New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

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kitla
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New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by kitla »

Some years ago when dh had an operation we bought this super comfy, adjustable leather chair & footstool for his recovery. It lived in the conservatory for years until it started to peel so badly its gone into another room & been covered with a sheet to hide the mess. Despite being in constant use for many years everything about its structure is still sound, its really comfy & we're struggling with the idea of throwing it out, but it looks awful. I've spent so long staring at it, trying to think of a way to recover it - I've considered leather paint, glueing patches of offcuts. Any ideas, you're a resourceful lot? (sorry pic is sideways)
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Mo
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Re: New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by Mo »

Can you cover the foot stool bit separately with a piece of fabric a bit bigger than the stool, either by tacking it to the underside, or if you want to remove it to wash, by sewing a channel round and threading a cord in, pulling it tight and knotting it. A bit like knicker elastic. Then perhaps cover the rest with a throw.
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kitla
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Re: New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by kitla »

I have thrown a red sheet over it Mo, to hide it, but whenever someone sits there for a while it slips off. I sometimes peg it on, but I'm trying to think of something more permanent. Its such a comfy chair. Yes a sort of drawstring bag over the stool might work (if thats what you meant) & maybe one over each arm.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
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Mo
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Re: New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by Mo »

kitla wrote: 29 Jan 2022, 20:12 Yes a sort of drawstring bag over the stool might work (if thats what you meant) & maybe one over each arm.
Yes, though you'd have a job fixing it, especially where the bar is.
It's the fact that it moves that is the problem for the main chair..
I have covered chairs in the past, made paper patterns by tracing each bit, carefully tacking in inside-out. I wasn't sure I had it right so I made it up using an old sheet, first. The Sanderson linen I used wasn't cheap and I didn't realise it would shrink when I washed it.
I also made a loose cover for a sofa using a jumble sale curtain. Used the drawstring method at the bottom, a channel on each side letting the cord go inside the legs. I made washable armlets since the arms wear out first. But they tuck into the crack between arm and seat.
I think 'throws' are usually fixed in place with long pins like hatpins and blocks of foam stuffed into the crack between the arm and the seat, but they would move when you extended your footstool.
It's going to be a major job. Good luck working it out.
Perhaps lay your fabric inside-out on the chair and trace the seams with chalk (then cut outside to give a seam allowance). They say 'measure many times before you cut' - I have a pair of curtains with a join near the bottom because of a miscalculation about the pattern repeat.
Keep us updated.
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Mo
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Re: New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by Mo »

Does the back move as well as the footstool?
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Freeranger
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Re: New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by Freeranger »

How brave are you feeling?!
You could, as someone said, take the cover off piece by piece, taking photos as you go to remember how to put it back together, then use the pieces as a pattern.
You can get some very realistic and flameproof faux leathers - this one is £6.99/m - and the mottled//aged look would mean it didn't have to be too perfect as it'll just look worn. They have other colours and this is just one I found the other day, but could use e.g. calico for a first effort?
https://www.iwantfabric.com/eastwood-fi ... ather.html
Mo
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Re: New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by Mo »

I used serge (gym slip material) for the sofa body, the jumble sale curtain was only for the seat and back cushion.
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Mo
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Re: New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by Mo »

The mention of
Freeranger wrote: 30 Jan 2022, 15:23 ....flameproof faux leathers
reminds me that your chair may not meet modern fire standards. How old is the chair?
I have a high seated (easy to get up from) suite of my MIL's that no one wants as it is over 20 years old and has no kitemark labels.
Might not matter if no-one smoke and no open fires but ....
Come to think, all my furniture is over 40 yrs old.
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kitla
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Re: New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by kitla »

Its probably about 8 or 10 years old Mo. I like the look of the fabrics on that site FR, I tried to order a sample but cant for some reason. I wouldnt be able to take the cover off my chair, but I could peel the damaged bit off & maybe fix something over that. I'll keep thinking.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
Mo
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Re: New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by Mo »

I think the rules came in well before that.
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Freeranger
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Re: New surface for a peeling leather chair, ideas welcome

Post by Freeranger »

If you're not planning on selling it, I don't suppose its flameproof status matters but I just mentioned it in passing.
A less fussy option might be to sew tapes onto the underside of a throw that you can use to tie it into place - longer ones could go around the arms and maybe you could sew loops onto the main body of the chair to tie other bits to. That should keep it in place and help it follow the shape of the chair - if you're arty and can drape it artistically it could look quite nice. Other fixing options might be velcro strips that you could glue.
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