Can you recommend how to best get leather white again?

December 5, 2014 7:48 AM

We have a pair of Barcelona chairs in white leather. I would love to restore the leather myself. Can you please help?

They're quite old and have lots of areas on the seats where the white has just worn away. The backs still look amazing but those seats! This is how they look. All of the dark areas are not dirt, it's where there is no more white stain (or dye or whatever you call it). It's just been worn away by years of sitting. I want to restore these myself. I've been googling and haven't really found anything informative.

I'm thinking of doing a few layers of white shoe polish and then condition them to add back some shine. Has anyone restored white leather themselves? Any tips or suggestions?

I will take them to a pro as a very last resort but I prefer not to. I'm looking for DIY tips.

posted by the webmistress to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

A while back I saw some Italian leather dye (that is, leather dye from Italy, not dye for Italian leather) that might fit the bill for you.

I believe this blog may be referring to the same thing. As long as the black bits are places where the leather has simply changed color, and not where the leather has cracked/flaked, it looks like it should do the trick.
posted by Urban Winter at 8:03 AM on December 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

Oh wow. That looks perfect. You rock!
posted by the webmistress at 8:40 AM on December 5, 2014