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Upholstery Rescue DIY

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My mission to rescue vintage and antique furniture started in the late 70’s and is still going strong today. I began by purchasing antique dressers, chest of drawers, washstands, and wardrobes that needed to be updated and/or repaired. Later, I added soft furnishings to my furniture rescue mission. If you have been following the blog then you already know I adore DIY. Textiles add an endless array of options such as style, color, texture, and fiber that can elevate and update your upholstery rescue DIY.

Upholstery Makeover Modern Farmhouse Style

Giving this chair a new life with a modern farmhouse style was easy with a coat of chalk paint and new upholstery.

Upholstery Rescue DIY

Upholstery Rescue DIY

Upholstery Rescue DIY Before:

This vintage chair was in my neighbor’s truck on the way to the dump until he saw me in my front yard and stopped to ask if I wanted it. “Why yes I do” and as soon as I scored this beauty I started planning it’s update.

Let’s take a look at the chair when I received it.

Chair before upholstery update

Chair before upholstery update

Updating Decisions

This out-of-date broken chair had great bones, so I started its rescue plan by finding fabric I loved. When I found this great vintage grain-sack inspired fabric and knew I wanted it for this upholstery rescue DIY since it is a trending look and would totally update this vintage chair. However, another consideration was the condition of the wood and its color. I decided to paint the frame with chalk paint and then sanded some areas to give it a shabby look. Next, I waxed it with dark wax to add some warm tone to the black.

Close up of the paint on chair

Close up of the paint on chair

Upholstery Supplies

  1. Paint
  2. Sand paper
  3. Dark wax
  4. Wood glue
  5. Staple remover
  6. Stripbit
  7. Webbing
  8. Fabric (this is similar)
  9. Burlap
  10. Foam
  11. Dacron
  12. Glue gun
  13. Cording
  14. Upholstery 101 Video
Updated Chair Upholstery in a modern farmhouse style

Updated Chair Upholstery in a modern farmhouse style

Upholstering

I stripped all the old fabric, webbing, and cotton from the chair. Then I started rebuilding the chair by replacing the webbing and reattaching the springs. Next, I replaced all the musty cotton with Dacron and foam for a more comfortable seat. I spent about five hours on this update and I am totally satisfied with the results.

Learn How to Upholster

Learning to upholster has changed my life. Firstly with extra income and secondly with my mission to save furniture from the dump. Anyone can learn to update furniture and upholster. Checkout our Upholstery 101 Video HERE and enjoy the discount coupon below and start your upholstery journey too. Also, see photos and learn more about the video HERE.

Pin to Pinterest for inspiration:

Easy chair upholstery makeover

Easy chair upholstery makeover

What home decor updates are you planning to ready your home for the holidays? Please share your plans in the comments below.

Happy Up-cycling,

Kippi

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