Could I have advise to darken a green sun faded sofa?

[stutterstep]

I joined after I read a lot and now I would like to ask for advise.  I have a Flexsteel hunter green sofa.  At first I wanted to dye it brown but have lost my nerve and decided I like the green enough to leave it alone.  But the cushions, back and arms are faded and I do want to darken them to their original color which is a traditional dark hunter green.  Would Fiebings green oil dye darken it to that color?  In the color swatches it looks kelly green so I wondered what your experience with it are.  I would not be against mixing dyes to get that color, so I wondered what you think about that. 

[NVLeatherWorx]

The green Fiebing's dye is really just a plain green but it does take on a more Kelly green look on the swatches as you pointed out.  I can tell you from experience that when it dries (the first application) it is a pretty vibrant green and it gets darker with each following application.  You can also tinker with blending the oil dyes and some of the antique paste products to generate alternate hues of the base dye colors for that unique look.  

However, with all of that said, you would probably not want to attempt this task in the first place as there is no guarantee that your sofa could even accept the dyes and/or stains as it most likely not a type of leather that will readily allow color penetration and it is most definitely treated and sealed as a protective measure and attempting to remove that treatment could damage the leather beyond repair or functional use.  Typically, the leathers used for upholstery are a "one and done" thing and can not be refinished to meet the original color scheme.  You can clean them and condition them (although it is questionable as to how much conditioning really happens when you do so) but that is about the extent of where you can go with it.  I get this question all of the time and always after the person has attempted a "suggested" fix for their dilemma only to have results that totally missed the mark on what was being attempted and now they want a solid fix; tough to tell them that they are basically stuck with that "used vintage" look but this type of leather does not work the same way as the type we use to make the things we do (vegetable-tanned cowhide).

Sorry the news isn't more positive but the risk of causing serious damage to your sofa is too great.  However, the decision is still yours if you want to attempt such a thing.  Good luck.

[stutterstep]

Thank you NVLeatherWorx.  I really appreciate you took the time to thoroughly explain what you've learned.  One more question.  I started wiping a cushion with a concoction and can't remember what it was, but it had lemon juice.  Maybe alcohol.  Trying to remove any surface sealer to allow the dye to penetrate.  Anyway, when the leather got wet, it turned the color I do want, then dried light again.  Is there any product I could use that would do that and stay dark?  Probably you'll say no.  But I had to ask.  Thanks!

[NVLeatherWorx]

I am not aware of a cleaner that will leave it the darkened state but who knows, there may be something out there on the market or in someone's closet.  It sounds like the "concoction" you are talking about might be a blend of lemon juice, white vinegar, and some distilled water.  There are so many recipe's out there for stuff you can't keep them straight anymore.  If you use anything alcohol based then you might want to consider the highest percentage available that you can find.  There is a product on the market that might help you at least cut through the stuff that you want to remove so the leather can absorb some dye and it is called Deglazer and it is made by Fiebing's (also available at Tandy, Springfield Leather, and most of the other online leather supply places) but it can be really harsh on the leather and will just about bleach it if the project is tough.  Works like a champ but most are afraid of it.  I would recommend that whatever you do, whether it be on a cushion or the sofa itself that you try the process on an area of the sofa that is hidden away from common view to see how it works.  Seeing a small test result of your plan and the results will help you adjust what needs to be done for the final steps and also allows you to modify the product(s) used to do the job without missing the mark on the whole thing.

Good luck with your project.