Mitzi left this comment today:
“Marian, I think a lot of your readers, including me, would like to know how long it takes you to upholster a chair, such as the one in this post. I have a feeling you work very fast. I fear that if I attempt real upholstering on a real piece of furniture, it would take me a couple months to complete!”
Yes. I work fast and efficient, which sounds great, but it has some down sides. You see, I suffer from SDAS (Short Design Attention Span.) I get bored and impatient if something takes me too long to finish. I will never in my life make a quilt or a cross stitch sampler or anything that is a lengthy labor of love. I will only make things that can be whipped out in a few hours. Maybe something that spans a few days, but that’s my limit.
To answer the question directly, an upholstery job takes me about 3-5 hours from before picture to after. A piece of painted furniture can take about 1-4 hours, depending on what kind of repair work it needs, what kind of techniques or finish I use and if I can use my sprayer or not. I can turn out a pillow or a hand painted sign in under an hour.
Don’t compare yourself to how I work, though. Work at your own pace and if it takes you a year to finish a piece, that’s ok. I have to work fast. I have three retail spaces to feed, I’m writing tutorials for HGTV.com and Cottages and Bungalows (so you’re only seeing a fraction of the projects I’m working on right now) and everything else that comes with having a family, little kids, a house, etc. I can’t take on projects that are going to suck a bunch of my time and I keep that in mind when I’m buying pieces to work on. Don’t think I don’t have pieces and projects that sit for a long time, though. But once I decide to pull a piece out of the stash, I finish it quickly.
This leads me to my latest French chair that I shared with you yesterday…
Ta da!
54 Responses
i managed to finish my first chair in one afternoon…it turned out pretty good and i was happy with it. problem…i have a second chair waiting and i am not sure when the feeling will hit again…might be years from now! lol
your chair is so pretty with the gathered cushion…love it…
it looks beautiful. I am in love with the seat cushion, it's to die for.
I love that seat cushion too. What a great idea!
I especially love the pleating on the seat cushion…it adds such a casual yet elegant touch!
i ADORE your new chair. you always take it to the next level and keep us on our toes!! absolutely beautiful. thanks again the feature 🙂 i'll work hard to finish up this week!
You are truly talented in your refinishing furniture! This chair looks wonderful and I love the gatheredness on the seat cushion! No wonder you were snagged for HGTV! We know a famous one now! I have two little chairs that need recovering and I just keep looking at them! Maybe just maybe I'll give them a try! 🙂 You are an inspiration.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Hi…it is beautiful. One question…when you said "right over the wood" do you mean that you didn't sand and painted right over the wood? I have a table I would like to do this to and it is a rather large project. I am like you…I need quick results or I am just done with it so I am hoping to NOT sand. Thoughts?
I'm going to say I suffer from the same condition. I enjoy what I do and take my time but don't like a project that takes me day after day after day! Great chairs by the way!
I love the gathering on the cushion. It looks so well with the wood finish.
My project I started a long time ago and am now resurrecting is to strip down / refinish my grandmothers tea cart that my grandfather made as a wedding gift to her. It also has a lift off tea tray. It's a big project, won't get done in a few hours by any means, my sister didn't store it well. But it will be a project of love from start to finish.
The chair is gorgeous! And if you start a SDAS club, I will be your first member! LOL
agh! i'm the same way. when i start sometime i work quick and get it done. if it takes me too long sometimes it never gets done. sad to say.
though… i am making a quilt.. and finding the process incredible enjoyable. helps me relax a bit.
I still don't know how you do it. I started refinishing a bedroom set for my daughter 6 months ago, and just today put on my first coat of paint. ugh! I did have to strip it all (leaded, chippy paint) but still. Geesh! I love love love the gathered look on your cushion. Gorgeouso!
just gorgeous!!
Brittney
Love your work!! I am just like you as to the attention span. I only do quick and cute. And only one… once I've done something, I seldom want to do it again..
There is no way, no how, I'd ever be able to part with that chair…it is just to gorgeous!
I'm so with you…if it can't be done in a day, forget it!
It looks like you've already got the upholstery thing sussed. Mind you, I've been doing it on and off for 12 years and still learning. Every piece seems to be different, which I love.
Angex
Your chair looks gorgeous!! I love the cushion.Thanks so much for the comment on my chair. This is only the second chair i've done.I come to your blog for inspiration.I just keep at it.Maybe by the 10th chair it will look good.Without your inspiration i would have never tried.Thanks
Kathy
I've always wanted to do that kind of ruffling (rouching?) on the front of a chair cushion!! You beat me to it. I love it.
I love the the cushion, such a striking detail! What kind of fabric did you use?
Marian, Could you share with us what kind of stapler is the right one to reupholster with. Mine is an air stapler. I wasn’t sure if there is an “upholstery stapler??”.
I absolutely love that chair & the gathered front on the cushion. You have inspired me so much! I'm going out today (even in all our snow here in Michigan) to see if I can put your "special glaze" together. I've got a bunch of furniture I've been collecting in our barn that I'm finally going to START painting. Life is so hectic and I've allowed time to slip away…but you've inspired me to just dig in! Thanks for all your wonderful tips! You don't realize the affect you have on some people & one of them is ME! God Bless!
