Furniture Clinic Leather Complete Restoration Kit | with Leather Recoloring Balm, Cleaner, 2-in-1 Protection Cream & Conditioner, Sponge, and Cloth | Repair Kit for Furniture (Beige)

I grabbed this West Elm leather Axel sofa from the curb. It had several discolored areas but I was determined to save it! I do a decent amount of furniture rehabbing but not much experience with leather. Luckily I found this product! I bought a few different colors and the camel was a very close match. For reference, my comparison top/before photo had different lighting. I did not apply the balm to the back cushions. If your piece is in the color range of any of my photos, camel should be a good match. I’d consider it a light-medium brown with yellow undertones.I first applied to a section hidden by the cushions to test out the color match and saturation of pigment. It is brutally cold here so I applied in my living room. I did not notice any strong odors. The left seat square got 2 thin coats and I applied a bit more to the lighter areas of the large discolored spot. I applied a very thin coat on the right seat to help hide light scratches and blend with the original color. Another thin coat might be needed to get to the richness of the left side. I think the photo exaggerates the subtle difference.The sponge applicator that was provided worked well. Use the gloves even if you think it’ll be a quick, clean job. It will end up on your fingertips, at minimum. I did use a small, soft art paint brush to apply precisely to the lighter areas to build up the color a bit. I could probably even it out more, but there is risk that I make the darker areas worse so I am stopping. I used a microfiber cloth (not provided) to buff the treated areas about 15 minutes after applying. Very little product was on the cloth and that was with me trying to remove some in the darker areas of the seat stain. Hopefully over time it will even out a bit more with use. I am debating applying leather cpr to condition the entire couch because I have read other reviewers mention that it removed the balm. I will test it in a hidden area to see how it reacts first. Tread slowly if you decide to do this step.Learn from my mistakes. I applied acetone to the left seat cushion trying to remove the original finish intending to restain the whole thing. That was an awful idea all around. I wish I had found this product before that step. I think it would have turned out even better. I believe the larger spot near the front middle of the seat absorbed the product unevenly because I removed the original finish and roughed up the leather in that area.Prep is key to an optimal outcome. I was able to remove the white paint on the left arm. I do not think this product would have camouflaged it very well. If you have marks similar, definitely try to remove any residue before application. Unfortunately I do not remember which method worked for me but I tried a few simple suggestions I found online. I cleaned all of the leather with saddle soap a few weeks prior to application.If you’re unsure of what color to choose, I recommend purchasing any that are close and comparing to your leather. I simply placed the bottles on their sides on the arm of the couch and chose the closest match. There was a drastic difference between them. You likely do not need to open the other jar/s and can return. I also knew that I could mix colors, but luckily I did not need to. Just keep in mind, if you mix colors you’ll want to make more than you think you’ll need so you don’t end up mixing more and not getting the same result. The jar on the far left of my product photos is from another brand in the color tan, 10 oz. It is more orange and darker than this camel but not as red as the tan of this brand. My product photos were taken in the evening with no natural light and I think they look a bit darker and more orange than they actually are. Bottom image in first pic is closest to actual (on my screen, anyway).I hope that helps! Don’t be afraid to give it a try! I tried a different color and brand prior to this one and it was too red. I was able to remove it with a damp cloth. I do think this brand dried better and is more durable than the other, as well. Good luck!

UPDATE 01/2025I still enjoy using this product! The cleaner especially is my go-to for a deep penetrating clean, and since my original review I have purchased a few more colors! I’ve used the kit and coloring balm on leather furniture (now 2 old Ekorness chairs), touching up my leather couch cushions, some leather purses I’ve come across, etc…All in all, the kit itself is worth having around if you are one who cleans/treats your leather items or if you’re like myself and simply enjoy bringing some life back into aged, dried out leather.One thing I did not mention in my earlier review was that unlike leather dye, the balm can be removed if you feel it’s not the right color - making the act of diving into the project so much easier to do!Another thing to point out, is that this is not designed to change the color of your leather - it’s designed to clean, condition and restore areas that have lost color over the years due to wear, sun, etc.. To change it, you’ll need a much different approach… so as long as your expectations are clear, you’ll be fine!One last thing, is to do a water drop test on your leather. If it absorbs a drop of water, you are not likely to have any issues with this kit.Furniture Clinic will continue to be my go-to! I’m slowly adding new colors to my collection as needed and while I do like having the choice of buying just the balm, I’d love to see an attractively priced 3 pack of one color family offered, for example Dark Brown, Brown, & Light Brown.Either way, I will continue to use and personally recommend them to anyone looking to clean up and bring some life back into their leather goods.ORIGINAL 05/2024I really enjoy thrifting and have seen so many really nice leather products over the years that unfortunately show obvious signs they have not been well taken care of over in the hot, dry climate we live in.That said, I recently found a vintage Ekorness Stressless Reclining chair that I have dated to bring nearly 30 years old. While beautifully aged in some spots, there were even more problem areas too so my first priority was to get it clean and conditioned and second priority to address the color.I was torn between using this over dye, but ultimately decided to use this kit because it’s both affordable and easy to apply. Had the leather been better cared for over its lifetime, I would have gone with dye, ultimately requiring a different budget and approach.First, I love the cleaning solution. It’s pretty darn powerful! You do want to apply enough so that when you squish the sponge it creates a foam to apply. I found that while I wanted to cleans large section first then wipe, it’s better to clean in small section, wipe, then move to the next section. For me, even though I felt like I was using the right amount, it dries really quick. For any dirt/grime to effectively be wiped awa, there must still be foam.The balm reminds me of like a silky-soft-butter - it applies nice and smooth! I again ran into some issues with it drying too quickly through and after some some back and forth. For me, I found it easiest to use a tongue depressor stick to scoop out maybe 2 tablespoons or so of the balm onto the pad, work it onto the leather in a circular motion, then repeat. Dipping the pad into the container was messier and led to inconsistent application.The color overall is nice! I would recommend applying when you have access to either bright consistent lighting or natural lighting without direct sunlight. I started working on it in my sunroom, however I found that the shadows being created as the sun moved by throughout the day kept messing with me thinking I had an uneven application .I find it’s easier to work in a separate room with two large photography lights.My only gripe, is that I wish the kit came with a large sponge for the cleaner, a small sponge for the conditioner, and 3 pads (for wiping away dirt, for applying color, and for buffing). As is, my kit came with 1 sponge and 1 pad.

I bought Furniture Clinic Re-coloring Balm for my leather couch which had been scratched up by my cat. It really works! You can't see the scratches at all anymore. The product does dull the leather a bit so I'm going to follow up with a conditioner and hopefully the luster will be restored.