Expert: Eileen Cronk - 12/12/2007

Question
I have an antique leather-topped coffee table.  The leather has been damaged and needs to be replaced.  I would like to attempt to do it myself.  Where do go to buy this kind of leather?  Thanks in advance, Vlad.

Answer
Hi Vlad
Nice to hear from you.
Vlad it depends if this is real leather or synthetic.
Newer furniture will have synthetic leather.
Personally I have never seen one of these tables with real leather, and in fact I cannot tell you if leather on table tops was a 20th century thing or much older.
However, first check to see if its real.
Very easy to tell the fake. Just look on the back of it.
The fake stuff will have a cotton like material as a backing. This holds it together.
The real stuff will have nothing.
If you want the fake stuff, all upholestry and fabric stores sell it.
I am in Canada and we have a chain of such stores called "Fabric Land". They sell every type of fabric imaginable.
If no such stores exist in your area, any local upholestry shop will have some. Maybe real leather too, but certainly a leather shop carries real leather.
Personally I would shy away from the real leather as I fear the glue needed would ruin the leather.
And take a piece of the old stuff along as a sample to show the store.
Good Luck and great question
Regards
Eileen