apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've got a contact you may want to try for another quote on the cushions:

Vanessa Herrera
http://www.sofastablesandmore.com/
vannesa@sofastablesandmore.com
310-251-3313 from 8am-8pm
310-534-3387 fax

she and her husband essentially cut out the middle man/showroom expenses and will get stuff made for you directly. they did a room and board couch style for me a year ago for less than half the RnB price, in a fabric i wanted. she has tons of fabric choices as well and is a joy to work with. i will be having her do cushions for me soon as well, i have a similar chair.

good luck! send after shots when you're done.

The straps can be purchased at a good upholstery supply shop and can easily be done yourself. All you need is a good staple gun.

Before you take the time to refinishing them first see if they simply need to be oiled because the wood is dried out. I would buy some watco danish oil in a similar color and test it out on an area. You'll be surprised with how little work you can get away with.

Getting the cushions done by a professional typically should cost you 50-75 per cushion. This is not including fabric.

I think you should take every short cut you can. Could you lightly steel wool (0000) the finish and just apply polyuerathane from a spray can? Test after steel wooling by wetting the wood with a rubbed out spot of water. If the stain looks uneven, stain darker to cover old stain. Ask in a good paint store.
Could you carefully open the seams on the old cushion and trace it on the new fabric? Mark the seam allowance, usually 1/2", pin, baste, sew. You might save money bringing the cut pieces to a seamstress. They could put in a zipper and the piping. Piping comes ready made by the yard.

Jute webbing for the seat can be purchased at Jo-Anns or any fabric stores. Upholstery staples are in-expensive. In the same section of the store you'll also find a web stretcher tool. You purchased the chairs because you like them and want to use them...so do it. If they were crazy valuable you would only look at them and that's no fun. You can also do a basic clean with a 50/50 solution of White Vinegar/Olive Oil before you look at stripping and re-finishing.

What a timely question. I just bought a chair on ebay and while I like its lines, I hate the fabric. I've never reupholstered before, but am considering taking the plunge. I've been doing some online research, and here on AT I found the following inspirational post; plus the writer recommended a book that seems like an awesome resource:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/painting-fixing-repair/before-and-after-katzies-reupholstered-chair-058253

My conundrum is that the chair I bought has a slightly cushioned back panel that does not run the full length of the chair back. I've examined it from every angle and it does not appear that the panel unscrews for easy reupholstering. It looks as though there is a fabric covered panel that sits on top of the back of the back panel to cover staples, etc. But I can't figure how that secondary panel is attached. Is it possible that it's glued on there with some special glue? The investigation continues.

I wouldn't be too concerned with devaluing them with a DIY refurbishing. They are good looking, but not that rare. Considering that they were used as outsdoor chairs, they probably would never see anything near top dollar. A great set to start learning the art of refinishing.

...yes anyone's reccomendation where I [or she] could mail some fabric and/or foam to online and get cushions made cheap?

it seems that there must be someone that will do plain rectangle cussions for less than a million dollars...

i live in new york city and of course prices are very high...

my chairs:

http://www.everypixelcounts.com/apt/01.jpg

You might try asking at your dry-cleaner; I had a friend get cushions made pretty inexpensively at hers. Also, I highly recommend Howard's Feed-n-Wax and Howard's Restor-a-Finish for making old wood look new again with minimal effort; they worked wonders on my nightstands last January (pictured here).

Plain welted box cushions with a zipper would not be difficult for someone with beginner to intermediate sewing experience to stich up. Singer publishes good books about sewing for the home ...
Singer Upholstery Basics Plus: Complete Step-by-Step Photo Guide is one.

If you ask around to friends/sewing circles/craft stores, surely someone will put you in touch with a competent person. A Mom or a Grandma who likes to sew could handle a simple box cushion and let you specify the fabric for the bias welting and you could pay her $25-35 per pillow.

Alternately, if you want to spend less and use the services of a design student or hobbyist who sews, you could have them make a sample cushion (of a similar weight fabric) to make sure you're happy with how the welting and zipper go in.

You might consider placing a Custom request on Etsy.com to see if some crafter out there could sew the covers for cushions for you within your price range. You can even request someone local.

Following on from 'the focus' - DO NOT urethane, varnish or lacquer - just use TEAK OIL.

Any DIYers with limited experience on refinishing timber [esp. mid century or scandinavian pieces] only ever use teak oil - it can do no harm, looks great, can be applied as often as you like, appears to melt scratches away and can be refinished over the top of with another finish [by a prefesional] at a later date with no stripping required.

if you do decide to sand them down take it from me it gets messy. I did my first project 3 months ago and there is still dust in my garage. There is a pride and love for furniture you create from old to modern fab! I'm working on a pair of chairs myself right now...and I think I found my new calling! have fun getting messy!

Echoing the others: do not strip or varnish. Just steel wool lightly and use the Danish or Teak Oil. It will make an enormous difference, and it's how the furniture is meant to be treated. If you strip and urethane/varnish you will ruin the chairs!

If you live in the NYC area and are looking to re-upholster or refinish your furniture I can absolutely help! I taught myself how to do both and have done a number of pieces for clients/friends. If you would like to see pictures I can email before and after shots for you. I am looking to get my little business off the ground and could use all the experience I can get!
email me @ brooklynkate@gmail.com
also brooklynkate.etsy.com

You could use tung oil instead of teak. Teak oil is mostly linseed oil which turns brown over time.

As Splomo posted, the sewing skills required are beginner to intermediate, so you might consider doing it yourself. Might take the better part of a weekend for a beginner to figure it out and stitch.

If you do find someone who likes to sew and will make a simple box cushion with a zipper and bias welting for $25-$35 per pillow, please post it here. It's not that hard but it is a little time-consuming; perhaps 2 or 3 hours. No one I know will accept $25-$35 for 2 or 3 hours of work. (Maybe I need more generous friends or a new Grandma.)