Walnut Vinyl & Leather Finish
Walnut is a medium neutral brown. It is lighter than Chocolate and less golden than Tobacco.
$16 – $79
Use our water-based finishes to restore and condition:
- absorbent aniline and semi-aniline leather,
- non-absorbent full-grain or top-grain leather,
- and vinyl upholstery.
Our finishes won’t sunfade or backstain like leather dyes. They don't feel plasticky, flake or peel like spray paints. Each bottle comes with gloves and stir stick.
Do not use on fabric, suede, nubuck, bonded or faux leather.
Store in a temperate, dark place away from children.
Click here for SDS (Safety Data Sheets) and ingredient information.
Changing color is best suited to absorbent leather.
Thorough cleaning and testing for adhesion are critical!
The following are not good candidates and will require touch-up:
- non-absorbent materials that repel water;
- cracking, scaly, thinning upholstery;
- furniture with lots of wrinkles, folds, deep creases (and therefore stress);
- upholstery that is exposed to harsh chemicals, rough kids and dogs;
- changing from medium, dark, or bold colors to very pale colors;
- and bonded, faux or polyurethane (PU) ‘leather’ which resist all coatings.
Here's what wear looks like on non-absorbent leather or vinyl:
Touch-up is easy and minimized by:
- choosing a color that complements the original;
- choosing a color similar in value (light vs. dark);
- mottling the new color to let a little of the original color influence in some areas and create a marbled or distressed appearance, 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 2x-3x the volume of color. Use a coat of Clay or Stone as a primer to minimize this.
Our products are water-based acrylic finishes (paints) that look and feel natural. Consider a heavier urethane or aerosol for color changing boat or auto upholstery.
You can order handmade swatches of leather or vinyl refinished with our colors to see how they compare.
Or send us a sample. For a $120 fee, we will formulate a unique color and keep it on file. 8 oz. is the order minimum and a separate cost. There's a re-mix fee if you ever need more.
Samples should be at least 2" x 3" in size and can be:
- Original leather or vinyl (found underneath cushions or pull some staples and trim from the frame);
- Cushion case (please indicate which area you want matched with a piece of painters tape);
- Headrest, fuse panel cover, or component from a vehicle;
- Paint chip from a hardware store (beware, the paint chip may not actually match the material).
Please print out and include the Color Request Form and mail to:
Rub 'n Restore, Inc.
PO Box 1149 (US mail only)
39585 Lund Rd (UPS / FedEx / DHL only)
Paonia, CO 81428 USA
Colors and Clear Prep+Finish™ cover the same area.
These estimates can vary based upon quality and condition of material.
- 2 oz. covers ~ 15 – 20 square feet
- 4 oz. covers ~ 30 – 40 square feet
- 8 oz. covers ~ 60 – 80 square feet
- 16 oz. covers ~ 120 – 160 square feet
Choose an option below to get a quantity recommendation:
Buy it if you:
- have absorbent leather or dry, sun-rotted vinyl;
- want to dilute color to create a marbled, distressed, or burnished appearance;
- or want a shiny finish.
Answer these three questions to determine what clear finish, if any, is needed.
Orders received before 10 am MST on weekdays (excluding US holidays) are usually shipped same-day.
Most domestic orders are shipped via Priority Mail unless otherwise requested and typically arrive in 2-4 business days. Packages over 5 lbs. as well as all Canadian and international orders are shipped via UPS.
We are not responsible for delays and cannot refund shipping costs except for UPS Next Day Air.
You will receive an automated email with tracking number. Please secure your package in a timely fashion to avoid freezing during winter months.
Canadian and international Customers, use coupon code internationalCLUB (case and space sensitive) to discount the freight and duties on 8 or 16 oz. bottles of color. Rub 'n Restore, Inc. is not responsible for duties, tariffs or other expenses incurred.
Return & Exchange Policy
We accept returns or exchanges of the following products within 60 days of purchase:
- any 8 oz. or 16 oz. color or clear finish (a restocking fee may apply to leaking or used bottles)
- unopened 2 oz. and 4 oz. colors and clear finishes*
- unopened adhesives, kits or tools*
- unopened filler*
- unopened cleaner*
Sorry, we do not accept returns of:
- opened cleaner, filler, 2 oz. or 4 oz. colors or clear finishes, or adhesives,
- colors that have been modified,
- Custom Colors.
*PLEASE NOTE: The shipping cost to return / exchange a single unopened 2 oz. color, 2 oz. clear, 4 oz. clear, 1 oz. filler, or cleaner may cost more than the product itself and result in little or no refund or exchange credit.
We subsidize UPS 2nd Day and Next Day Air rates for orders that qualify for free shipping (and would normally ship UPS Ground or Priority Mail). We recoup this cost on returns and exchanges. For example:
- If you paid $14 for UPS 2nd Day Air, our cost was $22, and we'll recoup the $8 difference.
If you request a return label, the cost will be deducted from any return or exchange. Read our complete return policy here.
See more pictures on Linda's blog Lime in the Coconut.
Next is my couch. It started out a beige colour. I dyed that to taupe (maybe even when the chair was still taupe) and that was great. it was wearing VERY well. Nothing wearing off at all. It just looked like it had almost a greenish tinge to it...it was probably my imagination. But, it wasn't working for me (I am an incredibly indecisive person...which is why this product works for me). I probably had the wrong idea of the colour it was supposed to be. I must have been expecting (or hoping for) more of a greige or a linen colour. Anyway, I went over that with the walnut as well after a bit and was planning on distressing it to look like the chair but it was working much better for the couch than it did the chair (most likely because the couch had a lot of texture). I actually really liked the way the dye on the couch was wearing down. It gave me the distressed look I like so much. Now, though...it's getting a bit TOO worn out. I can just take my dye and freshen it up if I wanted (and may still do that)....but as I've been changing the room around...I'm feeling like I want to go lighter (again...I'm an indecisive person who likes changing things up). That way if it wears down, it wont be quite as big a contrast. So, I've started work on stripping the dark colour to help that. It's actually coming up quite easily.....I'm wondering if maybe I didn't prep my couch properly and the dye isn't sticking quite as well as it should because of it. But, I do have a ton of kids that are hard on the furniture.
Lots of people have seen my couches and they are really impressed and I know several people have gone and bought some for themselves.
So, my overall review is that the product is easy to use, makes a huge difference and is great because you can change it up whenever you want. But, I think it is probably best if kept close to the original colour (stay dark or stay light) just because it becomes so obvious when it wears down. Neither of my pieces had colour wear, stains or sun fading originally. I just wanted them a different colour. This is a super amazing product, especially if used for its intended purpose (to restore a piece...not drastically change it).