Looks like it'd be easy enough to re-upholster yourself, and as for legs as long as they're bolted on tight I don't think it'd matter. If you love the chair, go for it! Worst case is you spend a few bucks, don't like the result, and leave it out for someone else to tackle!

I would tackle the stability of the chair first and then the upholstery. If you don't think it is stable enough, toss it.

Thinking outside the box, take the remaining leg off, reupholster it, and it's a fancy dog bed. (Have you seen what they charge for those??)

This chair has really good lines. Take it to a good upholsterer to see if it is salvageable re structural integrity. Get an estimate for labor if it is OK. Then shop around for great discount fabric. If it looks like it is going to cost too much try selling it. The multitude of curves make it more difficult to upholstery for a DIY. It is a good find.

It could look great. Just make sure it doesn't have bedbugs before you bring it into your home. In my city they say not to take upholstered furniture out of the trash because the bugs have become really bad here.

Ditto to awallnut

There are recent articles all over the place about the proliferation of bedbugs in the US. Keep curbside finds in a shed, on a deck under a tarp, anywhere but inside your home until you've determined that it isn't infested.

New leg source.

There are many sources that sell uphostery legs. This is one.

http://www.diyupholsterysupply.com/furniture-leg.html

Definitely check for bed bugs before you do anything - eeks!

"Oh yum!" was my first thought. I could totally see that being an adorable reupholstered piece! Love the lines.

But now the bedbug thing is totally creeping me out. Is there anyway to get rid of them? I have a garage and a covered area in my backyard that I could leave it for awhile until the buggies leave. But is that enough? Is there a spray or anything that could work to speed the process?

If you're new to upholstery, I'd think twice about taking on this particular chair. It has a lot of curvy details that will be really tricky to maneuver. I've done a few chairs and a loveseat and I personally don't think I'd be up to this chair. But your mileage may vary... If you're eager to try you hand to re-upholstery, maybe you could check freecycle or cragislist for a chair with simpler lines? Just my 2 cents.

Way to reduce/reuse/recycle btw!

I would recommend carefully removing the upholstery and then using it as a pattern. If you've never re-upholstered something (I haven't) I would think deconstructing the chair would give you a good idea how to re-construct it.

Good luck!

How tight are the springs? If there's no support in the seat, it's probably not worth your time, esp. if you've not reupholstered before. (Recovering is far easier.)

I don't know the first thing about reupholstering but I LOVE the lines of this chair. If you are new to it, I bet you can make it look great from the front, even if there are folds in the back, put it against the wall! I say go for it, and since it was free, I would use something fun and funky! Although, probably easier to use something with a pattern that you wouldn't notice if it was not perfectly straight.

why wouldn't bedbugs just abandon the chair and move into your house? the shed is not a vault. for that matter, they could settle down for months and just wait you out. hit the thing with a very high heat fabric steamer like 120 degrees, find a heater large enough to put it inside of for 15 minutes or a freezer to leave it in for a day. that would kill the bugs.

There are lots of sources for finding legs. You can search "legs" (or anything else, for that matter) our online buyer's guide here: http://upholsteryjournalmag.com/buyersguide

You might want to discuss your project with a local upholsterer. They're usually pretty willing to give advice if you have a question, or do part of the work (like springs, foam replacement) and let you do the recovering. Like CBaitz said, carefully removing the old fabric and using that as a pattern will help.

please check out these blogs for inspiraion!! I check them every day for diy ideas.

http://betterafter.blogspot.com/

http://www.muchtodowithnothing.com/

Lady J, of course the shed isn't a vault. The point is that if someone has to check over for bugs and do some pest control, they'll probably need to put the furniture somewhere where it won't get abused by the elements until they can thoroughly finish the job. You're splitting hairs over something we're agreeing on -- don't put it in your house until you're sure it's clean.

Simply Upholstery, by Sunset Books, ISBN 978-0376011855, is a step-by-step guide that breaks down the process of upholstering a wing back chair, which is a relatively complicated upholstery project.

You could probably find that book in your local chain bookstore, and take a few minutes to browse through the pictures and see if you would feel comfortable tackling this project.

The likelihood of bedbug infestation seems low. If you are concerned, you could look for evidence of them (tiny dark brown droppings and flat brown or white tick-y looking insects) in crevices by pulling fabric away from the frame, so if you are worried, haul it outside and go at it.