Usually I can turn things out relatively fast too – but this upholstry thing has me frozen in indecision for the last month. The stripped down chair sits 6 feet from my laptop and we eye each other suspiciously every day. Periodically I will head toward her, put a staple in the back, remove the staple. Arrange the batting, rearrange the batting. Then I back out of the room. Going to borrow a pneumatic stapler today and the waiting will be over. Good or bad.
You got me into this. Looking at your pictures and thinking I can do this. You should get me out of this or feel ashamed of yourself.
Yours are beautiful.
Hey Marian,
I'm curious, I know the paint dries quickly, but doesn't it need to 'cure' before glazing and top coating?
Thanks for being so generous with your techniques.
Janet xox
I love that gathered edge!
I just love the ruching on the seat cushion! I realize you are so very busy…but in the future I'd (we'd) love to see a tutorial on how you did that. Thanks for sharing!
That gathering is gorgeous. I'm smitten! I was thinking about a little kick-pleat on a chair I am going to do for my home office. Which had me SKEEERD! So, i think I may do this! Thanks for inspiring! YOU ARE way cool!
wow the chair is great and wow I am impressed with your busy life! you go girl!
gorgeous chair, you crazy busy woman!
Looks beautiful! I was looking at your post about the bench you recovered with a "mock" grain sack. I was wondering what type of paint you use on something like that, and if it is washable. My sister in law would like me to do a copycat on some PB pillows and I know I can do it, but she want's them to be washable, so I didn't know if acrylic paint would work. Thanks for the help!
That chair made me swoon! I love the gathered edge! Just beautiful, as usual!
The gathering on the edge of the cushion – stupendous. Really; it makes the chair.
Oh I am feeling so much better now, my husband is always telling me I have creating ADD. I think something will take "X" amount of time and when I get more it is on to the next thing. This year I am going to "try" and finish some thing?
I just love that chair, everything about it is gorgeous, the paint technique, the gathering and the trim around it. Gorgeous.
Thanks for sharing
I just cleaned off my keyboard and screen monitor, what a waste of time because I am drooling all over it with this chair!!! I want to fly to where this is and buy it and put it in my home. Oh how I covet, covet, covet this! Love, love, love that gathered edge. You have outdone yourself. I am speechless, and that in itself is a miracle. -K
I adore that chair and the seat cushion!
Gorg chair, looks perfect to me. Love it.
Wow, this piece has the exact finish I am looking for for a chair and table in my master bedroom. I just posted about it, and included a link to your blog as you are a source of constant inspiration. I hope to soon feel up to the challenge to re-create this look. Thanks for all the wonderful tips. Hugs-Carrie
Holy smokes, girl, you reupholster quickly! I wondered if the gathered edge was "hiding" something–I like the detail it adds. 🙂 Hugs, Kim
Well however fast you work…you slay me with your creativity and style! Slay me! Now stop it LOL 🙂
I stared at a cheap dresser in Salvation Army today and thought of you…then chickened out (I WANT that Union Jack piece!) and you have babies…how on earth do you do it?!
The chair looks fabulous! I wish I could do this kind of stuff. I have some furniture that needs that kind of TLC. I guess I really need to just jump right in with both feet and do it…
~ Tracy
I adore that chair- I have 2 wingback rockers to cover, I still am trying to find the right material for them!
The gathered edge put this piece over the moon for me. I just swoon over the gathered part. You are the master!!!
Wow! I wasn't expecting such a short timeframe for you to complete these projects. I am super impressed and love your work! I discovered your blog a few months ago and can't wait to read it (and see pics) every morning. You inspired me to redo my kitchen chairs; painting them and adding cushioned cloth seats. I have two down and four to go! I will share a pic when I complete my project. A big project for a first one! Thanks for sharing!
It's not perfect? It's absolutely perfect! Beautiful.
That chair is absolutely beautiful!
It's good that you can work that fast having little ones at home…
me? I'm more of a
SLOW-AND-STEADY-WINS-THE-RACE kind of gal!
A true procrastinator at heart.
which reminds me…I've got a package I need to be sending your way! HA!
Better get moving~
Pat
I LOVE that chair! The gathering on the cushion is a perfect touch; tutorial, please?
I have two chairs similar to yours but I'm not sure how to do the piping/seem that is in the inside corner where the arm meets the back, help!
Also, do you wash your drop cloth before upholstering? I'm assuming you do…
Thanks,
Kaye
Love the chair…and I suffer from the same disease! If it takes too long, it's not happening. Lol.
Shannon
{aka}|design
I love the cushion! I think I might just have to do that to our sofa- I won't be so worried about making the cushion slipcovers perfect & it's a little detail that is so much fun!
Wow! What a lovely, finished look! I especially like the rouching on the seat cushion. Gorgeous!
OHHH I love this chair!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Uh I am so slacking in the hunt for french chairs!
Wow! I love it – beautiful! Love your blog too.
Melissa
http://www.houseography.net
I have a chair we are doing and when we put back on the cording the staples showed. Is this why you use the white trim? I am thinking of pulling off the cording and trying this.
P.S. The gathering on your cushion is to die for. I am going to do another chair for my office and I think I may do this.
Denise
Extreme Personal Measures
LOVE it!!
I’m reading through all your old posts and material, since i love your blog so much! I must know, do you have a tutorial on how you made that gathered edge cushion? it’s so pretty and flirty, i love it!
I don’t, but I really should! I am going to work on a few chairs soon, so I’ll include one with a gathered edge, so I can make a tutorial.