Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Reupholstering adds new life to old furniture

I'm itching to update some of my old upholstered furniture.  I do this every now and then just to change things up. Simply updating a piece of furniture with new fabric can give it a completely new life.  You can find very inexpensive furniture at local thrift stores and garage sales that can be easily updated.  If you have a staple gun, you're golden. 

I recently slip covered the cushions of a great mid century modern chair for my friend of mine, Diana Brennan.  The fabric is fantastic with its bold colors and floral motif. Here is the chair in the corner of her office.


I've reupholstered chairs, benches, and even made headboards (which are actually very easy).  Here are some of the projects I've done in the past, several of which need to be re-done again. 

I've had this chair since college.  I used a glue gun to attach the trim and cover the staples on the back.


This piano bench was a $15 thrift store find from several years ago.  Although I like the fabric I used initially, it is time for a brigher pattern.  [BTW, a piano bench is great to use in a mudroom or near a door.  We throw hats and gloves in it.]  I just bought some fabric from Daisy Janie and plan to re-do it in the next week or so.  I'll take some pics and share with you how I do it. 


I made this headboard for a friend's son.  I just used plywood, foam, batting, and attached cover bottons.  The headboard simply hangs on the wall much like a picture frame.

I recovered this stool my friend found at a local thrift store.  I made the top removeable so she could throw it in the wash.

Here are some great reupholstered chairs I found on Flickr:




A $5 estate sale find reupholstered with Daisy Janie fabric by Jen Hewett

Josef Frank fabric, originally uploaded by Craft & Creativity.

Finished product, originally uploaded by pinkertons.


































































Have you ever reupholstered anything? 

Doesn't this inspire you to find a great little chair and re-do it? 

If you do, please share it with me!

9 comments:

  1. Love it all! I'm so inspired! Thanks for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  2. love all of your projects! you may need to hide from me before i give you a list of things to make for me! LOL

    xo
    elyse

    ReplyDelete
  3. i love it! found the post via daisy janie's twitter, and now i'm itching to recover my desk chair in some fabric of hers. i love the piano bench idea! and it's funny -- i just posted about reupholstery on my blog this morning (is-five.blogspot.com). must be something about spring :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks, Bagalicious. I was hoping to inspire!

    LOL, Elyse. Your projects would have to take a back seat to my own. I have so many things I want to do my head is spinning.

    Meghan, I'm glad you found me. Gonna hop over to check out your project. Great minds...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wonderful post! I love all of the fabric by Daisy Janie. I just bought some fabric to redo my kitchen chairs...a seashore pattern. I love your piano bench...is that a longaberger basket underneath?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm much like you :) I've redone lots of pieces and I've only gotten in over my head a couple times (and had to hand it over to my friend Chuck to finish professionally). It never hurts to be friends with an upholsterer :) Chairs like that are a great "pick me up" project when I feel bored and a little blah. They cheap to pick up and not too hard to do.

    ReplyDelete
  7. OMG...I am very impressed with the work you have done!!! I particularly like that gorgeous stool with the removable back...gorgeous!
    If you ever want company...I have a chair and fabric and staple gun & staples & bead nails...and would love to work on my chair while you work on your project. I would be of absolutely no value to you, but would love to learn how to do this. As payment, I would be happy to treat on our night out w/Mandy... :) She says...fingers crossed!
    Also, I usually read your blog in my google reader so I haven't been by to see the awesome changes to your look...I LOVE the bricks & the new banner...smokin hot! :) Beth

    ReplyDelete
  8. Now I just need to find a chair...that's been my problem of late. Love the stool and piano bench!

    ReplyDelete
  9. i have just installed a used office furniture in my office and i am quite satisfied with this...

    ReplyDelete

I love reading your comments! Got a question, email me. If you like my blog, please subscribe to my RSS feed.

Related Posts with Thumbnails