In the past we've talked about some great solutions for those looking to give their old leather a new look. Instead of turning to the world of retail, this homeowner took matters into her own hands with a little paint and some patience.
Although there's no glue gun involved in this project from Shabby Sweet Cottage, there has been some painting in progress. Was it on a canvas? Nope! Instead this old ottoman needed a makeover and that's exactly what it got!
Karen in New Jersey got up the courage to test out some paint. She thinned down her average white paint and applied 8 super thin coats, allowing each to fully dry. The end result is soft to the touch and much warmer than the previous darker version. It might be an interesting trick to try with a fun thrift store find!
• See more of the renovation process over at Shabby Sweet Cottage
(Image: Shabby Sweet Cottage)
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Stanley Console by ...
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Recipe: Ham, Cheddar & Chive Egg Bakes
Oh I like the before SO much better!!
But what happens when you sit on it and invariably put your feet on it? Will the paint scratch off?
I hate to be a grump. Let's get the positives out of the way before I start complaining: I really like the after better. The before was nice but the after is REALLY chic! Back to my rant, why don't people ever use the exact same angles in the BEFORE AND AFTER pictures? I think that really affects the judging of the photos. Sometimes the after photos does skew things in a more favorable light. End of Rant.
I could see the after looking quite nice in context, but sitting on its own, I imagine it being owned by Miss Texas 1985.
Honestly, I like the after better a lot. It really lightens up the space. Unless you have a huge house, mahogany is a bit much.
The After looks great. Nice job. Creative person saw the potential.
ick.... i can imagine this looking terrible in about a week. bad idea
Painting leather?? Sorry, but this is really dumb--a project done with absolutely no foresight whatsoever. This ottoman will get cracked, peel-y, and nasty with use. And it will get cracked, peel-y, and nasty even if it's not used..
You can buy paint specifically for leather and it works great. I painted a pair of shoes and they have held up well.
I liked the before better, regardless of whether painted leather holds up.
What a surprise to see my ottoman featured here, thanks for the shout out. Its been about three weeks and its holding up great. No cracking or peeling . It is soft and supple because the paint was thinned down to a wash and applied in very thin multiple coats. If it needs a touch up in the future I can just repeat the process. The ottoman is used as a coffee table, but I have set on it and we put our feet on it all the time. So far so good. In any event it was a cheap way to get a new look. I used about 1/2 of a can of 3.00 dollar sample paint. I'm going for a lighter palette in my room so the dark ottoman was not working.