I purchased this painted chair as a restoration project for $50. It was made by the Old Hickory Tannery around 2001. I believe it may be aniline leather. After trial and error I was able to remove almost all paint however I had to resort to using paint stripper as nothing else worked. Once most of the paint was removed I used mineral spirits, then Dawn dish soap and warm water to remove any left over residue.I have been using a high pressure steamer to soften and remove the remaining paint chips from the seams. The seat and seat back are dry, stiff and cracked. The arms have more significant damage I am hoping can be salvaged. I can’t tell if the darkness on the arm rest is soiled or if the leather has been compromised with the harsh solvents I used. It has always been much darker than the rest leading me to believe it was heavily soiled before it was painted. However it is tacky and peeling now. I tried using leather cleaner and conditioner which has lightened it some but I am afraid I am just causing more damage.
What can I do to salvage this chair? It is otherwise in good used condition. I’m not opposed to dying if needed but I would like to try to keep the original light color if possible.