Antique Mahogany Parlor Chair

Parlor Chair Before

Parlor Chair After

This was a small, mahogany parlor chair in need of some TLC. It had a few broken sections which Jim was able to repair and then touch it up since the finish was in good condition. Touching up a piece of furniture is a less expensive alternative to a total stripping and refinishing, which involves completely removing the old stain down to bare wood and applying new stain and polyurethane.

This chair had nice carvings on the backrest with Queen Anne style legs. The seat was in pretty bad condition, so the springs had to be removed and retied on a new webbing bottom. 

My customer had selected fabric from one of my previous jobs, a lovely gold diamond design on burgundy material, which was perfect for this style of chair. What was once a nice cushion was completely gone, so after the springs were retied, I secured them with burlap which keeps the springs securely in place and allows for a nice construction of the other materials that followed. 

After the burlap was on, I added three layers of raw cotton to make the seat nice and fluffy, followed by three layers of dacron, which is a soft batting that adds comfort and bounce to the seat. The final step was attaching the gorgeous material and finish it off with a double welt cord that follows the bottom edge of the seat.

Small enough to stash in a corner and perfect for additional seating, this parlor chair is a perfect addition to any dining room, adding beauty as well as function. 

Worn, Sturdy Chair Gets Facelift

Chair After

Chair Before

This worn chair was in rough shape when it came to me. Although it was quite sturdy, the exterior was in need of a major facelift. The chair had taken a beating by an overzealous dog which had chewed up the left seat section, showing exposed springs. 

The chair had once been a light tan material but had darkened with use and age as the fabric was quite worn out. This was an extremely heavy chair with a strong frame and lots of springs which gave it plenty of bounce. Springs feel good in a chair only when they are not poking through it!

The first step involved in this massive project was removing the old material and documenting (literally) each step as I carefully pulled staples and nails out of each section of the chair. This type of chair has several areas and each one has a specific methodology to put together as well as take apart. Taking it apart is exactly the opposite of building it, which means that I had to remove the center, left and right outer sections first, before tackling the interior seating area. This process is vital to assembling all these components when reupholstering the chair, since I used the original fabric to make templates for the new fabric, which was a blue seat with plaid top and backing, making this a unique, two-tone chair. 

Grandfather’s Chair Refinished and Reupholstered

Rocking Chair After

 

Rocking Chair Before

This was a very old rocking chair that belonged to my customer’s grandfather. It had plenty of use and had seen better days, so it was in need of some TLC. The right arm had broken off the spindle and needed to be glued back into place prior to any refinishing work being done. 

She had wanted to keep the same color, so we decided to go with traditional walnut, which brought out the beauty of the solid oak wood, refreshing the overall look and making it once again a beautiful piece of furniture.

Like most old rocking chairs, this one had a very badly worn seat which had the original horsehair stuffing and some very unusable other materials. The dust was enough to make me sneeze! My customer had chosen a fabric similar in color to the original, which was a lovely dark olive velour, to keep the original look and feel of the chair. Jim was kind enough to remove the old fabric, since I was still recovering from my stomach surgery and he took plenty of photos for reference. I have found taking photos to be an essential part of reupholstery disassembly, because you need to know how it was put together, before you take it apart and reassemble it properly, and photos are a great way to accomplish this.

The springs on this seat were installed from the bottom side, downward. I have worked on a few chairs like this and always wondered the reason for this type of installation of springs. For a chair to be comfortable, you have to have a “crown,” which is a curved top so that the springs are underneath you, covered by layers of various materials so you don’t feel the springs. Installed from the underside of the seat seems backward and puts more stress on the springs, since they can’t really support you properly. Since I have been doing reupholstery, I have learned the proper way to attach webbing to the underside of the chair and hand-stitch each spring to the webbing using a curved needle, then using the 8-way tie  to keep the springs tight, creating the “crown” chairs should have for support. 

After the springs are tied up and in securely in place, they get covered with upholstery burlap. This is the first layer to cover the springs. Since this chair had only five springs, I built-up the in-between spring area with a bit of raw cotton to keep everything level and soft. Next I covered the springs with a one inch layer of foam, which gets stapled to the chair’s seat edges, covering the springs. On top of the foam, I covered everything with a 1” layer of Dacron. This is a more dense material and really does a great job of covering the springs so you don’t feel them at all. My last covering was a high-quality layer of muslin. This keeps everything neat and makes it easier to attach the fabric, the last step in the process.

