Can I Dye an Ivory Leather Chair?

Know Your Chair

• To dye an ivory leather chair, you need to know what type of leather was used to upholster the chair. DIY leather recoloring or dye kits come in two main types: kits designed for use on aniline leather, and kits designed for use on regular leather. The difference between the two is that aniline leather is dyed using pigments that are soluble. If you don't have the receipt for your chair and can't remember what type of leather it is made of, a good way to pick out an aniline chair is to look at the material. If you can see pores, scars, or the texture of the hide itself, it is aniline leather.

Purchasing a DIY Kit

• To recolor an ivory leather chair, you will need between 8 and 16 ounces of colorant, depending on the size of your chair. Kits can be found at local furniture, hardware or home improvement stores or online. If you plan to dye a matching ivory leather couch to match your chair, you will need to have at least 32 additional ounces of dye in the kit. Purchasing multiple kits may be required if you want to dye more than one leather furniture item in your home.

Process

• The basic process for dyeing a light-colored leather chair is fairly straightforward, although there are several steps you must follow. Each kit will differ slightly in its contents, but generally speaking, you will begin by using a buffing pad and some leather cleaner to wipe down the surface of the chair to remove surface dirt. You will then layer up to three coats of the dye you have selected on to the couch. Allow plenty of time for each coat to dry before adding another coat, and allow a full 24 hours of drying time after applying the final coat of dye to the chair to ensure the color sets and doesn't get rubbed off.

Color Notes

• If you have an ivory chair, you have two coloring options. You can either dye the couch back to its former ivory color if it has darkened or been scuffed up over time, or you can attempt to dye it a darker color. If you are trying to color match the ivory chair to its former shade, you can try and match the color by eye. However, for best results, you should try to obtain a swatch from the manufacturer (or from the back of your chair where it might not be noticed). You can then send this swatch to a retailer that sells recoloring kits, and it can match the color for you.