Yeli Heidecker (@yeli.heidecker) documented her efforts in a video series she called ‘ruining my couches with leather paint.'”
4
4
She brought her followers on her journey of restoring and repainting the chair as a creative outlet.
The influencer has 61,000 TikTok followers and shares videos about decluttering, cleaning, and DIY projects.
The first video showed Yeli painting the chair white.
Overlaid text read: “Me trying to explain to my husband how these old leather couches are killing the ‘aesthetic’ and so I ‘HAD’ to refurbish and paint it because my ADHD brain is hyper-fixated.”
The influencer initially painted the recliner white, but decided that she didn’t like the look of the pale color.
She faced significant backlash from her viewers after posting the first video, as they questioned her creative decisions.
One person wrote: “My heart hurts…leather is so beautiful.”
Another said: “If someone decided that my recliner had to be changed because it didn’t fit their aesthetic that would be the end of the relationship. Zero exceptions.”
In the second video in the series, Yeli explained that the couch was 20 years old and would otherwise have been thrown away.
She also said that it technically belonged to her rather than her husband, as it was given to her by her father seven years ago.
As it was in such bad shape and covered with scratches, she decided to try painting it instead of trashing it to see if it would look better.
After the white coat of paint dried, Yeli went in with a tan color and added three layers of brown paint.
She said: “I know the brown I’m painting right now is very similar to the one that was there before, but the couch was very old and needed some TLC.”
She was happy with the initial result and said: “So far I am actually obsessed with it.”
After adding the second coat, the influencer said: “Some of you have said that it looks like a glazed donut and right now it does because it’s not complete and is super shiny.
“When I add the sealant, it will be more matte.”
Between the second and third coats of paint, Yeli sanded the chair down to ensure the paint was even.
Yeli was pleased with the result once she had finished painting the chair.
She said: “The leather has no scratches, it doesn’t feel sticky, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to crack.”
She addressed the negative response to her choices in the second, third, and fourth videos in her series.
She said: “I just can’t understand how people can be so rude,” in response to some of the discouraging comments.
The final reveal of the finished chair elicited a mixed reaction from her followers.
One person wrote: “I had my doubts but you delivered!”
Another supporter said: “I’m impressed by how you kept going and saw the process through despite all the discouragement.”
Some viewers were not a fan of Yeli’s chair restoration, however.
One commenter said: “I preferred the original color but it’s your home not mine. As long as you like it that’s what matters.”
4
4