How To: Overcome Your Reupholstering Fears

click thumbnails for larger pics

After chickening out a few years ago on a DIY upholstery job, I took an old side chair and a piece of fabric I'd been saving to a pro. Although happy with the results, I've envied the work of friends (one just went for it, solo; another is taking a class in Evanston). I've also followed Shelly's How To's on Apartment Therapy -- loving the variety and inspired by the clear process and end results. Kelly (of Kelly & Brian's house tour) talked of her dumpster diving and quick re-do on her dining chairs. Our latest eye-catcher: this sweet bird chair salvage project from Time Out Chicago. Links for inspiring your own reupholstering fears below!

Above thumbs from left to right:

"Tossed and Found" (Time Out Chicago; project and image above by Diana Durkes)

Upholstered dining chairs from Kelly & Brian's "Classically Eclectic" Bucktown Apartment

The Lazy Upholsterer's MidC Dining Chair Re-do

Upholster an Open Arm Side Chair

DIY Upholstered Folding Chairs

Helpful Resources:

Help! First Upholstery Project

The Needle Shop (for classes)

How To: Reupholster a Sofa

Vogue Fabrics (for classes)

Comments (7)

StyleNorth just did an excellent post about this with novice Mike taking readers through the process he followed on his first project, an upholstered bench: http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/03/upholstery-101-getting-started/

posted by ChrisToronto on March 30th 2009 at 10:47am
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Thanks so much for the links; I bought two mid century side chairs on craigslist last week for $25.00! They need new upholstery and some tlc, and I'm not sure where to start. This will help a bunch.

posted by sjbreeze on March 30th 2009 at 11:06am
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Oh I am SO inspired by this bird chair...you have NO idea!!Wow! Thanks!

posted by Vincent B. on March 30th 2009 at 12:31pm
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I love the last pair of chairs in ikat and paisley print!

posted by D or me on March 30th 2009 at 12:34pm
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The bird chair is really cute! Wish I'd found it!! (Me, I think I'd have painted it black and tried to find the fabric equivalent of that tree drawing wallpaper... Or, another idea, paint the bird in decorative painting techniques in actual bird colors and find coordinating fabric, OR, more funky, paint the bird in a surrealistic fantays way...) (Maybe I need a set!)

posted by SherryBinNH on March 30th 2009 at 2:26pm
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Reupholstering is definitely scary, but a dining chair is the easiest thing to start on! I jumped into a 8ft, pull-out couch, where I changed the art shapes and added a ton of padding. Took me three weekends, but we love it.

posted by strongodares on March 30th 2009 at 3:06pm
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I adore that chair- it makes me want to get a jigsaw and replace the back of a chair with a whimsical shape like that.

posted by SeattleMama on March 31st 2009 at 12:21am
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