PAINTING LEATHER With Chalk Paint™ By Annie Sloan PART 2
After months of threats, a couple of weeks ago I finally painted our old leather furniture with Chalk Paint™ By Annie Sloan in French Linen. It was an amazing transformation and you can read all about it here. Even though the process was very labour intensive, the work itself was pretty easy and after a couple days and many coats of paint, I left everything to dry before waxing.
If you’ve worked with Chalk Paint™ before you know that it dries to a very flat finish, which is beautiful on its own but can mark up very quickly and is not easy to clean. Since this would not be very practical on a couch, I decided to wax the entire set with Annie Sloan’s Soft Clear Wax.
For a sturdy surface like wood I would normally use Annie’s wax brush to apply the sealer. It has a sturdy handle with a solid grip. However, since the couches are soft and have a lot more give, I decided to put the wax on with a clean cotton cloth instead (old t-shirts work great).
Since the wax can be a little hard, before I got started I placed it a hot water bath for 30 minutes first. It helps to make it more buttery so you don’t have to work so hard at working it into your surface.
Normall, I don’t bother with gloves but getting the wax off your hands can take a bit of work so I would recommend a pair of disposable ones to protect your skin.
Ideally you want the wax to be the constancy of softened butter. I like working out the larger container since the opening is larger and it’s easier to get your hand in the can!
I like to put the wax on in little circles. By the time I was done with all four sides, the first layer of wax was dry enough for a second coat. The wax will change the colour of the paint slightly, making it richer and deeper.
After the second coat, I buffed with a new clean soft cotton cloth until the leather no longer felt sticky and the cloth glided smoothly. If you put the wax on too thick and it’s difficult to buff, try applying other coat of wax. I know it seems counter productive but the new wax will melt the old wax and when you buff, the excess will be removed.
I know it’s hard to see from the pictures but after buffing, the leather has a soft satin sheen. It will protect the surface from dirt, spills and scratches. TIP: Even though the wax will be dry almost immediately it won’t be cured for a few weeks so try to be gentle with your freshly refinished pieces. After a year or so, you might want to refresh the wax to keep your pieces looking great.
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34 Responses to “PAINTING LEATHER With Chalk Paint™ By Annie Sloan PART 2”
It sounds a little like the surface is ‘rough’ if that makes any sense. My question is, is the leather still soft to touch after painting and waxing. Great writeup by the way!
Hello Stuart. Thank you for visiting our blog. After waxing, the couch is super smooth. It’s actually smoother than the old couch was after years of wear. Without the wax it WAS quite dry – almost like very fine sandpaper but now it’s right back to smooth. Have a great night!
I painted a leather chair/stool several years ago in red and used both waxes on it. never had a problem. Now in a sunnier olace and the sun if it strikes the chair surface melts the dark wax on it/ the lap top charger was also plugged in and did the same. So any long trm heat is a problem. We only sit on chair in bedroom briefly so it has never been sat on for great lengths. Can I remove both wax and paint to go back to the orig colour and if so how please.?
To remove the wax you’ll need a paint thinner. I would suggest Naptha as it is the most gentle, dried fast and doesn’t leave a residue. Since it is a solvent make sure to wear gloves to protect your skin and ventilate your space well (or move the chair outside). As for the paint, it should come off pretty easy with some light grade sandpaper like 280-320. Thank you for visiting and have a great night!
your best bet is to just use paint intended for leather i have painted so many leather sofas , chairs, etc with angelus paint comparable maybe even less than annie sloan…but it is awesome…whenever i tire of the color or want new furniture i hit craigslist for free…lol…but yeah i imagine the chalk paint is great for furniture hatd surfaces but sitting….nah…i painted a foot stool with a dyi chalk paint that was fairly expensive and the owner shows a velvet couch she redid well that stool is still not completely dry from two month ago and i’m afraid to lean it against anything because it is this dark teal blue…its pretty and looks nice but would never sit on it or put anything expensive on it for fear of color transfer…
Thank you for your feedback! Most paints, even two part industrial finishes, are dry in seven days at most so if your stool is still wet after two months I would suggest there is a bigger problem. Also, a wax or varnish on top of the chalk paint is always recommended to seal and protect. Have a great weekend and thank you for visiting our blog!
