Chrome & Leather Chair Restoration
Revive chrome and leather furniture using my simple hacks!
I am so excited to share another restoration project with you! A couple of weeks ago I stopped into a recycle centre just as the doors were opening and as soon as I walked in my eyes instantly clocked onto my dream chair. It was on its last legs (literally) but all I could see was the potential.
Restoring this unruly replica Barcelona Chair was both painful and yet undeniably satisfying. I do admit though that I almost lost faith when I had to use vinegar and paint stripper to clean the grimy leather, and when I felt like I was throwing everything under the kitchen sink at the chrome to get that stubborn rust off, but there's nothing like a bit of sweat, perseverance and blind faith to pull you through.
And I'm obsessed! Putting in all that effort to restore this beautiful chair, even when I felt like throwing the towel in not once but 20 times totally paid off and even though lots of you think I should sell it, this is a forever piece. Read on to find out how it all came together. And in case you missed my first restoration project, make sure you check it out here and here.
Watch my quick project tutorial video here
Before & After
Project Details
♻️ Restoring: Chrome Leather Chair
🕒 Project Time Estimate: 4 hours total over two to three days
💰 Materials Cost: $50
🪑 Skill Level: Beginner
Materials
Clear distilled vinegar
Bowl of water
Aluminimum foil
Optional: Oven cleaner
Tools
2 x Chux
3 Microfibre cloths (make sure to keep one dry for polishing the chrome)
Small paint brushes
How To
Step 1: The first step is to clean the leather cushions and straps and remove all traces of grime with vinegar and leather stripper. To do this, visit this post.
Step 2: After the cushions and straps have been cleaned, it’s time to paint the cushions. To do this, visit this post. 💡 Tip: Make sure you allow 24 hours drying time between each coat of leather acrylic paint. This is a must!
Step 3: Before painting the straps, I revived the chromed by removing the rust and grime. To do this, visit this post. I also used oven cleaner as the rust was intense and I found this helped a lot but you may not need to do this if you’re removing rust from chrome. Following this, I painted the straps on the chrome frame.
Step 4: After the paint had thoroughly dried, I applied one coat of Angelus Acrylic Clear Finish
Ta daaaa!
