I refurbished my husband’s old leather armchair by painting it – people said it looks like a glazed donut but I like it
A DIY influencer and mom caused a stir on social media when she decided to paint a leather armchair to restore it.
Yeli Heidecker (@yeli.heidecker) documented their efforts in a Video series she called “ruin my sofas with leather paint.”
4
4
She took her followers on her journey to restore and repaint the chair as a creative option.
The influencer has 61,000 Tick tock Follow and share videos about tidying, cleaning and DIY projects.
The first video showed Yeli painting the chair white.
Overlaid text read, “I was trying to explain to my husband how these old leather sofas are destroying the ‘aesthetic’ and so I ‘NEEDED’ to refurbish and paint them because my…” ADHD The brain is hyper-fixated.
The influencer initially painted the armchair white, but decided she didn’t like the pale color.
After posting the first video, she faced strong backlash from viewers who questioned her creative choices.
One person wrote, “My heart hurts…leather is so beautiful.”
Another said: “If someone decides that my chair needs to be replaced because it doesn’t match their aesthetic, that would be the end of the relationship. No exceptions.”
In the second video of the series, Yeli explained that the couch is 20 years old and would otherwise have been thrown away.
She also said that technically it belongs to her rather than her husband, as it was given to her by her father seven years ago.
Since it was in such poor condition and covered in scratches, she decided to paint it instead of throwing it away to see if it would look better.
After the layer of white paint dried, Yeli went with a light brown paint and added three coats of brown paint.
She said, “I know the brown I’m painting right now is very similar to the brown that was there before, but the couch was very old and needed something.” TLC.”
Satisfied with the initial result, she said, “So far I’m actually obsessed with it.”
After applying the second coat, the influencer said, “Some of you have said it looks like a glazed donut and right now it looks like it because it’s incomplete and it’s super shiny.”
“When I add the sealer, it becomes more frosted.”
Between the second and third coats of paint, Yeli sanded down the chair to ensure the paint was even.
Yeli was happy with the result after she finished painting the chair.
She said: “The leather has no scratches, it doesn’t feel sticky, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to tear.”
She addressed the negative reaction to her decisions in the second, third and fourth videos of her series.
In response to some of the discouraging comments, she said, “I just can’t understand how people can be so rude.”
The final unveiling of the finished chair drew a mixed reaction from her followers.
One person wrote: “I had my doubts but you delivered!”
Another supporter said: “I’m amazed at how you persevered and persevered through the process despite your discouragement.”
However, some viewers were not a fan of Yeli’s chair restoration.
One commenter said: “I prefer the original colour, but it’s your home, not mine. As long as you like it, that’s what counts.”
4
4