Want to see how this:
Became this?:
Me too! More after the jump.
It was a warm Sunday summer evening when we stumbled across this chair in country yard sale. We were just coming back from enjoying a swim at a friend’s house.
I took the material off. It was DIRTY! The foam was dirty and full of animal hair. Yucky!
So we stripped it all the way down and sanded the entire chair.
“Don’t look at me, I’m hideous!”
“… but I’m starting to feel better after a full body scrub and having my highlights done a staining.”
The chair was starting to look spiffy after a couple coats of polyurethane and the first large pieces of fabric.
Then I figured out how to make double welted cording (that’s fancy double cording), with my sewing machine’s zipper foot (using different feet is intimidating, but turned out to be easy). The cording made everything look pretty and polished.
And BAM – updated look!
Action shots!:
I think it looks way better now than it did originally! (Regardless of cat hair in the foam — which, eww. Hair is not something that should be able to burrow.)
Also, your house is so well put together. Mine’s all Ikea junk and salvaged bits (that are not nearly as snazzily redone as yours) and it totally reads “professional student,” whereas yours is just professional.
The gross had really burrowed into the foam.
As for decorating, I just sort of started getting rid of things, rearranging and filtering what I put into the living room and it has been evolving (and having another place to put them while I rearranged and changed things – that makes a difference!) . I think a lot it has to do with looking at decorating magazines and blogs, and getting inspiration. I noticed a marked improvement in my ability to put together a room after doing that sort of research. I think it also helps to have a more permanent residence. And hey, if you ever wanted a room makeover…
I’ve more or less got a semi-permanent residence — but who knows after that…
If I ever am more permanent, you bet I’m calling you for help/advice.
I wince at the loss of the velvety red, but, dirt and hair do not sound inviting.
It looks super! I have to try reupholstery some time. And YOUR HOUSE IS SO NICE
You’re right, it didn’t look hideous on the outside before, but I knew the chair wouldn’t fit with my the rest of the space with the velvet… (there is something about velvet I’m not a personal fan of), but I can see how the velvet could have looked nice in a different space…
I liked the red velvet (though not the filth), but this looks perfect in your INCREASINGLY impressive home.
My mom has always loved refinishing furniture, so your home decor posts make me feel nostalgic.
This was my first upholstering job (other than recovering seat on dining room chairs – I don’t think those count)
Absolutely brilliant. I have a similar chair but didn’t have the skills to re-cover it. I had my Mom do it. Like you, my mom’s got mad skills.
A nice piece of work, that, and it was interesting to see the “procedure.”
I am in awe of your home, Chelsie. So fantastic! I wonder if I’ll ever have the energy and willpower to unpack all the boxes in our house and transform things into a beautiful and tidy home.
Also, I think reupholstering a chair officially makes you a BAMF, not that you weren’t already. That’s one fine looking piece of furniture now that you’re done with it!