An easy way to breathe new life into an old chair with just a bit of paint and a bit of leather, this farmhouse style leather chair has a classic style perfectly matched to it’s vintage charm!
Hello friends!
Welcome to another #MonthlyDIYChallenge! Y’all know how much fun I have teaming up with my talented bloggy friends the first Wednesday of each month to see the different ideas we can come up with from the very same starting point!
This month we teamed up with Leather Hide Store to share some creative ways to put their gorgeous leather to work.
There really is nothing so classic and versatile as leather.
Seriously, it’s been put to work in homes practically since the beginning of time – I’m pretty sure even the darkest of caveman caves had a few leather chairs to lounge on (you know, when they weren’t out hunting & gathering and such). It lends itself to any decor style, any era and any piece really. Leather is practical, durable, and of course, beautiful & I couldn’t wait to put some to work for this challenge!
Those of you that have been following along with our renovation adventures know that we always seem to have at least a few projects on the go – our latest being my new home office space.
Have I mentioned yet how excited about having my very own creative space?!
We’ve made some great progress so far and, I have to say, it’s been really fun watching things slowly come together…
I’m loving everything about this space so far, but probably my favourite part (if I had to pick a favourite) would have to be this beautiful antique desk that used to belong to hubby’s Grandfather.
I am so incredibly honoured to have the chance to sit at it while I work.
Though, it’s this sitting part that still remains an issue.
The thing is, we’ve got a serious lack of seating in this house lately (an issue to chat about another day perhaps). I’ve actually been searching for a new office chair for a while now, but haven’t yet come across that perfect mix between vintage style (read: wood, at least in my head) and comfort (fabric seat for sure!). So, in the mean time, I’ve been making this old thing work…
I mean, it’s definitely not awful by any stretch of the imagination. It’s got some really lovely lines to it (those legs … sigh), but the blue velvet just wasn’t really my thing. And the wood, though beautiful in some places, was a bit darker than I was hoping for.
Despite it’s age, it’s actually pretty comfortable. So, when this month’s challenge to put some leather upholstery to work came along, I knew just what to do…
Who knew that elusive perfect chair had been hiding right under my nose this whole time!
I can’t wait to show y’all how I created it!
I started by lightening things up a bit with a coat of my favourite white paint (Cloud White from Benjamin Moore in case you’re wondering), which took just a few minutes with a little help from this handy tool. Then, I took my trusty palm sander to it to, giving a distressed look and bringing out some of that beautiful wood.
Finally, it was time to deal with that blue velvet … I’ll tell ya, I was only too happy to rip that off!
I draped my beautiful leather over the cushion and, very roughly, cut it a few inches bigger than the actual seat – giving myself a more manageable piece, but still a bit of extra room to work with.
Then, it was just a matter of attaching the leather with my staple gun. I started in the centre of the back, working my way towards each end and then moved to the front, working my way out in the same way before moving on to the sides.
Ideally, I would have been able to remove the seat cushion from the chair with a few screws (like I did here), making it easy to tuck the edge of the leather out of sight. But, there didn’t seem to be any way to remove this seat from the wood base, which meant I had to staple the leather into the sides of my seat, leaving the leather edges and staples exposed. So, to give it all a more finished look, I simply ran a ribbon of braided rope along the edge (find similar here), attaching it with my hot glue gun.
I folded the ends under, glueing them back onto themselves, giving them a finished edge that wouldn’t unravel over time.
And that’s it friends. I really couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!
I love, love, love this gorgeous leather upholstery! I think it adds a perfect touch of warmth while still keeping with the vintage look I was going for.
SUCH a big thank you to Leather Hide Store for sponsoring this month’s challenge! We are so excited to offer y’all a chance to win your own gorgeous leather hide to create with! Just follow the links in the rafflecopter below for your chance to win.
Contest is open to both US & Canadian residents. Win your choice of hide from “Our Collection” or “Special Collection”.
Good luck!
And now, be sure to check out the fabulous projects that my bloggy friends created for this month’s challenge too!
Wishing you SUCH a lovely day!
PS. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. For more information, please read my privacy and disclosure policies.
So pretty! The perfect addition to your gorgeous bedroom!
Thank you SO much Nicole!
I LOVE this! Who knew it was that easy to do a leather seat? I love the braided rope (even if you had to use it cover the staples). Your little office is turning out perfectly!
Awwww, you’re always so sweet Sarah! Thank you so, so much friend!
Gorgeous! Can’t wait to see how the whole room comes together!
Thank you so much Tara! I can’t wait to get it all finished up!
This is gorgeous, Kristi! Love the chippy white paint and gorgeous leather. It’s perfect with your pretty desk.
Thank you so, so much Amy! I really love how it turned out too!
Loving how your office is coming together, Kristi! And that chair is the perfect addition to your desk! Gorgeous combo!!!
Thanks so much Kendra! I’m so happy with how it turned out!
What a gorgeous makeover! That brown with the white is such a yummy combo. And I just love the braided rope detail! Beautiful 🙂
Thank you so, so much Erica! I’re really so happy with how it turned out!
Love how you took this chair and totally made it work for you! And the bradied rope is the perfect addition!
Thank you so, so much Bre! I absolutely love how it turned out!
I’m so glad you have a chair for your office now – well a chair that better suits your style! 🙂 Good work reupholstering that guy; I’m not sure I would have had the guts!
Thanks so much Bre! I love how it turned out!
Kristi,
It’s so pretty! I love the combination of leather and white!
Happy day friend!
karianne
You’re always so sweet Karianne! Thank you so, so much friend!
Beautiful chair! I would love to make something like that for my prayer room.
Thanks so much Valerie! SO happy you’re feeling inspired!
The chair is absolutely beautiful. And it makes a lovely companion piece for the desk.
Thank you so, so much Debra! I’m really happy with how it turned out!!!
That chair looks great! Loved the blue velour before, but the leather will age beautifully and be super durable. Good job!
Awwwww, thank you! According to my Mother-in-law, that blue fabric was older than I am – I was surprised at how well it held up, though it was definitely looking well used. Here’s hoping this leather holds up just as long or longer for me. 😉
What a great idea to hide the seams with that braided cord! This turned out beautifully, great job!
Thank you so, so much!!! I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out!
Super cute chair. Looks great with your desk!
Thank you Sabrina!!!
What a gorgeous transformation…I love everything about it! And what a great way to use leather!
Thank you so much Jo-Anna! I’m really happy with how it turned out too!
Beautiful conversion of a tired piece! Love it! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!
Thanks so much Megan! I absolutely love how it turned out!
What a beautiful combination Kristi. The white paired with the leather. And the extra distressing compliments the color of the leather. Enjoy your new chair. Pinning and sharing!
Thank you so, so much! I couldn’t be happier with how perfectly this came together! Thanks again Mary!
What a great chair makeover!! Love the leather, so durable and easy to keep clean! It looks wonderful paired with your beautiful desk!
Thank you SO much! I think this new leather will truly stand the test of time!
I love the trim that you added and the contrast between the leather and rustic white of the desk and chair. Great job!!
Thank you so, so much Emily!!!