Do you have pictures of the sofa after the wax? The whole sofa that is, not just a close up. And how does it look now? Is it still looking fab? Trying to decide whether I should paint mine or not. And seeing the end result would help lots. Thank you 🙂
Good morning Dawn. I would love to send you more pictures but we treated ourselves to new furniture so unfortunately the sofa ended up at the dump. It did, however, hold up great for the entire time we used it – no cracks or scratches!
Oh drat! Haha. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly though, I appreciate it. Having done it, would you recommend it to others who need to spruce up old leather?
Having done it and hearing from others who have done it I would definitely recommend it. Just be prepares – it’s not hard work but IT IS labour intensive since you need so many coats to cover the leather. Good luck and if you decide to paint it send me a photo!
Thank you! I will be sure to share some pictures if I bite the bullet and go for it. It’s currently a beige colour so shouldn’t be too difficult to cover with grey paint, hopefully 🙂
Does the wax come off onto clothes when you use the furniture? I’m not familiar with the product but that’s my main concern.
Hello Alexis. The wax does not come off on your clothes at all. Here’s the catch though. While it will be dry enough to the touch right away after buffing, it does take a few weeks to cure – or reach its full chemical hardness. I would suggest being gentle on the furniture for the first 20 days or so to avoid scratches but it won’t rub off.
I painted my leather ottoman. I think it’s could be bonded leather. I first prepped it by cleaning it with a light wash followed by a light rub of alcohol . Sanded lightly the peeling arears as well as the rest of the Ottoman. Then did several watered down coat school of annie sloan. It is cracking in those areas and peeling back as well. I have not waxed it yet. Should I remove the paint and start over, should I paint it a darker color so the peeling/cracking is not that obvious . I’ve painted leather b4 with no problems not sure what to do. HELP!
Hello Penny. It sounds like you did everything right. The only thing I would change is the rubbing down with alcohol bit. Sometimes solvents like that leave behind a residue which Paint doesn’t stick to. I would sand down the peeling areas, wipe off with a rag damp in vinegar and water. That will clean off any sanding dust (it acts like a fine dusting of flour and can cause adhesion failure) and try a few more coats of the thinned out paint. Let me know how you make out!
Does the body heat soften, melt the wax? I have a lazy boy brand sofa and recliner. Evidently the seal coat was bad as moisture would lift the stain. Looks bad but physically and mechanically the furniture is in great shape just bad appearance. I want to do this as long as I know it will last.
Not at all. It would have to get REALLY hot to melt the wax!
Love this post and excited to try this on our leather sectional. Just curious if this will hold up against dogs who “secretly” enjoy lying on the couch when we aren’t home.
I think it would hold up okay. However, I would wait until the paint/wax cures. This generally takes around 28 days. Until then blanket should protect the finish. Have a great day!
Hi I’ve a question I hope you can help me 😃
I’m in the middle of painting a faux leather office chair from black to an off white. I would like to paint a grain stripe in a contrasting color. Should I wax the white and let it cure before taping it off to paint the stripe. I dont want the tape to lift the paint? Any advice please.X
I would wax last. Before you paint the stripe let the paint dry at least 24 hours and use a low tack tape like 3M 2080. It’s designed for freshly painted and delicate surfaces so it won’t damage the first colour.
Hi, I have a super comfy leather couch and of dark colour so would love to keep it if I can make it lighter. Only problem, my cat has damaged it’s sides with its nails. Do you suggest anything before painting or do you think the paint could hide the damage?
Thanks!
Good morning Pascale. I don’t think that the paint will hide the damage – it will just settle in the rips. Short of patching it up with leather repair kit (you can find them on Amazon) and painting over the patches there is not a lot you can do. Can you see if a local reupholstered can redo it?
