Reupholstering a Simple Chair
Learning how to upcycle furniture is an inexpensive way to decorate your home in an aesthetic that fits your style. And reupholstering furniture can make a huge impact! Start with something like a simple chair to learn the basics and from there, the possibilities are endless.
Enter: this weird chair. A perfect shape and style for a guest room or an accent chair in a laundry room or random corner. But the color (blue) and the fabric (funky) didn’t fit the style of my home.
Before
After
Same chair. Different aesthetic. Let me show you how I did it.
Supplies to Reupholster Simple Furniture:
Screwdriver
Needle-nose pliers
Heavy duty staple gun + staples
Fabric
Batting
Upholstery foam
Indoor/outdoor spray paint (I like Behr)
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First, you’ll want to find a chair that is “simple” to update. The basic criteria for “simple” is that the upholstered seat should be easy to remove from the frame. In this case, it was screwed onto the wood frame via four screws from the bottom. Super easy to take apart and wor with.
Next, find an upholstery fabric that fits your tastes. This Kilim Pattern fabric is (shockingly) from Amazon and is a lovely chenille texture. When you’re searching for fabric, be sure to look for upholstery fabric, which is on the thicker side and is meant for household use.
Next, you’re going to want to remove the old fabric. Typically, the upholstery should be attached to the wood base via heavy-duty staples. I have found the most effective way to remove them is to loosen them up with a flathead screwdriver, and then use needle-nose pliers to yank them out. You could also try using a staple puller.
Use the old fabric to trace the correct size for the new upholstery fabric. Layer fabric + batting + upholstery foam + wooden seat.
Use your heavy duty stapler to staple the new fabric + batting onto the bottom of the wood seat base. For the corners, simple fold them like a present to get a tight, crisp corner. Be sure to pull the fabric tight to ensure a smooth finish on the front side.
Lightly sand (also called a ‘scuff sand’) the paint finish off the accent chair. It doesn’t have to be down to the wood, but just enough to give the new paint something to grip onto.
Spray paint the chair. The trick to getting a smooth finish is to spray from about 6-inches away, and do two light coats. This helps to prevent paint drips and ultimately will give your new furniture a professional finish.
Once the paint is dry, reattach the reupholstered seat to the chair frame.
And there you have it! A beautifully re-upholstered accent chair that fits the decor in our home. I firmly believe that upcycling furniture is always a good idea, especially when you learn to do it the right way. Better for the planet and an easy way to make your home feel customized and unique.
What do you think? Would you ever give this project a try?
