DIY painted leather chairs and sofa now match grey interiors – for under £20!

Homeowner's smart way to make the furniture match on a budget

What a transformation. These once red PU leather tub chairs now match the rest of the grey decor perfectly, thanks to a tin of £17 paint. Just goes to prove that painting leather chairs is possible, and more than worth it when on a budget!

Another paint idea: See how an easy hack can totally transform a dated sofa – you won't believe the results

The savvy painted leather chair makeover is the work of Suzanne Green. She proudly shares her before and after chairs with the Mrs Hinch Made Me Do It Facebook group. saying,' ‘2 seater and 2 chairs bought for £45. Chuffed with the outcome’.

The savvy, budget-friendly transformation has been met with an abundance of adoring comments and reactions, and rightly so...

Before and after: Painted leather chairs and sofa

before and after painted leather chairs

(Image credit: Future PLC/Suzanne Green)

What a before and after! The difference is undeniable. The tub chairs and two-seater sofa are totally transformed from the bold red colour with pine legs. The whole set, sourced for just £45 from Facebook Marketplace, is now a more sophisticated shade of grey, with black legs adding an stylish accent.

Before painting Suzanne explains ‘I sugar-soaped, lightly sanded and wiped them down’. Suzanne used the much-loved Frenchic Alfresco range to paint the set. The grey shade used is 'Swanky Pants'. Using 3/4 of a £17 tin, by our calculations Suzanne has spent just £62 to make this set look like new.

Buy now: Al Fresco in Swanky Pants, from £6.95, Frenchic

grey painted chairs

(Image credit: Future PLC/Suzanne Green)

When asked by fellow members of the group about the painted finished cracking Suzanne replies,’Go on the Frenchic Fan Forum. On here and people have done their full suites, and ask them if they have cracked etc. Mine was fine yesterday and didn't look or feel like it would crack. It is for a garden pub that we are in the process of building so we are not too bothered.’

The interiors the seating set has been painted to match is actually an outdoor project, still in progress.Brilliantly Suzanne is in the process of fashioning a pub in her garden, handy right now! No closing at 10p.m curfew for this household.

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Ideal Home asked, intrigued by the painted finish, how do the chairs feel after painting? Suzanne tells us, ‘Smooth to touch and a smooth finish as you can see in the pictures. They don’t feel any different when sitting on them.’

Feeling left inspired to paint your leather furniture?

Contributor

Tamara was Ideal Home's Digital Editor before joining the Woman & Home team in 2022. She has spent the last 15 years working with the style teams at Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home, both now at Future PLC. It’s with these award wining interiors teams that she's honed her skills and passion for shopping, styling and writing. Tamara is always ahead of the curve when it comes to interiors trends – and is great at seeking out designer dupes on the high street.