This is the same chemistry we use on the bench, packed so you can do the work at home.
If the leather is faded, worn, stained, pet-damaged, oily, or you want a different color, we match the piece, build a kit, and stay with you through the job. Not a wipe from a late-night ad. A restoration system.
Start with photos. Email them to jmurray@advleather.com (include a phone number if you want a call back). Then send a leather sample for a custom match — or pick a stock color.
What you get
The kit is the technically hard part, done: leather analysis, priming strategy, color. You get:
• Custom-matched (or stock) primer and color
• Application tools
• Written instructions
• How-to video
• Extra pieces when the photos show you need them (oil extraction, cat-scratch fill, burn repair)
You supply masking tape and drop cloths.
Two-step color: prime so the leather will take color, then color. Full cure is 72 hours. After that the finish is built to tannery-grade wear, not a dye that fades in the sun.
Custom kits: 30-day test window, 1-year material guarantee. Stock kits: 21-day test window, 90-day material guarantee. Details onHow to get a kit
1. Email photos of the whole piece plus close-ups of damage (headrests, arms, seats). We use them to qualify the leather for the guarantee, read condition, and see how the piece is built.
2. Send a sample for a custom color (below), or say you want a stock color.
3. We quote. Kits take 1–3 business days to make, then UPS Ground (1–5 days). Air is a pass-through of the carrier charge.
4. You work. We are on the phone or email at every stage, including later maintenance.
Visa, Mastercard, American Express.
Ship samples to
ADV Leather Inc.
21579 Gaines Ln.
Anderson, CA 96007How to take a leather sample
Best: a factory swatch, or a removable seat/back/arm casing (that’s the leather that actually got used).
If nothing comes off, turn the piece over. The dust cover (cloth) is stapled to the frame. Leather is tucked under that staple line. Find the most excess, pull staples in that area, and cut from the pulled-under, hidden leather. Long thin strips are fine — we lay them side by side. Restaple the leather and the dust cover.
No sample? Two outs:
• Stock colors (15). No swatch required. Photos still, so we can warn you off a bad candidate. Guarantee is narrower (see policies).
• Benjamin Moore code. We have the current books. Put the code in the email if you are changing color and cannot send leather.
Stock kits do not need a swatch. Custom kits do (or a Moore code / other color reference).
Typical kit prices
Stock is usually $30–$55 less and skips the swatch. Other shapes: email photos and ask.
Chair / recliner — Custom $220 · Stock $190
Chair + ottoman — Custom $255 · Stock $230
Loveseat — Custom $275 · Stock $245
2 chairs — Custom $330 · Stock $295
Sofa (3-seat) — Custom $335 · Stock $305
2 chairs + 2 ottomans — Custom $380 · Stock $320
Sofa + chair — Custom $445 · Stock $385
2 loveseats — Custom $445 · Stock $385Sofa + chair + ottoman — Custom $470 · Stock $415
Sofa + loveseat — Custom $505 · Stock $450
2 sofas — Custom $535 · Stock $475
Sofa + loveseat + chair — Custom $575 · Stock $520
Sofa + loveseat + chair + ottoman — Custom $620 · Stock $565
Sectional 5-seat — Custom $505 · Stock $450
Sectional 6-seat — Custom $545 · Stock $490
Sectional 7-seat — Custom $660 · Stock $605
Each additional sectional seat — $45
Chaise add-on — $70
Auto wipe-on — Custom $125
Auto airbrush (incl. Nordkap) — Custom $170
Time on a 3-seat sofa: about 6–8 hours to restore original color, 8–12 to change color. Oil extraction adds time.
What results to expect
Follow the instructions and the piece will look and feel like leather, not plastic. You get out what you put in.
“My neighbor and my sister think it looks better than when it was new. Hubby said I saved us about $4000 if we had to replace it all.” — Terry L.
“The rub-on solution for my chair and ottoman worked out very well… both look really terrific.” — Jack L.
“Our couches look brand new — better than our expectations.” — Sue R.
“Your products were easy to use, instructions were clear, the color match was perfect.” — Shona O.“The result has been a beautiful finish on my couch, chair and ottoman that looks like leather and feels like leather.” — Monty U., MI.
FAQ
Will the color rub off on clothes?
No. Same chemistry as the shop. Full cure 72 hours; then it wears like a tannery finish, not a surface dye.
Will the color match?
Custom kits are matched to your sample. That’s the point of the swatch.
Will it last?
Two-step prime + pigmented color, UV stable. If the original faded in a couple of years it was likely unfinished leather colored only with dye. Pigment lasts longer in the sun.
Does it still feel like leather?
Yes. See Monty U. above.
Can I change the color?
Yes, cheaper than reupholstery. We’ll tell you the tradeoffs on the call.
Is it safe to use in the house?
The color system is water-based. Use ventilation. It will stain carpet, fabric, and anything absorbent if you spill it. Mask and use a drop cloth. Cleanup is closer to latex paint than to solvent shop work.
Is it hard?
The analysis is ours. You follow the steps. Clients well into retirement have finished kits.
What does it cost vs a pro job or a new sofa?Typical kit is about 20–25% of our shop restoration, and often under 10% of reupholstery or replacement.
The color is blotchy / light and dark.
The color is opaque. Light coats even it out.
Food and drink stains?
Many dyed leathers are porous. After restoration you have a wipeable surface. Existing stains are covered.
Dark headrests and arms?
That’s body oil. Custom kits include extraction when the photos show it. Then prime and color.
Cat scratches?
Light scratches often disappear under the system. Deeper ones get fill. A shredded panel: an upholsterer replaces the hide, you color it with the kit so it matches. Email photos; we spec the extra pieces.
Dog chew?
Same idea: photos first, then a repair plan.
Loose seats?
Usually compacted foam, not the hide. We can walk you through padding or a foam-core swap.
Ink?
Strip it before color or it can bleed up through the new coat. We’ll send that procedure.
Tears?
Sub-patch on the underside, fill the void, then color. The kit can include that.
Cigarette burn?
Yes, with a burn-repair add-on and a photo sequence. Ask when you send pictures.Why photos?
Three reasons: the money-back guarantee has to qualify the leather; close-ups show if the hide is still structurally sound (deep cracks / splits = temporary only); overall shots show how the piece is built so we can warn you about trouble spots.
How long to make and ship?
1–3 business days to make. UPS Ground 1–5 days. Faster air at carrier cost.
What is not in the box?
Masking tape and drop cloths.
When not to DIY
If photos show the hide split through or deeply cracked, this is a patch, not a resurrection. We’ll say so. Anderson can still take ship-in work on pieces that belong in the shop, or we can point you at a local tech.
Ready?
Email photos to jmurray@advleather.com
Call (510) 909-2080 or (800) 541-5982
Ship samples to 21579 Gaines Ln., Anderson, CA 96007 Service Policies.