This chair originally had tacks along the bottom edge, but they weren’t the correct upholstery tacks. Someone used regular tacks that you’d use on a bulletin board, which are not adequate for chair use. I used brass upholstery tacks on the folded underside edge of the material so it will not fray. My final step for the fabric was to finish it with a double-cording on the chair’s arms and back spindles. This adds a nice finishing touch and secures the edges of the material.

The last step of the process is to cover the underside of the chair with chambray to cover the webbing and keep the dust out. It is also referred to as the dust cover on chairs and couches. This finishes off the chair and looks great.

Below I have a few photos of the springs’ underside tying and correct 8-way tying so you can see how much better it looks. I’m not really sure what the reason is to do it the underside way, but the way I’ve been self-taught is to use the 8-way tie on the topside of the chair.

Underseat tying,
incorrect way

        

8-way tie
correct way

Updated 1980’s Dining Room Set

Dining Chair After

Dining Chair Before

A simple, yet functional dining room set made well never goes out of style, but the fabric sure does. My customer had wanted an updated look for her 1980’s style dining set and decided to go lighter. Sometimes this isn’t possible, depending on the wood, but in this case it was achievable. 

The four chairs all had rollers, which had to be removed prior to stripping. Once Jim had stripped everything, chairs and table alike, he began carefully sanding all surfaces and applied the new stain, golden pecan. This gave it a perfectly suitable color for the customer, lighter and updated. 

Originally she had not wanted to replace the fabric (based on budget) but once the staining and finishing was done, I thought I’d suggest she splurge and get the fabric updated as well and because I had given her a great price she agreed. I provided her with resources for the fabric and she chose a gorgeous Hillary Farr Design with an aqua chevron nap. It was the perfect accompaniment for the newly stained lighter wood. Had she not chosen new fabric, the old fabric would have been okay, but without the feel and touch of fresh new fabric. I probably would have chosen the same fabric since I am a fan of that color!

Dining Set After

Dining Set Before

The table had some damage due to her husband’s wheel chair, which Jim was able to sand out and make invisible. Magic happens when you sand furniture. You remove the old and expose the beauty buried beneath the years and grime. The table was solid wood, always a great thing to work on. 

When they say, “They just don’t make ‘em like they used to,” furniture would be a prime example of the truth of that statement. Not to say you can’t get that same quality, but the cost is much higher by comparison. But if you have that special piece of furniture that belonged to a grandparent or great-grandparent many times over, you  have a priceless piece of history that is worth keeping and definitely worth restoring.

Button Fluted Chair Makeover

 

Chair After

Chair Before

This is another classic style chair with fluted channels and buttons to accent the back. It had definitely seen better days since it had a damaged, torn seat from an active dog. The chair itself was very durable and structurally sound, needing no tightening or other repair work. But like many chairs of this style, it had many, many staples to remove which was a very time-consuming process. My customer chose the fabric which was a lovely large floral print on a dark teal background.

And to make matters even more time-consuming, the staples were quite rusty, which made them a bit tougher to remove. This chair may have been in a damp environment, hence the rusty staples, but the fabric had no mold or odors, so despite the dampness, it was dry and odorless.

Removing the fabric is the opposite of putting it on. I removed the welting on the back first before removing the entire back itself. I kept the pieces in tact as I was planning on using them as templates. This is much easier than making the patterns without the original pieces, which I’ve also done. For this particular style of chair having those template pieces was invaluable. I had to carefully transfer the markings for the fluted back and button positions from the old fabric to the new fabric. 

Using a heat removable marker, I transferred the lines to the new fabric. The back consisted of four layers; the outer fabric, the batting, the 1/4” foam and the liner which is the very back fabric (I used muslin), not seen when the chair is put together. The challenging part of this process was stitching all those layers together while keeping them from moving too much. This took the better part of the afternoon to accomplish. The chair also had fabric covered buttons which had to made individually as I don’t own an automatic button maker. (....some day...). 

After I had the seat all done, I began the slow process of attaching the thickly padded back. Starting at the top and temporarily attaching it to the center back, I worked the layers through the bottom wood structure of the chair and attaching it to the lower portion of the wood. All this is not seen once the chair is done. Once I was sure the backing was lined up, I finished attaching it securely. After the front of the back was installed, I attached the very back which covers up the interior of the chair. I covered the back with Dacron batting then used tack strip, which attaches to the wood of the chair all the way down to the arms, then the fabric is tucked between the tacks and folded then hammered with a rubber mallet, attaching it firmly to the back. At the juncture of the arms, I attached the rest of the fabric with staples as that part would be covered with welting.

