I bought this pair of French chairs at an auction almost a year ago. I had fallen in love with them and they had to be mine. I was willing to pay about $100 for the pair, but ended up walking away with them for $20.
Of course, they were orange. I guess other people just couldn’t see beyond that.
I originally made slipcovers for them, but they looked so sloppy after someone sat on them. After slipcovering my sofa in the living room this week, I had a “bee in my bonnet” to do something with these chairs. So, I browsed through my upholstery books, took a deep breath, and started ripping away the orange fabric. I didn’t want to take this chair totally down to the frame, so I worked section by section to make sure I didn’t get overwhelmed.
I bet most of you can guess what the chair is covered in – a painter’s drop cloth that was bleached. I can’t believe how much it looks like an old grain sack. It has this wonderful nubby texture that plays nicely against the warm wood. It keeps these chairs from looking too stiff and formal.
I am really proud of my double welting cord, which was also a first for me.
I painted stripes down the center of the chair to further hint at an old grain sack.
I even made a pillow to match my curtains. Did I mention I was up until midnight?
It looks so much better and “cleaner” now that it’s been reupholstered. It’s not perfect, but I knew these would be my “learning chairs” and I learned a lot on the first one already. For my first time, I think I did a pretty darn good job (if I don’t say so myself.)
I used an electric stapler that really didn’t drive the staples in very well, so I’m on my way out to buy a pneumatic stapler that I can use with my compressor. I didn’t take pictures to write a tutorial on this one, because I was just learning myself. I’ll take some pictures and give you some tips when I work on the twin chair.
Come back Thursday night through Friday night to share your most recent furniture finds and makeovers at my Furniture Feature Friday link party.
Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for the crochet camera bag. It runs through Saturday.
I’m sharing this at JAG’s Show & Share Party and CSI’s Fabric Week.
56 Responses
beautiful! How long did it take you start to finish?
Good job! One would never know you are just learning. I haven't reupholstered anything since college, seeing this chair makes me want to start up a project. 🙂 Which of course will just add to the long list of things I all ready have started!
woohoo! good- that mean you can help me reupholster a chair i have for the living room :O)
(and i'll email you today)
You did a spectacular job!!! Can't tell there was any learning curve at all!! Good for you! It looks fantastic!
I have a chair that needs to be recovered…so I will be looking forward to your tutorial!
Hugs
SueAnn
This looks great! You scored on those chairs! This is exactly what I am looking for for my living room.
If you want a GREAT upholstry tutorial, check out this link.
http://charishumin.blogspot.com/2010/03/reupholstery-101-day-1-deployment.html
That is day one of the tutorial.
Well, I think you did an amazing job. Love the stripe you put on it.
I think you did wonderfully! So pretty and they are always so much more special to you when you put in your hard work to making it pretty for your own home. And what a steal on top of it!!! $20?!?! 🙂
That looks SO good! I really like the bleached drop cloth~it does look like a grain sack.
I'd buy a chair like that in heartbeat! Well done!
As always, a beautiful project. I love the warm woods with the cozy fabrics in your beautiful home.
your talents are just amazing what a nice looking chair….
Wait! Slow down! I can't keep up! You said that you just slipcovered your sofa and then decided to whip up these upholstered chairs? How do you get all this accomplished, Miss Mustard Seed?? You just amaze me. Your chair is beautiful. I love that grainsack look. Well, I'm off to get something done!
Oh this turned out so good! I love the shape of the chair. I still have drop cloths in the packages that need to be made into curtains! I guess I should bleach them first? How much will they lighten up?
Marin – It looks beautiful! Looks professionally done! Love the pillow that matches your drapes. Beautiful fabric. Congratualtions on an amazing job on your chair!
Simply…and elegantly stunning!!!!!
Well done! It looks great!
My aunt taught me years ago to take off the existing upholstery one piece at a time, use it as a pattern to cut your new piece and put it right back on. Not too hard once you get one under your belt, huh?
And yes, a pneumatic stapler will make a lot of difference.
A wonderful job, and the stripe just makes it perfect. The picture of your chair with the dining room in the background is exquisite!! Lori
DE – light – ful! Kudos for a job well-done! I love it, love the double cording and the stripes!
Crash, but no burn baby–turned out beautifully!
Great job!! They are beautiful. I love the elegant meets casual!!
Gorgeous! I am taking an upholstery class now and I love it. You are so very talented!
You are my hero. Yep. That says it all. 😉
Amazing. I love the chair and the grain sack look of the fabric with the painted stripe. I also love the pillow (that matches the dining room drapes). You are truly so talented and inspiring.
