apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I really like the original fabric. The colors are very now, as is the Venetian-feeling fabric. Paint the legs white, and it's ready for the cover of Domino.

I think you will be sick of that real quick!
Go with a wild color or pattern in Velvet or Mohair.
Make it Wacky Classic instead of Trendy!

Mmmmm. I love the gray Ikea. I think that if you used it, though, the tucks on the back of the chair would dissolve the pattern into the sort of scramble that's on the chair now. I think the Anthropologie chair works because the back's smooth and lets the pattern speak.

The reason the pear chair works is because the shape is itself pear-like. It's witty.

I also like the old fabric. Unless it's really tattered and i just can't see it on the picture, i would keep the original fabric.

If you do choose to reupholster, I would recommend a larger bold graphic pattern because the channel/button tufted back with really distort the small, busy pattern on the ikea fabric.

I think the black/white fabric will lose its graphic appeal if the back is tufted (not sure if that is the correct furniture term) but once it goes in and out of those little bumps and the pears don't line up anymore, I think it will probably look terrible. I do like the fabric, though.

I agree with the above comments, if the original upholstery looks good in person. The photo shows it might look worn, in a "non-cute" way. So if shabby-chic isn't your thing, yeah, re-cover the sucker.

I'm not too fond of the ikea fabric. For some reason it screams temporary halloween decoration to me. The black branches against the grey and the whole sort of whimsical feel to it... just not digging it. Unless you know how to reupholster, the labor is going to be what is the biggest investment in the project, so don't skimp on the fabric as it's not what makes the biggest difference in your bottom line. Also I'd consider getting rid of the pleating look in the back if you're going to use a pattern, as it may look dizzying. Maybe they could tuft it in a way more similar to your inspiration piece.

I like the bold graphic nature of the pear fabric, but like robyn I'm concerned it would be weirdly distorted by the tufting. Because there is tufting, it might be better to choose a fabric with a smaller print.

Then again, I actually really like the fabric the chair has now. I would simply update the chair by painting the legs a glossy white.

I also vote for a more classic fabric, possibly even a solid color. The motif looks like it will be lost in the tufting on the back of the chair. If you do go through with it PLEASE post after pictures (and maybe a how-to?) as I have an extremely similiar chair I've been looking at to recover.

I also like the fabric that is on the chair. But you could always do a solid pattern on the chair and just cover a cushion in the IKEA fabric... then you don't have to worry about ever getting sick of the the busier pattern.

If you're reupholstering the chair, you might actually be able to do it without the buttons and tufting ... so the pattern on the new fabric wouldn't be distorted.

I'd love to see a picture of the space the chair is for. That makes such a huge difference as well.

I agree with the people who are saying the print might get "muddled" due to the tucks on the back of the chair. Maybe just do the seat cushion in the pear fabric and pick a coordinating fabric for the rest of the chair? Or maybe that would look bad too. I would probably just pick a solid color.

I am also afraid that the tufting will distort the pattern of the fabric in a less-than-pleasing way. And one thing I am wondering is whether that Ikea fabric is even suitable for upholstery projects. I haven't seen it in the flesh, but I don't recall ever seeing any upholstery weight fabrics at Ikea. Their fabrics (and again, it's been a while since I've been to Ikea so correct me if I'm wrong) always seemed to be about the weight of bed linens -- not something I'd recommend using on an upholstery project like this one.

The original fabric is u-gly. Get rid of it.

The Ikea fabric, unfortunately, is worse. Maybe it's just my monitor, but I'm not feeling it. I agree with the poster who described it as "halloween." Unless this print TOTALLY works with the colors/design of your room, I'd look for something else.

A lot of people are commenting on the pear fabric instead of the Ikea fabric. The pear would not work because of the tufting, but I think the Ikea fabric could. If you love it, go for it.
Have you done any reupholstering before? Are you skilled enough to turn it into a flat back without tufting?

Lisa Hunter is right. The pear chair is a clever eye-rhyme. The one with the ugly fabric and tufting is less a joy to behold. I'm not a fan of the shape to begin with, but keep in mind that if you can't do the flat back, you're going to create a lot of special little crevices for people to hide chewed off fingernails and worse in.

See how the back of the chair is upholstered in channels? It will have to be redone that way because of the curvature of the back. That, or it will need to be tufted. Maybe maybe just buttons would work. (Got access to a button maker?)Both methods will be tough without some solid upholstery skills, especially if you are also trying to line up a pattern. If you do try it yourself, be VERY careful when you rip down the original, because you can use old fabric pieces for a pattern. All that said, I like the old fabric, and love the idea of painting the legs white. Good luck!