I then attached the welting below where the tack strip ended, curving around the arms and again on the top curve of the front legs. This is decorative and effective way to finish the chair while covering any raw edges of the fabric. Many chairs have tacks that are used for this purpose, but I prefer welting (also called piping or cording) because once you remove the original tacks, it is hard to apply new ones without defaulting to the old holes, which don’t always line up. Many times the tacks break or bend and can’t be used, especially on very hard wood such as maple or oak. Welting is a great alternative and a cleaner look.

I loved the lines an shape of this chair and boy, was it comfortable to sit on when it was finished!

Fluted Chair Reupholstery Rescue!

Chair After

Chair Before

This chair was in desperate need of being rescued from severe damage from an enthusiastic dog or two. The seat was not usable because the springs were exposed from the large tear and were also damaged beneath. The left arm had been chewed to expose the wood. This chair certainly needed a lot of attention and dedication of time to bring it back to life.

The style of this chair is fluted, or channel back. These “flutes” or “channels” are created by sewing the separate front strips of fabric to a large backing with lines marked according to size, then stitched to the backing fabric and stuffed with cotton or polyester fiberfill to create the flutes.

My first approach was to remove all the old fabric, nails, staples, stuffing and webbing. Once I got down to the springs, I realized they needed to be re-tied which meant they had to be removed along with the old webbing which holds the springs in place. This is an intense process that takes a lot of patience and time to do it right. But there are no shortcuts to good upholstery. Once the springs were secured and tied, I began to build up the seat to create that nice “crown” which is an important element in a nicely structured chair. The first step was to cover those springs with burlap and secure it to all the sides, keeping the springs in their respective places. A layer of cotton batting was next, followed by a section of foam to cover the seat, another two layers of batting then covered with a large sheet of high thread count muslin. This gives the seat a pre-finished look and the top fabric a good foundation to adhere to.

Once the seat was done, the next step was the interior of the arms. Like the seat, I added several layers of batting to build up the arms, then covered them with the new fabric. You must have a “feel” for how much batting to use. Once you’re satisfied with the cushy feeling, it’s ready for fabric. Then it was time to install the flutes.  Essentially flutes or channels are constructed with a series of separate fabric sections stitched together to create one large piece, which is then attached to the chair as one unit. This is tricky because the flutes, or channels, must remain centered while you are working the fabric, attaching them to the top and bottom of the chair. Lots of tugging and pulling at this point! The center flutes were pre-stuffed prior to attachment, then the edges are filled in place after the flutes are attached by filling in the areas with layers of cotton or poly batting, then secured with staples.

Next step was the outside of the arms. I attach them using cardboard strips stapled underneath the side arms then pulled downward and attached to the underside of the chair. Snip close to the curve so later you can finish it off with the cording or piping. Lastly was the back. I use ply-grip, which are sharp little spikes on a roll that attaches to the curved back of the chair with staples or nails, then each ply-grip section is bent toward the chair halfway, while gently folding the fabric into it. Once all the fabric is wrapped around the sharp spikes, you pound the ply-grip down with a rubber mallet or hammer to secure it permanently to the back. This provides a seamless, clean back.

The fun part was adding the piping/cording to the front arms and around the back where the ply-grip was attached. This is my favorite part because it means I’m close to being done! The chair was very challenging but each time I work on such a project, I learn a new skill or how to do something a little bit better and that’s the true reward of this type of work.

Left side before - Right side after

Ladies Antique Chair Reupholstered

Antique Chair After

Antique Chair Before

I believe this chair dated back to the late 1800’s. It had a broken arm and lower right side unattached, this chair had seen better days. The fabric, though old, was reupholstered since the chair’s construction, however it was done a long time ago. My guess it was done sometime in the 1940’s, judging by the needlepoint style material they had used. 

This chair had likely been made with seat springs, but during the 1940’s upholstered was replaced with thin plastic webbing on the bottom of the chair. It also had a couple hundred tacks surrounding the bottom seat as well as the arms and back rest. My customer had planned on doing the work herself, so she had already removed the needlepoint fabric from the backrest of the chair, but soon realized it was quite a bit of work.

Removing the material was time consuming and tedious. First I had to remove hundreds of staples. These staples were not your average staple, but extra thick copper staples that were quite difficult to remove. Removing that many staples gives your upper body a workout (translation: you will be sore the next day!) Then I had to remove all those tacks, which were rusted and stuck to the fabric in most of the areas. Using tack removal tools as well as a vice grip helps the process along. 

