Faded Couch Turns Into a Beauty

Kari Durand
by Kari Durand
4 Materials
I got this couch free from a co-worker when they moved. I liked the color, I liked the shape, I was not a fan of how the back was faded from their window. It also had some stains and wear I could not get out. The other bad part? The microfiber suede sucked the hair off our dog the second she walked past... and it stuck on the front like glue... yuck. I had to do something....
I decided to try a slipcover. It worked ok but the couch cushions velcro onto the couch. With a slipcover they can not use the velcro and I am adjusting cushions everytime someone gets up, everytime I walk past, as I am sitting, etc. This was not the fix...
you can see the wear and stains on it - all my stain tricks did not work on this.
It looked ok but I was not crazy about the color, seemed to lack the drama I wanted. So I read a bit, and a little more. Then I had a plan... I was going to paint it. This was my first time working with chalk paint and my first time painting fabric - what could go wrong? I figured as a last resort I could always put the slip cover back on.
Day 1. So here we go. I bought some Dutch Boy Plainum paint in a deep purple, I ordered a 5lb bag of calcium carbonate off amazon and made chalk paint - I chose to mix my own because I could get the exact color I wanted. I mixed 8 T calcium carbonate, 4 T water to 1 qt latex paint. In the case of painting fabric add more water so it soaks into the fabric instead of sitting on top - I used an ice cream bucket and added a little water at a time until I got to a runny paint but not as thin as stain. I used a spray bottle to dampen the fabric before applying the paint. I brushed it on and did my best to get in all the edges. Here is the first coat.
Day 2. It looked a little scary at this point and my other half was questioning my sanity but I was seeing it through. I let it dry overnight and now was sanding time. I used a medium sanding sponge and sanded the dry paint. As I sanded, the somewhat stiff fabric went back to soft - especially on the seat cushions.
Day 3. It was starting to look better but I was still unsure. The color wasn't the rich tone I wanted and I could still see red. Another sanding and a 3rd coat of paint...
the sunlight really makes it look darker... I wanted a deep purple-gray.
Day 4. Here is a shot of it after sanding. The better job you do on the sanding the softer the fabric will be. Now to start the wax - yes, I said wax. I used Minwax Finishing Paste wax in clear. After the 3rd coat was sanded and wiped down I started waxing, I recruited my son to help on this so it is very easy to do.
you can see the arm looks softer and has a sheen to it - like leather now. The wax does soften it and at the end it feels like a heavy leather that has been broke in. I plan on re-waxxing it every 6 months to year as needed. The best part - repels stains :-)
Here she is when we finished the wax
a close up- it has a distressed leather look and feel. When people see it they think it is leather - they do not believe me that I painted the fabric. What do you think? I did this in January and it still looks the same - no cracks or issues. It does not smell funny and nothing comes off on your clothes. I love that the dog hair does not stick to it, we do not allow her on the couch but she sits against the front of it all the time.
Suggested materials:
  • Dutch Boy Platinum Latex Paint   (Menards)
  • Calcium Carbonate   (https://www.amazon.com/Carbonate-Greenway-Biotech-Inc-Limestone/dp/B00HFFD3O8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid)
  • Minwax Finishing Paste Wax - Clear   (Menards)
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Kari Durand
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Joyce Joyce on Oct 06, 2019

    Can this be done on fabric dinning chairs on swivels, new table chairs in great condition but color is wrong. Anything simpler for a 70+ woman? Thanks, joyce

  • Roxy Roxy on Apr 20, 2021

    Can you use this method on a leather faded chaise?

  • Glenda Addison Glenda Addison on May 20, 2022

    Can you do this with a leather love seat with cigarette burns in the arm?

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  • Terry Terry on Oct 30, 2020

    Turned out great. I make my own chalk paint as well. I recently saw another couch painting on microfiber fabric and she added fabric softener to her paint (not chalk paint), which I thought was a good thing too. Made the microfiber material feel like leather.

  • Tiffany Ray Tiffany Ray on Jan 01, 2024

    I have a couch that I absolutely LOATHE now. I liked it years ago and it was a hand me down from my mom then BUT I have moved and I would love a new one but I have a new home and we have it decorated like a farm house and it’s on a farm. We have dogs in the house and a mini pig. 🐷 Olive is super clean and smart so don’t think she’s gross lol. We are in Texas and it’s pretty normal. Anyway, the point is my hubby doesn’t want to buy new furniture until the dogs are older and be sure they don’t tear it up. Now I am so tempted to do this!!! I could keep it for years if I was happy with the color!!! I’m just afraid it wouldn’t come out right and I would ruin it and we would be forced to buy new…I guess that wouldn’t be the end of the world lol. Jk I get it. So, is there everything you did in the instructions and any other helpful hints you can give me??? I’m skeeered but I’m gonna go for it!! Thank u so much!!

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