Before & After: Rocking Chair Makeover for a New Generation
This chair has been in Stephanie’s family for generations — she was rocked to sleep in it as a baby, and so was her granddad! She wanted to keep it around as a treasured piece of family history, but she also wanted to give it a little update — the result? A lovely chair with a fabulous new look, ready to rock the next generation… Stephanie’s new baby!
Here’s Stephanie’s story:
Having no previous experience with upholstery I was a little nervous about tearing into something so old, but ultimately had a great time redesigning and reupholstering it for our little boy or girl. I never, EVER would have thought that I’d be painting the wood blue, but my love for stripping and staining wood has had to be put on hold during pregnancy, and after getting various fabric swatches picked out… blue ended up being our final decision. I was hoping to make something that would look cute for either a boy or a girl, but also not look too “juvenile” in our living room, being that we are in a tiny apartment and there’s just not enough space for it in the bedroom/nursery.
The stool was made for me by my grandfather when I was little. He had originally painted it white and stenciled some flowers on it, but in middle school I repainted it… quite hideously. Hopefully I’ve redeemed myself by deciding to upholster it, making it into this little furry thing. I do think having the furry stool to go with the rocking chair creates the overall more contemporary look I was hoping for.
Materials used:
• Ikat fabric is “Khanjali Glacier” by Robert Allen / Decorative Fabrics Direct
• Chevron fabric (on back of chair) is “Village Blue on Natural” by Premier Prints / FabricGuru
• Furry white clearance fabric! / Hancock Fabrics
• Valspar, blue latex paint (sample size!)
• Martha Stewart Faux Finishing Glaze (with a warm hue added, to knock-down the brightness of the pastel blue…)
Total cost: approximately $90
Thanks, Stephanie!
(Images: Stephanie McCloud)