This warm weather has been singing my SONG! I'm sitting on our balcony as I write this and am positively loving how sticky my hands feel in the 81 degree humidity. I've been out here for hours sipping wine and working on this next installation in the 2017 Flip List:

Item No.5: Play with Leather

(No not like that)

When I set out to play with leather, I wasn't talking 50 Shades of Grey here (but I dare you to raise your hand if you went there. Jk). I've used leather in projects before (see this 2015 and this 2016 Furniture Flip Bucket List post) but working with leather or a leather-like fabric on a large scale intimidates me. They can be difficult to manipulate but when done properly they are beautiful!

So when I set out to find the perfect material for this project, I ended up coming home with some high-end distressed pleather. As much as I wanted to use real leather, I couldn't find (or even afford for that matter) the amount I needed. But the pleather ended up being a nice way to easy myself into project - and the end result still very beautiful.

When I bought the original bench, it was covered in a very traditional, very unfortunate fabric. And it was infested with cat hair.

I spent more than I normally would on a raw piece I planned to modify, but that cane was in impeccable condition and I really like the clean lines.

If you know me and Chelsea, you know we are always down for a good camel leather. And believe me, I was tempted to recover this baby with a dreamy caramel color. But I was worried it would get lost against the warm wood tone. So I chose black as an edgier alternative. Plus, as Chelsea and I believe, leather is totally a neutral. And black goes with everything. Yes it's a strong contrast and a tad masculine in color scheme but it is still balanced by it's inherently feminine details!

The dainty cane allows the piece to "breathe" as Chelsea would say and not feel like a heavy item in the room.

Each corner of the frame even has a little antique brass floral nail head.

This project was also a level up in my upholstery game because this was my first time using piping - which ended up being easier than I thought I'm happy to say!