Hi forum, Any tips on repairing/restoring leather on an Eames lounge chair? I have an early 1960s chair in caramel leather, but the leather seems a little dry and shows early signs of cracking. I've included a photo of one of the arms and the seat cushion. The seat back appears to be OK. Thanks!
I personally think it's best ...
I personally think it's best to leave it alone as it looks great with that badge of honor. Give it some conditioner, it'll probably shine again. Unless we're dealing with actual cuts or tears, that adds character to the set. However, if you're set on restoring it, I'd recommend Fibrenew. You can google it and find out more. Good luck and keep us posted!
Everybody who says leave it...
Everybody who says leave it alone, I sometimes wonder if they care anything about maintenance. All leather needs to be conditioned once in a while or it will dry out and crack.
Lexol is a good product, though I prefer Leatherique pristine clean and rejuvenating oil. You can find it online on car cleaning specialty websites and it works great. It did wonders to a pair of old, cracked Pollock chairs I had.
Beautiful
Hey thats the color I have, and mine is the probably the same vintage as yours.
I would die if my cushions were in as good shape as yours appear to be. The quality of your leather and the amount of wear looks ideal to me.
Like Kin says, I would do what you can as far as conditioning the leather, but don't even think about a repair or re color unless as a last resort.
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