De Sede Sofa Cleaning & Repair
Hi Roger,
I recently acquired a vintage (likely from the '80s) black leather De Sede sofa that I'm looking to clean, recondition, and repair. The leather has a nice full grain, is quite thick, and appears to be pigmented. When I place a small drop of water on the surface of the cushions or frame it beads up and is not immediately absorbed. Please let me know if there are any additional tests I should perform to confirm the leather type.
Its prior maintenance history is unknown to me, including what products may have been used on it in the past, if any. The color is solid and uniform, without much if any fading, and the leather itself is soft and supple in most areas. There are a few spots, such as on one of the armrests, where it feels slightly harder and rougher to the touch. My guess is that these areas could use rehydration.
My main concern is that the sofa gives off what seems like a musty-smoky smell, which is especially noticeable when it's exposed to sunlight. This leads me to believe it may have been previously exposed to cigarette smoke, as I don't see any stains that would directly suggest a different source. However, I'm open to your suggestions on how to narrow down the cause of the odor.
In additional to cleaning, there are a small number of damaged areas I'd like to repair:
- Small scuffs on the front of the legs, one of which shows through white underneath. These are barely detectable by touch.
- Scrapes on the rear of each leg that are slightly more severe, where the surface of the leather has been removed. These are each approximately 1/4" in diameter and it looks like some black dye may have been applied at some point.
- A longer scrape on the side, but where the leather is still mainly intact.
- An impression ("dent") in the leather along the back that looks like it was caused by being pressed up against something.
Your advice and recommendations on how to proceed with the Leather Doctor system would be greatly appreciated!
Sofa overall:
Back left leg:
Back right leg:
Front right leg:
Right side scrape:
Back impression:
Back scrape/wear:
