Although most consignment stores make a point of selling furniture that is in good to great condition, you may still come across an item that doesn’t quite fit with your current design. Some people spend literally months—or even years—searching for the perfect piece; however, if you’ve found something with great lines and an abundance of potential, think twice before allowing something like outdated upholstery change your mind.
Instead of waiting for perfection to come along, a little creativity will make it happen. To start with something easy, try re-covering a worn-out chair seat by following these simple steps:
1.) MATERIALS AND PREP—If the chair is fairly new, it shouldn’t be a problem to simply cover the existing fabric, but since most foam has a lifespan of five to ten years, it’s generally a smart idea to remove the old fabric, as well as the padding.
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While most stores carry foam and upholstery fabric, it’s still a good idea to begin with an actual upholstery store because you’ll find a better selection and employees who are able to offer great advice. For a small chair, you’ll need to purchase foam, batting, and fabric, as well as a can of spray adhesive, scissors, a heavy-duty stapler and 5/16-inch staples.
To prep, turn the chair upside down and remove the screws which hold the seat to the frame. Use pliers to tear off the old fabric and use a flathead screwdriver to pry out the staples. If, during this process, you find that the original seat is made of particleboard and is either warped or broken, simply lay it upon a piece of ½-inch plywood, trace around it, and use a jigsaw to cut a new seat.
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2.) REUPHOLSTER—To begin, cut the foam about ½-inch larger than the wood seat, cut the batting about 2-inches larger, and cut the fabric about 3-inches larger.
-Take the wood seat and spray the topside with a light coat of adhesive before carefully positioning the foam on top—once on, you probably won’t be able to pull it back off.
-From there, lay the foam/seat face down on the batting and stretch it slightly as you staple it into place to the wood of the seat.
-For the fabric, start by laying the stapled batting/foam/seat face down on the center of the fabric and staple the fabric one in all four corners so you’re able to flip it over and make sure the pattern is straight. Feel free to tug on it to make sure everything is lined up and begin adding the rest of the staples from there (one side at a time, always keeping an eye on making sure it’s tight).
-Pay attention to whether your seat has rounded or square corners and adjust accordingly. If the fabric wasn’t previously treated with a stain repellent, you may want to consider adding one.
Once the seat looks the way you'd like it to, simply screw the seat back onto the frame and you're good to go! Enjoy!
All Around The House | Cumming, GA | www.allaroundthehouse1.com | 770-781-8777