I have that IKEA fabric on my dining room chairs, but they're just simple ladder back style chairs with a square upholstered seat. I LOVE the fabric and its actually quite nice for upholstery. Its probably not *real* upholstery grade, but its quite thick.

The pattern on the IKEA fabric is really big and quite bold graphically (is that a word?) - it doesn't come across the same in that picture you have. Although it would be tucked in the folds of your chair I think it would look nice.

Marimekko upholstery grade fabric is tres cher, so unless you're happy spending a lot on a project, I say go for the IKEA.

But unless you're doing the upholstery yourself, you're going to spend a lot on the project either way. Upholstery is expensive and that isn't a simple piece.

I would go big on the print for that chair - it would be more dramatic

I agree that the tufting would throw off the design.

From personal experience, I'd suggest choosing a neutral color, or you'll be re-covering it in a couple of years. Could you go with a chocolate fabric & make a pillow with the IKEA fabric?

I have seriously been craving the Anthropologie chair for my black-and-white bedroom... any thoughts on where to get a similar* (but cheaper!) version?

* By similar, I mean "bold black and white" print, not necessarily the identical pear print.

I reupholstered a similar channel back chair, but in an all over pattern. I love the chair, but the Ikea fabric won't read as anything but a sort of muddle. A solid color won't use as much yardage.

Whoops, I was one of those people who didn't read the question carefully and thought the chair's owner wanted to use pear fabric. My mistake. I'd probably still pick a solid fabric for the reupholstery, however.

I've been considering a similar project for a few months., but haven't found the right chair yet. Your chair is BIG. Think about the scale when you're choosing a fabric. Your best bet might be a solid with a pillow made from your favorite pattern. If you're set on a pattern, go w/one that has a similar scale to the pattern on the current fabric.

Thanks, All, for the feedback. I was definitely planning to do this with a flat back -- I didnt' realize though, that the shape of the back would *require* tufting. I'll have to investigate further. I definitely don't want that 'inflatable pool mattress" look. So if the tufting is needed given the shape, I will reconsider the plan and go with a solid. Or keep shopping for a print with more negative space. Or maybe look for a print with some fans or clam shells on it. ;-)

Think about going for texture rather than pattern, like a rich red velvet - then the folds would be downright sexy, not a problem.

agree with karenh above - no patterns! and i liked the other idea to paint the legs white. then you can add a wild pillow in the ikea fabric, which i really like by the way!

I say go for a bold pattern like the chair on the right. When you take it to the upholsterer ask him to make tufting not so narrow or forget it all together. I have done this in the past with a small love seat. And personally, I would probably change the legs/feet. You can find all kinds of different feet on the web.

Just to reiterate what someone else said above, that IKEA fabric isn't a small print. I've been trying to get it as well for a small dining chair recovery project, unfortunately it is really popular and the Burbank IKEA store is sold out. The pattern is actually very large and spread out, the image on the website doesn't convey that at all. I think it would look fabulous on that chair, but agree that it would be one hell of an upholstery job. Here's an example of what it looks like in reality:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9214592

I'd love to see it redone in something up-to-date...but I don't know how that pattern will look with all that pleating. I would use a very bold solid and stain the legs a darker color. We took a chance on some antique French furniture (with no pleated areas) that we have and it all turned out great in both a modern-ish pattern on the chairs(shown at the link) and a solid deep dark blue for the loveseat and then we had small accent pillows done with both fabrics. Here's a link to a picture of the chair http://salonsocachicago.com/space.html#

Good luck.

speaking of upholstered anthropologie chairs, does anyone know were to get missoni home's "Passiflora" print fabric?

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=-3316815225257897243&id=76405&parentid=LIVE_UPHOLSTERY_CHAIRS&pushId=LIVE_UPHOLSTERY_CHAIRS&popId=LIVE_UPHOLSTERY&sortProperties=&navCount=8&navAction=poppushpush&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=psa

When you remove the fabric, you might just be able to undo the scalloping. If now, I think covering it tightly with a layer or two of thick batting would help. This chair seems like it has a pretty similar back, so it might give you some ideas:

http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com/product.php?productid=3578

Also, as for the fabric choice...I think the thing you really need to be concerned about is whether you like it (cause you'll be up close and personal with it!), and if it's heavy enough. A fabric that isn't upholstery weight might hold up to the upholstering process, but it will stretch and sag once it's on the chair.

And a discreet dart or two will help the fabric lie straight on the curved part of the chair (you might need this on both the back and the front).