Alone in a dark corner, she captured my heart! Isn't this chair awesome? I paid around $5 for it at an Atlanta Mission thrift store, which I considered a steal! It's awfully utilitarian looking, so I imagine it came from either a dinette set, or it was a desk chair.
The wood was dry as a bone, but I loved the patina and the wear. I decided that all I wanted to do with the wood was to condition it. I've used butcher block conditioner before on a previous project, so I knew that it would do the trick.
So I have to say that this is a very easy project that even a beginner DIY'er can do. If you gather your materials ahead of time, this should take less than an hour from start to finish. To remove the cushion from the chair you will need a screwdriver. This is pretty much standard for all chair cushions. Save the screws and set them aside.
Next you'll need to remove the fabric from the cushion. This will most likely be attached with staples. My tool of choice for doing this is a flat-head screwdriver. Occasionally a set of pliers will be needed to pull a stubborn staple out. Discard the fabric and staples, set the cushion base (wood or mdf) aside. I was all too happy to throw out the nasty Naugahyde covering my chair. Ew.
Now that we're out with the old, it's time to bring in the new. I have a piece of cushion foam ready to go.
I simply laid the wood base from the seat onto the foam and traced around it.
I cut it out and was ready to put some fabric back on. A half of a yard of fabric is plenty for a project like this. Here are three different fabrics that I was considering:
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| All of these fabrics are from Hobby Lobby. Love them! I decided to go with the gray chevron fabric, and saved the other two for future projects. |
I used the same method as the foam to cut out my fabric, except it left a wide enough border so that I could wrap it around to the back. Being careful that my fabric was straight, I put one staple in the middle of each side. (Seriously, you NEED a staple gun!) I then began working my way out from each middle to the sides, periodically checking that my fabric wasn't moving.
Once your fabric is on, reattach the seat to the chair using the screws that you removed at the beginning. And you're done!
A single chair project is a great first project if you're interested in reupholstering pieces. Don't be intimidated; just jump right in. What do you think? Do you like the wood, or would you have painted it?
XOXO,
AbbyLabels: antique, DIY, easy, Refinish, wood
