The Craft Room Redesign Project: The Recovered Chair!

BEFORE:

I told you all about the Craft Room Redesign Project, then I asked for your advice on my thrifty finds that I’ve been scooping up from goodwill, thrift stores, ebay, craigslist, and also this chair I found abandoned on the side of the road. I thought about recovering it myself, but it looked like a pretty daunting project and many of y’all were being hardcore enablers in the comments – telling me I saved so much by thrifting all this stuff that I could splurge and get it recovered professionally. Well, that’s what I did.

Check out the “after” pictures after the jump…

The Craft Room Redesign Project: The New Chair!

Boom!

!!!!!

I went with Anna Maria Horner Velveteen for an extra cozy texture and appearance that I think will just get better with age. Specifically I chose Woodcut in Crimson because I thought the rusty red would be a nice fit with the yellow carpet and yet-to-be-revealed wall color, while also not being so busy that I could never use it in another room if we were to move one day.

I shopped around, finding quotes ranging from $600 to the one I went with: $350, plus free tax, pick up, and delivery from A First Impression. Note to all you potential upholstery purchasers: it’s all negotiable. And also FYI it’s easier to take a pic of your “before” item and email it around for quotes than to drive around with a chair in your trunk (I learned the hard way). After opening up the chair and peeling away the digusto vinyl cover, they discovered it really needed new foam, so I sprang for it for an extra $40. I had the fabric already, so all in all it cost me $390. Not cheap. But I love it. And it goes with the $44 ebayed brass table I repainted and shared with you earlier today.

I thought about doing contrast piping, but looking at the finished chair, I think I’m glad that I didn’t. What do you think?

If you want to learn how to make piping or welt cord for your own upholstery projects visit these posts: How to Sew Piping and How to Make Double Welt Cord.

Look at the seat!
Before:

After:

See how beautifully the pattern lines up? That’s quality upholstery.

And I didn’t have to deal with this mess…
Before:

After:

I tossed the Sham Pillow with Zipper Closure on there, but perhaps it is too busy. No worries, I have lots of fabric to make pillows with, and this pillow will probably look nice on the couch. They asked for 6 yards to recover the chair, but I have a yard of fabric leftover to play with. Nice.

Soooooo, What do you think?!

by

51 Comments

HarmlessColor

Really super, and to tell you the truth…it's exactly what I pictured in terms of fabric! I knew you would choose something bold and wonderful, and somehow red and white was caught in my head.

Reply
Tara

Is the velveteen a home dec weight fabric? I bought a chair about 2 years ago from a furniture refinisher but the upholstery looks nothing like it did in the pics online (yes, I bought it sight unseen), the seat cushion has red nail polish on one side and the fabric doesn't seem to be holding up very well. So, I'm wondering about how well different weight fabrics hold up. Thanks!

Reply
Adventures in Dressmaking

OMG, OMG, it is gorgeous!! Great fabric choice, and I think self-fabric rather than contrast piping was the way to go. I wish I knew how to upholster like that…

When you compare it to a $1500 similar print chair from Anthropologie, you got a great deal.

Reply
Meg Ring

I love it! Perfect fabric, design & texture! I love that they kept the feet of the chair like they were (I think?).. they just add to the charm of it! Great job!

Reply
stephanie joy

ahhhhhhh!!!! i'm dying!!!!!
that fabric is to DIE for!!!!
the chair looks amazing.
i always see great lines on old crappy chairs but am way too chicken to buy the piece and actually get it reupholstered.
this has given me some vision to do it once myself.
i have to stop dreaming and just do it!!
even if it's a bit of a splurge!!
enjoy that seat, lady!!

Reply
The Chidisters

Amazing! Love the color, the pattern, the style of chair…everything about it! I would totally dish out $390 for that chair! I think you probably saved yourself a headache by having someone else do it for you too. Favorite part of your makeover so far!

Reply
AmAzOn

GASP!! That is SO AWESOME!! WOW!! ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! Are you sure you didn't go buy a new chair?? Did I say WOW?!? GREAT JOB!!

Reply
Jen

Wow, that is just amazing. It makes me CHAIR-FUL just to look at it. (Was that too much of a stretch for a good pun?)

Reply
stephchows

BEAUTIFUL!!! Wow, just wow, I love that you used the same color for piping, contrasting wouldn't have looked as nice as this does!

Reply
Amy

Beautiful! It makes me wish I didn't live in an apartment so I could paint and decorate however I wish:)

Reply
Krista

It's gorgeous. Amazing. Something that would cost $2,000 at Anthropologie. If I were you, I'd have to sit in it every time I walked past. Congratulations!

Reply
Mara

That thing that just flew by your head? Yeah. Those were my socks. You just knocked them off. This chair.is.gorgeous.

Reply
6 Easy DIY Chair Makeovers

[…] Go from leather to fabric, from fabric to leather in a quick flip of a staple gun. If you’ve got the skills to reupholster then do it as much as you can! When your fabric chairs become worn out, ripped or stained … pick out a new print or color and make it look new again!{found here}. […]

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6 Easy DIY Chair Makeovers | Awesome Architecture

[…] Go from leather to fabric, from fabric to leather in a quick flip of a staple gun. If you’ve got the skills to reupholster then do it as much as you can! When your fabric chairs become worn out, ripped or stained … pick out a new print or color and make it look new again!{found here}. […]

Reply

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