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East #13: Sagesse's Black Chair Reno

Name: Sagesse
Location: Upstate, NY
Time: 33 hours (This includes shopping and 10 hours of hand stitching.)
Cost: $150.00 est. (Please note: JoAnn's has great 40% off coupons, which saved me a lot of money.)

Dark Hotel Chic. Sagesse may be from upstate, but she's pure SoHo with this remarkable overhaul. Head below the jump for all her pics, tools, and instructions and VOTING...

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BEFORE

Tell us the tools and resources you used for the project:

1. Chair purchased at a yard sale, by my Mother.
2. Fabric, gimp, batting, and webbing from JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store. (www.Joann.com)
3. Sandpaper, Rust-Oleum Professional High gloss Performance Enamel, Contact Cement, and Butcher's Wax from Lowe's. (www.lowes.com)
4. Staple gun and staples from McMaster Carr. (www.mcmaster.com)
5. Antique Browning agent for brass feet was borrowed from a metal worker friend, due to small amount needed.
6. Hammer, chisel, pliers, screw driver, scissors, thread, and needles are from my own tools.

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MY TOOLS

Share step by step instructions for how you completed the project:

1. After years of having this chair sit in my parent's house, I finally have a place to reupholster and use it. I get so excited about the project that I forget to take a picture of it in its original purchased state of being covered with a worn out burgundy velvet fabric.
2. With a hammer and chisel, I remove all fabric and find out this chair has been reupholstered about 3 times.
3. Make a purchase list, and go shopping.
4. Front brass feet are removed and chair is sanded with 320 grit sandpaper. The chair is then spray painted with black Rust-Oleum Professional High gloss Performance Enamel. I like this paint b/c its stands up well to a beating.
5. Strip and refinish brass feet by oxidizing them to give them an aged look. Oxidizing is sealed by Butcher's Wax. Re-attach to chair.

6. Re-web bottom of sagging chair to create a tight seat.
7. Cover seat, back, and front with batting and muslin to create a smooth base for fabric.
8. Using inherited grandmother's thread, I hand stitched designs into a faux leather fabric (also known as vinyl). Please note: I do NOT recommend using vinyl unless you have adequate upholstery experience. It is very unforgiving and does not stretch or take the shape of rounded corners.
9. Attach fabric by stapling to chair frame. Trim access fabric with scissors.
10. Finish chair with gimp (fancy trim), by attaching it with Contact Cement, to hide staples.
11. Stand back from chair and pat yourself on your back for a job well done!

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AFTER

Comments (40)

a real eyecatcher!

posted by SD913 on 2008-01-30 16:12:16
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absolutely fabulous!

posted by CQ in DC on 2008-01-30 16:15:24
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The embroidery is stunning. What a great idea to give this chair an extra bit of oomph. Congrats on a job well done!

posted by suziegoombs on 2008-01-30 16:17:13
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Rock on!!! And yer Upstate too!

posted by I Love Upstate on 2008-01-30 16:18:34
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that's one sexy chair!

posted by southof290 on 2008-01-30 16:33:45
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Yowsa! That is gorgeous!

posted by timmy jr. on 2008-01-30 16:36:01
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Wow! Socks off.

posted by El Jinx on 2008-01-30 16:42:37
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Can you tell me how you got such a smooth finish with the timber - did you hand sand or use an orbital? Its one hell of a good looking chair now.

posted by The Teal Sea on 2008-01-30 17:16:19
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This one is a total winner. Inspiring!

posted by Eric D M on 2008-01-30 17:17:35
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Wow, I never would've looked at that chair and seen such potential. Amazing!

posted by melanie on 2008-01-30 17:19:21
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Beautiful. I would have thought about replacing the casters with something else.

posted by aphrodite on 2008-01-30 17:48:35
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holy crap!
you must win!

posted by elizabet on 2008-01-30 17:48:37
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Wow, I love it! Great job!

posted by tooshie on 2008-01-30 18:04:29
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The best yet!