I have a leather couch that I’d like to paint. One of the cushions is really roughed up, though. Will that look weird when I paint it? I guess I have nothing to lose if I do, except the cost of the paint. And a maybe really ugly couch. What do you think?
Good morning Wendy. If the cushion it will show through the paint. You can try to lightly sand it so make it a bit smoother. Maybe slip covers might be a better option? Have a great Monday!
I am wondering how this is holding up. I read somewhere in the comments here that the wax on someone’s couch was melting?
I am very seriously considering painting a piece of leather furniture… however, it is in perfect condition and as it is it will last a very long time (probably another 15-20 years). Unfortunately, it is much too dark for my personal taste. i do NOT want to paint it and then ruin it and have to buy a new one, when I know that it is a perfectly good sofa as is.
Can you tell me how your painted couch is holding up? Are there any scratches or any issues at all with it at all after 2 years?
Good evening and thank you for your comment. The room the couch was in has been repurposed into a laundry room so unfortunately all the furniture was donated. However, it held up great for the year that we had it and we never had a problem with the wax. I think when it is applied to thick and not properly buffed it can melt or scratch over time. But honestly, if your furniture is in perfect shade and clearly a quality piece I would leave it unpainted. To help it fit into your decor I would recommend a few light colored blankets or pillow to break up the dark tones. Hope this helps!
I recently chalk painted and waxed an ikea leather office chair and a year later the true leather color is coming through on the seat area and the arm pads…i never redid it or touched it up…and i did do a nice coat of both paint and wax…if you plan on never sitting on this furniture but maybe once in a great while then fine but if you plan on using it once a week…forget it…don’t waste your time the chalk paint is expensive and the wax is even more expensive…you would be better buying a new couch from those inexpensive downtown warehouses in big cities or ikea…or use leather paint…the couches i have used leather paint on lasted much longer than the chalk paint and the touch ups were so easy! and matched perfectly and no scrubbing or rubbing just dab it on the area that has peeling or scratched and its done…and its something you can use throughout the year before you really have to redo it again…chalk paint is beautiful but anyone who uses it for furniture that has to be used is crazy…it scratches to easily and if you have kids or animals chalk paint to me is just to sit and look pretty an item no one touches that is in the corner of a room that is far away no one ventures over to but to see across a room and say oooh that’s cute…
Thank you for sharing your experience!
This is so helpful! Thank you.
I have been, for several days now, researching into painting a faux leather chesterfield, which has most of the 3 seat pillows pealed off, as well as the worn-in back.
I have been struggling to make up my mind between chalk and leather paints. I’m not looking to a drastic change of colour, just to fix the pealed off parts and paint the whole thing overall for consistency.
As of now my preference has been for leather paint (that’s what it’s for after all?) and thought all the bad experiences I read of had to do with a too thick/sloppy painting job or not prepping the surface before etc..
You can confirm leather paint is superior when it comes to durability and wear? is it more flexible?
thank you!
Thank you for visiting the blog and for leaving a comment. I love Chalk Paint and it’s pretty much a miracle in a paint can but if you are looking for a repair I would suggest the leather paint. If you were redoing the entire piece and changing the color than the Chalk Paint would be my recommendation but I think you will have more success with leather paint. TIP: Preparation will be the key – make sure you prep the couch and follow the instructions on the product you will be using.
Thank you! Turns out I changed my mind (once more) and want to redo the couch in a different colour. What do you think about mineral fusion paint?
As I was ready to go for Chalk, I read many swear fusion paint is superior for durability.. but is it also flexible enough for a couch? It’s our only couch that we sit on every night so I want to be 100% to use the most appropriate paint, and that it won’t chip away 6 months later.. so please excuse my persistence!
Thanks for your help
I am using paint factory furniture paint smooth touch flat Matt Finnish spray on my leather suite I use every night is this suitable How can I make it last and will it come off on my clothes
Thank you for visiting Eileen. Unfortunately I am not familiar with the product you are using so I am not able to give you the best of advice. I would suggest either counting the manufacturer of the paint you are using or getting in touch with the shop you purchased it from. They will both be better equipped to help you. Thank you again.