least 25+ years ago! He was so proud of the purchase and I can still picture him sitting in it. He passed away almost 17 years ago now and it’s such a gift to have a piece of him in this chair.

While I love having the chair as a reminder of him…it had definitely seen better days, including a big water spot that had gotten on the seat at some point over the years. Also, I didn’t love the reddish leather, and it’s in our basement with some other different leather furniture, in a completely different color.

I didn’t want to get rid of it, but something needed to be done to make it look good in our space.

So, I got brave and decided to paint it!!

I knew I wanted to use Velvet Finishes paint for the project because I’ve used it in the past and am familiar with how it applies and dries. Although I’ve used the paint before, I was still a bit nervous to paint the leather club chair—for obvious reasons.

I try to not let nerves get in the way of doing (or not doing) projects, because I’ll never get better if I don’t try things…even if I fail!

The supply list for this project is pretty small…which I love! I used a full 8 oz container of both Velvet Finishes Moody and Velvet Finishes Handsome. I mixed the paint in a plastic container (with a lid so I could store leftovers), and added a bit of water to thin it out, making application a bit easier. I also tried out a new to me brush this time—the Zibra 2.5 Inch Sash Brush. I really liked the way it felt and how it held the paint—I had very minimal drips of paint!

All I did to prep the leather chair before I started painting it, was to dust it off. Then, it was time to go! Once the first paint strokes were done, there was no turning back, so I just went for it! I didn’t do any special painting techniques on this project—it really was as simple as getting the paint onto the leather. I didn’t really even need to worry too much about drips—it went on so easiy and evenly.

Jason made sure I had drop cloths of some sort laid out (and it was a good thing he did—I’m a messy painter). Also, I removed the cushions from the chair, to make painting everything a bit easier.

I thought I would be able to get away with only doing 2 coats of paint, but that red leather really wanted to bleed through, so I ended up doing 3 coats overall and 4 coats in a few spots.

I did a lot of research before starting this project and some people suggest sanding between coats, so I did after my first coat. I think this is probably more necessary on fabric furniture, in order to keep the fabric feeling soft, and if you have any uneven spots or drips. I don’t think I would mess with it if I paint another piece of leather furniture in the future, as I didn’t see much of a difference or that it was needed.

Friends…I still cannot believe how well this painted leather chair turned out!! The Velvet Finishes paint dried so quickly and the whole chair seems even softer and more supple than before! I am so excited that I took a chance on this old chair of my dad’s!! I don’t know if he would love the color, although, he did like blue…but I think he would love that I took something old and gave it new life again!

I can’t encourage you enough to tackle painting your old, tired leather furniture! The sky is the limit for Velvet Finishes Colours (I almost always make a custome mix), so you’ll be able to find something that will work for your home. Bonus…I have a discount code to share with you for Velvet Finishes paint!

Use my Velvet Finishes discount code: HILARY15 at checkout to save on your entire order!

Velvet Finishes Moody

Velvet Finishes Handsome

HDX 2.5 qt. Natural Multi-Mix Container

Leaktite 2.5-Qt. Natural Multi Mix Lid

Zibra 2.5 in. Angle Sash Brush

3M Pro Grade Precision Faster Sanding Sanding Block Sponge220 Grit

Drop Cloths

Stir Stick

I ended up loving how painting the leather chair turned out so much, that I decided to paint a leather ottoman that we had too! The best part?? These two pieces couldn’t have looked more different before they were painted and now they look like they belong together!

I love projects like this, that allow me to take something old and make it new again! There is nothing better than a family heirloom, helping to keep the memories alive.

If you decide to paint a piece of leather furniture, I would love to see it! Post it to your Instagram and tag me so I can see! You can find me on Instagram at @hilaryprall.