Tender Leather Care

Information may not be reliable

Call us today for a free estimate! Or email us photos of work you need done with your phone number and we'll call you back.
(805) 965-1741 tlcsb@verizon.net

Expert Leather Furniture Repair serving Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Santa Ynez
We recolor, repair, and restore fine leather furniture. With over 15 years of quality craftsmanship, you can trust us to make your treasured furniture look like it just shipped from the factory.

We come to you - at your house or your boat at the marina! Serving the greater Santa Barbara and Ventura areas, including Santa Barbara, Goleta, Ventura, Santa Ynez, Oxnard, Carpinteria, Solvang, and Ohai. We repair leather furniture, automobile leather, and sailboat and motorboat leather seating.

How We Can Help
What can be done to return your leather to its original beauty and protect your investment? As leather ages, you may notice many different conditions develop. Because leather is such a strong material, it is possible to completely refinish it--bring it back to a nearly new look. The results can really be amazing. Cleaning and Conditioning
In high use areas, light soiling from dust and dirt from clothing can put a fine layer on the surface of the leather that acts a sanding agent. This can cause your top coat to be compromised. Once this barrier is thin or gone, dirt can work its way into the leather causing further damage. The color will begin to fade and crack at this point leaving the leather open and unprotected.
Cleaning is the first line of defense in protecting your investment. We recommend that leather furniture be cleaned professionally once a year or more as conditions warrant. Conditioner should be applied to keep your leather soft and supple--more frequently in dryer climates. Open grain and nude type leather require special care.

The process used to dye leather has many stages. Several layers of dye are applied and each layer is dried. Once the desired color is obtained, a final clear layer called the top coat is applied. The top coat acts as a shield against soiling and protects the color. It also gives you the different feels known as the "hand" of the leather. At this stage the sheen can also be adjusted by putting additives into the top coat.
A common problem is the loss of color and a dull look in high use areas such as seating areas and arms. If the leather is exposed to the sunlight, the original dye may fade. Dryness can cause the surface to crack. Most of these conditions can be helped or completely fixed by cleaning and re-dyeing the areas.
At TLC we custom match our dyes to restore your furniture to its original condition. After dyeing, the top coat is applied to bring back the protection that was compromised.
Restoration and Repair
Most scuffs, scratches, and small tears are repairable. If there are large tears or the leather is dry and cracked all the way through, panel replacement may be the way to restore the piece. We custom match and dye leather to the original color and work with upholsters to do the installation.
Stains are treated by matching the color of the leather and re-dyeing the area.

We are extremely pleased with the craftsmanship you have displayed in rehabilitating this beautiful 35 year old Danish classic sectional sofa that we purchased at Ilum Boleghaus, world's greatest furniture store, in Copenhagen years ago.

Tender Leather Care of Santa Barbara (805) 965-1741 tlcsb@verizon.net