Since you'll need to replace cushion, so you might consider buying another (less adorable) damaged chair from the salvage or thrift store and reuse its legs and seat cushion on your project. Otherwise, it's not a big deal to buy a slab of foam and cut it to fit your chair exactly. And with legs, you have many possibilities that could cost little time and money (salvage), some time (build your own), or a lot of money (new legs purchased online).

Consider your skills and budget for this project and whether you can cover the supplies (legs, foam, batting upholstery fabric, upholstery thread, heavy duty staples and stapler, cardboard or tacking strips, cording for the welting, a strong zipper, and dust cover fabric, at a minimum if the frame is solid; plus perhaps muslin, jute webbing and puller, glue, screws, or twine if things need to be repaired inside) but as an amateur re-upholsterer, I strongly encourage you give it a try.

Your opportunity for gain seems greater than your risk of any loss. You can customize this bad boy with down-over-foam cushions, use any funky fabric and welting combinations you like, and learn a new skill. What's not to like?

Dude. I just noticed the buttons. Do-able, but most would consider this a very ambitious project for a beginner. Get your hands on the Simply Upholstery book, and decide if you feel ready for a big project.

Yes - Deal with the leg issue first...
Likely this was tossed to the curb due to the leg issue - not bedbugs, but removing and replacing all fabric and padding will take care of any vermin.

The bedbugs are enough to creep me out but there must be a way to determine if it's infested.

This blog might be helpful. She goes through the steps of reupholstering chairs.

http://charishumin.blogspot.com/2010/03/reupholstery-101-day-1-deployment.html

http://charishumin.blogspot.com/2010/04/re-upholstery-201.html

Wow! I think this chair is a great shape.

I think you'd be better off slipcovering it rather than upholstering, only because it seems easier and you can still get a very tailored look if you want depending on how you do it.

I'd invest in getting it professionally cleaned, though. I doubt there are bedbugs or termites in there, but there very well may be dust mites. And, you know what's creepier than dust mites in your own furniture? Dust mites from someone else's furniture.

The legs should be easy to replace and if you can lift the chair enough to balance it for this photograph, then any well placed, sturdy replacements for the legs should work fine. What a find!

Have fun!

I signed up for a class in upholstering in which everyone did their own project with the help of a teacher who was an experienced upholsterer. I completed a wing chair quite similar to this one. The cost of the course was $75 - cheap for something that gave me the skill and confidence to do more.

&*(%^^&%$%^&~!!!!

This is the gorgeous chair I was seeking about 6 months ago. If you find another, ship it to me would you? ;) Great project, good luck.

Oh man. Just reading the comments on this has got my mind going about 100 different ways on projects now. First, nohatein08- a dog bed! That's a great idea. The back is a little high for my taste, but that could be soooo cute.

And the links to the before and after sites. I have plenty to do for the rest of the afternoon, that's for sure.

Wow what great advice guys! Might as well take a go at it since I have nothing to lose and yes it will be my first chair.

It was left by a group moving so it had only been outside on a sunny day a few hours and they said the legs were the reason they threw it out! I have it on my back porch now and will be checking for bugs before i move it inside (how to check is the question)

I definitely think I'll give it a shot, hey if i screw it up I can just throw it out!

Love the suggestion for the dog bed! Great Idea!

Fantastic chair! I'd have a good professional evaluate the "bones" and stability. Then I'd get the estimate of yardage, go find a fabric you can fall in love with, and then have the pro do the tricky upholstery.

Or, if you have a friend with a lot of experience, tackle it together. The curves and buttons will be a challenge to a beginner and that chair's too great to throw out

bedbugs, no legs, rusted frame, dust, mold.....

waste of time.....

NO bed bugs
NO rusted frame
NO mold
I own a vacuum

Yes NO legs

You sound like my mother.......

It may be a big project but really why not just try?

Good for you, good luck. Don't forget to share the after pic's when you finish it.

There's so little left to salvage here-- a legless chair in need of a seat cushion and reupolstery?

Tackle the leg problem first-- if you can make those work, consider reupholstering it yourself, IF you're crafty. It would cost several hundred to have it done professionally.

Bedbugs were my first thought too. A few months ago a well-meaning elderly woman brought me a used boxspring that she had found somewhere (for some reason it really bothers her that I don't have one). She seemed upset that I rejected it, but there was NO WAY I was bringing that thing in my house!

D- email me and I'll tell you exactly how you'll need to proceed. You can even email me if you're stumped and I'll help you. I teach upholstery in the Indianapolis area.
shelly@modhomeec.com