Is it possible to paint or stain a leather sofa?

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I have a quality, leather sectional from the mid 80's in TEAL. It's really comfortable and I'd love to update (cheaply) without re-upholstering or using covers. Can the leather be painted or stained? In a lighter shade, or am I stuck going dark brown or black?

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  1. Judy B says:
    June 13, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    Painting and staining are 2 very different processes.

    Dyes (stains) can only be used on aniline style leathers that absorb moisture because the dye has to penetrate the leather.

    It sounds as though your leather is one that can be re pigmented (painted). In the UK we have excellent pigments to do this work (although it is not something you can do yourself) and you could change to whatever colour you want. These pigments at present are not available in the US.

    Do not be tempted by any DIY products on the internet the preparation processes in this work are crucial and should be done by a qualified technican.

  2. Michael says:
    June 13, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    well i really think it wont stain but u could paint over it but im not sure if its going to stay the same

  3. MusicMan5537 says:
    June 13, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    No, that doesn't sound good at all. What's going to happen when you sit on it and the paint/stain comes off on your clothes?

  4. sheila_0123 says:
    June 13, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    In hobby shops, they sell a dye that is used for leather…it is available in several shades. It may be good to test a small area on the underside of a cushion prior to staining/dyeing the whole sofa; however, it may be an alternative worth considering.

    The source below also has an acrylic dye for use on leather…worth a look!

  5. Ramblin Rose says:
    June 13, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    I don't see how you could paint it, but you might be able to stain it. Going lighter might have something with bleaching, but I don't really know much about upholstering. Try looking through some books in the subject.

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