Absolutely gorgeous! You have a great eye and a wonderful creative imagination. So many people would not have been able to see the potential!
xo,
Debra
It looks fantastic! You did an awesome job. I love how you're willing to just dive in and figure it out. I struggle with my fear of failure, so I don't do that myself. It's something I want to change. You are an inspiration. I'm looking forward to seeing your tutorial!
oh, they turned out gorgeous!!!!
Your chairs look wonderful! Wish I could do that!
hugs
Sissie
Looks like it has been there for years(in a good way!) I think you did great 🙂
That looks amazing!
Really pretty!
Lovely greetings;)
Oh gosh, woman were do you get the energy! I have a couple of chairs in the house for four years now and I still haven't worked up the courage to attack them. Maybe I'll wait for your tutorial. My chairs have springs inside, and that is the part I dread the most, dealing with the inside bits.
And that drop cloth looks amazing! I so wish they would sell that here.
That chair looks just amazing. I am SO into making fake grain cloths at the moment – I can't get enough of them.
Beautiful – you've made me want to go and hunt for an old chair!
~Sam
Wow! You did an amazing job! Way to go seeing past the ugly orange.
Gorgeous chair and what a deal you got. You did a wonderful job reupholstering.
Hugs, Sherry
beautiful chair, looks perfect!
It looks great! I wish I had the guts to do something like that!
I'm inspired! The drop cloth idea is genius. I have 2 chairs from my great grandparents house that I won for $25 at their auction. They're (the chairs LOL)in desperate need of reupholstery.
I have been searching and searching for a similar chair. No where to be found except new and at around $800 it just isn't going to happen. Love your chairs and I can't believe the price. Gorgeous. Hugs, Marty
$20! what a deal! I had no idea you used drop cloths. It looks beautiful and I like that you left the wood natural.
You are amazing!
Londen
Wow! You did an amazing job! Think of how much all us gals would pay for one of these chairs reupholstered like this!
I'd love to hear some hints…
🙂 Sarah
They look great! I am in the process of re-doing 2 chairs and I keep putting it off but I'm finally in the process of painting one of the chairs and should be done with that and then the inevitable…putting the fabric on. I have less fabric than you did, no sides. The stapling part is what is bothering me but now that you mentioned the pneumatic, then I think I need to think about that too!
Your chair looks great!!!!
Ooooo, aahhh – I LOVE them! Course I'm slightly bitter as I'm working on the Guiness (sp?) record for s l o w e s t slipcover job and you've just won the record for fastest slipcover AND upholstery jobs! I love fabric but should really give up and pay someone to sew for me… Hope you'll be down for a visit soon to spur me on!
I think they look great. Funny how when you decide to do something you will stay up really late. I am just doing the same thing with my guest room tonite- yup, guests THIS weekend!
Great chair! Happy to find your blog.
Good for you taking the plunge and having a go! And well done on the double piping. I have done plenty of upholstering over the years but still yet to do double piping. You will be in heaven with your new staple gun. I can't believe I went for so long with a manual one. The pneumatic is so much quicker and way less effort.
Angex
I am amazed at all the things people are doing with dropcloths. Your chair turned out great. I am so impressed at what an awesome job you did. It looks great. Love & blessings from NC!
As always, you are so inspiring. I wish I could live in your world. You find the most amazing stuff! I just tackled my first reupholstery for a diamond tufted chair. Thanks for your inspiring blog.
Yet another home run, Marian.
WONDERFUL! How about I send you the dimensions of my sofa & just let you take the slipcover from there?!
Hugs,
Jami
Very lovely! I just have an regular manual stapler; you must fly through these projects!
Gorgeous (as always!). I'm referring to this post when I finally get brave enough to attempt this myself.
AAAMazing job and what a deal!! Holy Cow you scored all the way around the block on this one. Great post!
Karin
Great way to recycle (or upcycle as I like to call it.) I love it and would love to see you post this at my linky party Upcycled Awesome!
http://tinyurl.com/Upcycled8
yes please!! make sure to give details on how-to's and all that! i really need to reupholster a chair of mine and have no idea where to start. =)
I have begun an upholstery job, and my electric stapler doesn’t shoot the staples all the way in….guess a pneumatic stapler is better.
I can’t find any info about the stapler you use or the compressor.
For I am looking to purchasing both for my birthday.
Thanks
When it is more routine than we care to admit however it
would be best to examine our way of working so that we can find a solution to
the problem. If the client doesn’t ask, do you promise something anyway or just let the work go to the bottom of the pile. Treasured family heirlooms which are very much staying in the same home as well as things bought by dealers and being readied for the auction room are commonly worked on.
I have seen a tutorial on how to paint the stripes on the drop cloth somewhere. I have looked through your tutorials and can’t seem to find it. Have you posted one before? Hope so! Thanks!