Refinished Mid Century Chair
We had another piece refinished! I am addicted to collecting chairs and am thrilled to have found somebody who can reupholster them for a reasonable price.
The chair cost me $5 at a garage sale in the summer of 2011. It originally had orange upholstery, but the foam was hard and crumbly, and the seat covers disintegrated when I washed them. All of this occurred before I started the blog, so I do not have pictures of the original look.
Early that year, I bought red velvet curtains at Goodwill for $10. I decided to buy foam and use the curtains to reupholster the chair. However, I did not cut the foam to the correct size and I never finished sewing the covers. I never got around to refinishing the wood either. Overall, I was not happy with the chair, but I never had time to finish it.
This was one upholstery job that I could have done, but there are numerous projects on our to do list, and this was one project that just was not getting done. I decided to pass it along to Elizabeth.
The most difficult part was choosing the fabric. Elizabeth brought over several samples. I really, really loved this one. However, I was afraid that it would be too dominant in the room.
I asked her to bring over more samples, but I also requested a pillow in this fabric since I loved it so much.
This is the one that I chose in the end, and I am thrilled with it. I think that it goes perfectly with the carpet and brings in the colors of the other furniture.
It cost me $240 to have the chair refinished and have new cushions made. That price included the fabric as well as pick up and delivery. Add to that the original $5 I paid for it, and I am thrilled with this chair for $245. I have seen them listed for a lot more money.
Feel free to admire all the details. I have been.
Next week, I will share photos of the room as a whole. It is looking great. I just wish that the trim would paint itself. Does anyone know how to get that to happen?
Happy Homemaking!
I am a teacher, traveler, artist, writer, homemaker and a whole lot more. In January 2009, I bought the Cape of Dreams. It was the second house that I had ever owned, but it was the first that I bought by myself. I now live in the house with my husband Douglas, our dog Kahlua, and Crème de Menthe, the cat. Because, what life is complete without a little Kahlua and Cream? I love arts and crafts of all kinds, and I refinish furniture as well. We are slowly redoing our entire house. You can read about my projects on my blog www.CapeofDreams.com
I love it! I refinished a curb find mid-century chair, too. It was a WRECK, so it needed all kinds of structural repair. But, I just used some pillows that a friend gave me, and so the final result is nowhere near as cute as yours. I gotta call your upholsterer…after our summer trip.
Are you going to write a post about your chair? I would like to see it.
The chair looks great! I love how beautifully she finished the seat base. I can’t believe the great stuff you find on the curb. Obviously, I don’t live in the right neighborhood. I also love the pillow fabric.
Your kitchen cabinets are looking spectacular, btw. I can’t believe the difference in the hardware. Who knew cabinets need to be fed??
Let me know if you are successful getting the paint fairies to stop by … I am wondering how my trim will get painted, too! I am kinda burnt out on painting …
This chair was not in the trash. I had to pay a whole $5 for it at a yard sale. 😉 You are right about living in the right neighborhood, though. I think it has to do with the wealth in Westchester, NY. So many people in this area have so much money that objects have no value to them.
As for the painting fairies. I have been trying all kinds of things to attract them to my house. I will let you know if anything works. I can understand why you would be sick of painting. On the other hand, I have not painted anything in over a year, so I do not know what is going on with me.
It looks amazing. Since reading your blog, I’ve been wondering if reupholstering an old sofa isn’t a solution for my living-room when I begin this project!
Reupholstery can be quite expensive. You should look around and see if you can find someone who could do it for you for a reasonable price. If you find somebody, I would say go for it! Just make sure that you only pay to reupholster furniture that is made from real wood. It just is not worth it to put money into cheap compressed wood. I am so glad that I did. I now have original, well-made pieces in the exact fabrics that I love.