This chair was headed for the dumpster, when a good friend called me and told me to come check it out. The seat was broken and the fabric was questionable, in both style and cleanliness, but there was certainly potential for a great chair. I knew that this would be a fun and easy weekend project to work on.
What you'll need:
- 1 yard of fabric
- 1 yard of muslin
- 1 piece of 1 inch foam cut to size
- Stapler
- 1 quart paint
- Primer
- Water based polycrylic
- Paint brush
- 120 grit sandpaper
The first thing I did was remove the seat from the frame of the chair. I would have to replace the seat, but I kept the original around for measuring purposes. I had some 1 inch MDF board lying around so I used that for the new seat, but plywood or most woods would do. (Remember - be resourceful and make things easy on yourself by using materials that you already have). After tracing the dimensions of the old seat on the MDF board, I cut it using an inexpensive electric jigsaw.
Because I wanted to paint the body, my first steps included quickly sanding the frame with 120 grit sandpaper and applying a light coat of a water-based primer. I had some hi-gloss white and light grey latex paint in my basement, so I mixed the two together to create a lovely bone white. After applying 3 coats of the mixed paint on the chair, I applied a coat of a hi gloss polycrylic for extra shine and protection. If you want your piece to be really glossy, choose to brush the polycrylic on rather than using a spray can.
Time to work on the seat. I knew I wanted a bright patterned fabric, so I went with Swanky Swell's Mum Mustard cotton fabric. I bought a yard, which was more than enough. I'll use the scraps later on to make a cool lamp shade (to be seen in future post!) I cut a piece of 1-inch foam to the size of the seat and stapled its edges to the board. I wrapped and stapled one piece of muslin over that, and finally wrapped and stapled the Mum Mustard fabric. Make sure to fold your fabric appropriately to your seat to avoid awkward wrinkles.
Bolt the seat back into the chair's frame. Now sit, relax, and enjoy a weekend-restored accent chair.
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Love it! I have a chair re-do project that I really should get started on... I'm still debating on some of the details though.
Very nice. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of the lamp project using the leftover fabric.
Very pretty result!
Darn! As beautiful as it turned out, I thought the first picture was the "before," so I was expecting the "after" to be even MORE beautiful.
lovely chair. really like the fabric used - it works well against the white bone colour painted onto the wood. looking forward to seeing the lamp too!
I've got several old dingy chairs. This is SO inspiring! Really appreciate the detailed instructions, too - I'd never have known to put on several coats of paint plus a top coat, for example. Thank you!
thanks for the great tips- I have a similar project that I keep putting off haha
Agree with abracat, like all the other before & afters, I thought we'd see the before, first, and was a little confused.
adorable! will be trying this wkend!
Making over a chair is such a simple thing to do, and it's so much better than going out and buying a brand new piece! Not only is it eco friendly, but also a fun pastime! :)
Great job. I have a chair fetish so this is right up my alley.
Very nice change!
beautiful!!
i have a similar project i'm almost ready to do, but where can i find 1" foam for one chair seat? i feel like everywhere i look they only have large quantities for replacing couch cushions?
@lisajoy - I would check craft stores or big box fabric stores. Some place like Joann's, for example.
Oh, nicely done! Chair like this is like getting a new bag or pair of shoes: useful, but adds a pop of style.
Awesome!!