Peppercorn Vinyl & Leather Finish

Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 36 customer ratings

$16.00 – $70.00

Peppercorn is a dark grey color. It has a very cool, blue tone which can be neutralized with Espresso.

All Colors and Clear Prep+Finish™ cover the same square footage. These estimates can vary based upon quality and condition of material:

2 oz. bottle ≈ one coat on 15 – 20 square feet (or three coats on 5 – 6 square feet) = $16 color / $8 clear
4 oz. bottle ≈ one coat on 30 – 40 square feet (or three coats on 10 - 13 square feet) = $30 color / $14 clear
8 oz. bottle ≈ one coat on 60 – 80 square feet (or three coats on 20 - 26 square feet) = $48 color / $21 clear
16 oz. bottle ≈ one coat on 120 – 160 square feet (or three coats on 40 - 53 square feet) = $70 color / $31 clear

Other factors to consider:

Type of material - Real leather often restores in 1-3 coats of color. Vinyl can take an extra coat or two. Don't invest in faux leather until reading this.
Condition - Sun-rotted vinyl and worn, absorbent leather will drink up a more product than those in better condition. Use Clear Prep+Finish™ or a glaze (mix of color and Clear) as a primer.
Color change - Going from red / dark to pale will require double, perhaps even triple, the volume of color and is discouraged for this reason. Please learn more about color changes.
Touch-up - Pieces that are in rougher condition or receive heavy use (dogs, routine disinfectant cleaning) may require touch-up, particularly with color changes. This is easy, and our finishes keep well for years.
Custom Colors - 8 oz. is the order minimum; 16 oz. is a better value in light of the matching fee.

Project / Object	Qty for Touching Up Similar Color (usually 1-3 coats)	Qty for Color Change (varies, typically 2-8 coats)
Dining Chair	2 oz.	2 - 4 oz.
Club Chair	2 - 4 oz.	4 - 8 oz.
Recliner Chair	2 - 8 oz.	8 oz.
2 Seat Loveseat	4 - 8 oz.	8 - 16 oz.
3 Seat Sofa	4 - 8 oz.	16 oz.
5-7 Seat Sectional	8 - 16 oz.	16 oz. - 24 oz.
Sofa & Loveseat	8 - 16 oz.	16 oz. - 24 oz.
Sofa, Loveseat & Chair	8 - 24 oz.	32 oz.
Spa Cover (like new)	8 oz. Clear + 8 oz. Color	8 oz. Clear + 16 oz. Color
Spa Cover (weathered)	16 oz. Clear + 8 oz. Color	16 oz. Clear + 16 oz. Color
Auto Interior	2 - 8 oz.	Not recommended
Boat Interior	4 oz - 16 oz.	Not recommended

Use our conditioning colors to restore:

absorbent aniline and semi-aniline leather
non-absorbent full-grain leather
and vinyl upholstery.

Our finishes won’t sunfade or backstain like leather dyes. They won’t alter the feel, flake or peel like spray paints. Each bottle comes with gloves and stir stick. Sponge sold separately.

Do not use on fabric, suede, nubuck or faux (bonded) leather.

If you can feel the damage, such that a gentle sanding won’t correct it, then it would benefit from repair.

Isolated cat scratches, small scrapes or nicks on real leather (like the images below) are best repaired with tiny beads of super glue catalyzed with sanding. Learn how here.

Picture of cat scratches on real leather

Picture of cat claw scratches on aniline leather arm

Picture of leather couch seat with cat scratches

Picture of minor scuffs on back corner of leather furniture

More severe ‘scratching post’ damage, scaliness, cracking, and vinyl should be repaired with a flexible filler. Any holes must first be subpatched, before filler can be applied. This article has more info and a video demonstration. For holes larger than 3" in diameter, consider glueing a top-patch of similar material to the subpatch before applying filler.

Picture of leather furniture used as a cat scratching post

Close-up picture of worn, chafed leather

Close-up photo of leather cracking along its natural grain

Picture of giant hole in leather couch and foam stuffing caused by dog

We do not recommend repairing peeling faux leather or bonded leather. Learn how and why here.

Picture of cracking faux leather that will start peeling

Picture of faux leather beginning to peel away from its backing

Faux leathers that wear more naturally down to their fabric backing can be painted using these instructions. No filler is needed.

Picture of brown faux leather surface worn down to red fabric

Picture of flaking, peeling faux leather with polyester backing

Filler is available in 1 oz. and 2 oz. tubs either alone or in a kit with application tools and sandpaper.

Type of Damage	Total Area of Damage	Filler Needed
Scaly, cracked, worn or thin but no large holes or voids	4 sq ft (2ft x 2 ft)	1 oz.
Scaly, cracked worn or thin but no large holes or voids	8 sq ft (2 ft x 4 ft)	2 oz.
Holes or tears (requires a subpatch & more layers of filler)	12 sq in (1 in x 1 ft)	1 oz.
Holes or tears (requires a subpatch & more layers of filler)	24 sq in (2 in x 1 ft)	2 oz.

Changing color is fun but not for everyone!

Change Color	Match Color
More product needed	Less product needed
More labor required	Less labor involved
Touch-up likely and varies	Little to no touch-up
Available now	Wait until sample received; our turnover is swift
May be as expensive as matching, depending on scope of project	Matching fee; 8 oz. order minimum for Advanced Custom Color
Discouraged for auto, RV, boat interiors	Recommended for auto, RV, boat upholstery, primary or secondary colors

Absorbent leathers are the best candidates for a color change. The following are not good candidates due to the greater potential for touch-up:

damaged, scaly, thinning upholstery;
loosely upholstered furniture with lots of wrinkles and folds (and therefore stress);
pieces that receive a lot of contact with chemicals / liquids or rough kids and critters (particularly dog claws);
changing from medium, dark, or bold colors to very pale colors;
or bonded, faux or polyurethane (PU) ‘leather’ which resist all coatings (including their own).

Here's what wear can look like:

Deeper lines or creases receive more stress.

Our finishes wear naturally, resulting in a distressed look.

Picture of beige leather changed to Cognac and then scratched by dog claws

Dog claws can quickly scuff a new finish, just as they did the original leather.

Easy rub-off indicates inadequate cleaning.

The color may flake if applied too thickly and allowed to pool in the grain.

This is easily corrected by thinning the color with alcohol and reapplying.

Touch-up is easy and minimized by:

choosing a color that complements the original or has a similar value (light vs. dark);
dabbing, stippling, or printing the color to create a marbled or distressed appearance, rather than a solid color, so future wear looks natural and intended.

Whites and off-whites get poorer coverage. If you are changing from dark or red to pale, you may need 2-3 times the quantity of color. Consider a coat of Stone grey as a primer to minimize this.