Before & After: A Botched 50’s Chair Gets a Brush Up

Jennifer Hunter
Jennifer Hunter
Jennifer spends her days writing and thinking about decor, food and fashion in NYC. Not too shabby.
published Oct 23, 2014
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Wooden armchair with light floral upholstery on a workbench, labeled "Before."
(Image credit: Ian Kennedy)

When Ian found this antique baluster oak armchair at a thrift store he could see it had been hastily reupholstered around 1950 (see that lumpy seat and vinyl?). He bought it anyway.

(Image credit: Ian Kennedy)

From Ian:

Instead of adding jute webbing and hand-tie coils for the seat (like I eventually did) the previous owner just dropped in an ill-fitting box spring system from another chair, added some foam and some ugly printed vinyl, and that is how it spent the last 60 years. I decided to strip it down to the bones, even out the wear and color on the arms, then re-glue and reupholster.

Thank you Ian!