How to Paint & Repair a Leather Couch

Select a leather restoration kit. You can find these online or in most furniture stores. Most kits will come with multiple color selections, leather prep, finishing sprays, a spray unit, gloves, a palette knife and sponge applicators. Make sure your kit has all of these products and the color you need.

Cover your work area. Use newspaper, a sheet or plastic covering to protect other items from exposure to chemicals.

Apply prep solution onto the leather with the sponge and rub it in with an abrasive pad. This process will remove the manufacture’s finish. Continue this process until you start to see the color lifting from the leather, exposing the color beneath. You will also see excess color on your abrasive pad.

Wipe down the leather. Use a damp cloth and alcohol cleaner. Let the leather dry for 30 minutes.

Wipe a thin layer of filler into the cracks with a palette knife. The painted layer of the leather becomes the most cracked. You will have fewer cracks to fill if you remove this layer during the prep. Let the filler dry for about 3 minutes.

Apply first layer of color. Rub a small amount of color into the leather with a clean sponge. Work the color into any gaps or creases. If you notice more cracks, simply apply more filler.

Administer second layer of color. Spread color over the entire couch with the sponge, using smooth, even strokes. If the color is too thick, it will cause bubbles and runs. If you notice this, take a cloth and immediately smooth the surface. Allow the layer to dry.

Attach the spray unit to the color pick-up tube for the spray layer. Hold the spray 6 to 8 inches from the surface and dispense a thin, even layer of color.

Apply a thin layer of finishing spray once the color has completely dried.

Allow the couch to dry. Wait approximately 48 hours before disturbing your furniture.