Before & After: 1940s Family Chair Gets Rescued
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
(Image credit: Rachel)
When Rachel found this chair in her parents’ garage, she just had to save it. Once belonging to her great uncle in the 1940s, this former home for mice had such stunning arms, it needed a new lease on life.
(Image credit: Rachel)
From Rachel:
I found this chair in my parents’ outdoor garage a couple of years ago. I was immediately drawn to it because, just look at those gorgeous arms!
It looked like it had been a house for mice for a while. My mom told me it used to be my Great Uncle’s in the 40s and probably had been in our drafty attic for half a century before being moved to the garage. In short, it’d had a rough life in storage.
I tore out all the old upholstery (some sort of velvet stuffed with horse hair and straw), re-tied the original springs, had my dad help me gorilla glue the frame back together, rebuilt the seat with foam and cotton, then reupholstered with cotton fabric with a design to complement the curves in the arms. I never stained the chair or changed its color because I wanted to keep its rustic appeal. All in all it probably took about five days to finish and $60 dollars. I was so happy with how it turned out, and now it lives a cushy life in my apartment, away from the elements and the mice!
Thank you Rachel!