I soooo want to do this with two inherited chairs in my kitchen, but they have tufted backs. I have zero upholstery experience so the task is a bit duanting. Your chair looks fabulous!

posted by emhoop on 2008-01-30 18:32:20
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Love it. Actually, I'm already having this done to a pair of chairs I have as I type this ha. I did the wood myself but was scared to upholster the back and do piping.

posted by Garrett on 2008-01-30 18:33:03
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I cannot believe you did this yourself. It looks amazing!

posted by AmyV on 2008-01-30 18:35:18
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Gorgeous!

Could you Re-web my sagging bottom and create a tight seat?

posted by Lori on 2008-01-30 19:53:41
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Nothing more to say....it looks great!

posted by Patrickinchicago on 2008-01-30 20:12:53
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FABO!

posted by Mr. Dangerous on 2008-01-30 20:34:42
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This has GOT to be my favorite contest by far!! Too bad I'm still lollygagging on my projects. I have enough to enter the next few years!

posted by petworthdc on 2008-01-30 21:51:07
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for the win! this is phenomenal!

posted by kungfookimmie on 2008-01-30 22:08:25
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SO very well done! this is inspiring.

posted by janewheniordercoffee on 2008-01-30 22:29:41
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Amazing!

posted by Christine (the one in DC) on 2008-01-30 22:44:05
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WAY TO GO!

posted by O on 2008-01-30 23:17:32
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Thank you for the support, everyone! Its been great to see all the projects people are coming up with. And, I'm glad you like my project! For 'The Teal Sea''s question- The frame is hand sanded. An orbital sander wouldn't be able to get into all the detailing and would be too aggressive for this application.

posted by sagesse on 2008-01-30 23:19:42
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Jeez Louise - hand embroidering on vinyl? You must have hands of steel!

Socks off here too.

posted by greer on 2008-01-30 23:39:29
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This is great! It's like the Jasper Van Grooten chairs but with a different shape. I like it. And it's a heck of a lot cheaper than Jasper's chairs.

posted by orangejuce on 2008-01-31 09:02:22
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Okay, I voted 'wow' on two other projects, but I take those both back...this one really is amazing.

posted by Donald on 2008-01-31 10:02:43
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Bets on how long it takes a major chain like Brocade Home or Z Gallerie to mass-produce a knock-off of this chair? I'm figuring we see it in catalogs by Christmas 2008.

posted by wende in phoenix on 2008-01-31 10:10:53
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Beautiful job. The embroidery is a lovely and unexpected touch.

You CAN stretch vinyl if you use a heat gun. Just carefully heat the vinyl from safe distance and slowly stretch over the corner before you staple. With that method there will be no need to fold at the corner.

posted by mary pat on 2008-01-31 10:12:35
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fabulous transformation!

posted by kristenk on 2008-01-31 13:17:53
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Oh my! Sooo pretty!

posted by uisceros on 2008-01-31 13:20:03
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Really amazing before and after transformation! Love the hand-stitched embroidery.

posted by mc509 on 2008-01-31 13:36:02
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There's no excuse for something to ever look that amazingly beautiful. I just about can't stand it. I don't understand why I love that stitching so much.

posted by Curtis on 2008-01-31 17:14:23
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Socks off. Toes curled. Absolutely beautiful.

posted by judy in TO on 2008-01-31 17:48:42
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Winner! So Fabulous!

posted by mistresstina on 2008-01-31 23:58:51
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mary pat's right about vinyl, I found this while researching upholstery, the lady heats the vinyl up w/ a space heater...
http://www.pinkofperfection.com/2006/09/the_hot_seat.php

but I think it would've ruined the beautiful embroidery, and I'd rather see it this way than seamless and plain

posted by southof290 on 2008-02-01 04:40:08
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Brilliant! Can I have one?

posted by abcarter on 2008-02-02 01:15:16
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I am in disbelief over this transformation! How is it possible to take something worthy of the trash heap and turn it into a thing of such beauty? Applause to you!!!

posted by Jess C on 2008-02-02 16:19:59
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Fantastic! The embroidery is magnificent!

posted by SVaranka on 2008-02-04 15:16:14
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