Once all the staples and tacks were removed, I could remove the old fabric. The chair had a broken right arm, which was obvious, but after I removed the material, I discovered it also had come apart at the lower right leg/seat area as well as a portion of the front of the framework. Jim made the necessary repairs then I could start the process of adding the new fabric.

The chair had a very old, very brittle cushion which was shaped to fit the chair but was no longer usable as it had the texture of a loaf of dry bread. As I was removing the staples the foam was leaking a yellow powder which resembled a cake mix. No way would I reused this foam. Instead I created a new foam seat base after I built the foundation with webbing. 

I used 2” foam cut to size which covered the underside webbing, then I added criss-cross webbing on top of the foam, front to back and left to right, for a more stable seat. Next I added a thick layer of raw cotton, which comes on a roll and can be torn apart, easily filling the seat area. This cotton is very soft and wonderful to use on a chair’s seat. On the raw cotton I added a fitted cut size of 1” foam followed by a second layer of raw cotton. Finally I topped it off with a double layer of polyester batting to hold everything together with a good top base. I always use the “sit on it” test before adding the fabric, which means I sit on the chair and if it feels good to me, it’s ready for material. 

The customer provided two identical fabric panels, each with a single large flower which she had wanted centered in the seat and back portions of the chair. She also brought purple velour for the small section of the arms and the open back facing fabric (not seen in photos). The purple color choice was perfect as it pulled the color from purple flowers. I added gimp trim along the bottom edge, arms and top front to cover the staples and add a touch of elegance to the chair. It was once again a beauty that will last another hundred years. 

Dainty Fluted Chair Reupholstered and Refinished

Armchair Before

This dainty fluted chair, a ladie's chair, was in desperate need of updating and 
love. The fabric was stained and worn, with evidence of a cat who likely used the back to sharpen her nails. Needless to say this chair had seen better days. 

Armchair After

At a glance, the structure looked okay, but after I picked up the chair, the right side collapsed and was wobbly. Clearly there was internal damage to the frame. Once I began removing the fabric, I located the source of the damage. 

The far right support board was cracked and had come apart from the arm. This board needed to be reattached with glue and a single screw. The top curved board was cracked in the center; the inner right board had broken off at the top. Repairs included making a new dowel and reattaching the inner support board and gluing, then screwing the outer side board back in place to make it structurally sound. *(See photo below to see where the chair was broken and repaired).

Once the repairs were made and the structure strong again, the legs were stripped, sanded and restrained then protected with polyurethane. After Jim had worked his magic, it was my turn to tackle the exterior upholstery. 

This chair had zig-zag springs which were in great condition, so they didn’t need to be tightened or replaced. The first step was to cover the springs with burlap, which was stapled to the top edge of the seat. Burlap keeps the springs secure, while providing a good foundation for the layers that follow. After the burlap was secure, I added a 1” thick section of high density foam which covered the entirespring/burlap seating area. A few staples held the foam in place. 

Next, raw cotton was liberally layered on top of the foam, creating a nice “crown” for the chair’s seat. The raw cotton can be purchased per yard, or per a 10 yard bulk, which is the preferred method as it is less costly per yard. The final layer was a 1/4” foam, which was also stapled to keep it secure. I always give it the “sit” test, which is when I sit on the chair and test its softness and support. You shouldn’t feel the springs when sitting on a chair. If you feel springs, there’s not enough padding. I was satisfied with the thickness of the padding, so I cut the fabric for the seat and made the “V” cuts carefully around the arms and legs for a perfect fit. 

This was my first fluted back chair, so I researched how to create the “flutes,” or “channels.” However, before I could get to the fluted portion of the chair, I had to pad the arms and create new fabric panels for the sides. Using raw cotton and foam, I made sure both arms would be soft as well as supportive enough for the new fabric. I chose not to use the old fabric as templates. Instead, I made my own templates from muslin. This allowed me to customize the arms and create a “partial sewn” arm instead of just folding fabric and stapling in place. The fit was perfect. 

I can’t say enough about making an accurate template for upholstery work! It is an essential part of getting that perfect fit. And with plenty of muslin at my disposal, I was able to create accurately measured templates for each arm, then sew them together to test them before I cut the fabric. Templates can save a lot of time and fabric and ensure accuracy and a proper fit. Measuring is also essential. The more accurate the measurements, the better turnout. 

For the flutes, or channels, I used the original fabric as templates. I took apart the original fluting, separating them into individual units. (I like to iron the old fabric. This flattening makes it easier when cutting the new fabric). 

Once the flattened templates are laid on the new fabric, it’s necessary to allow a few inches to the top and bottom lengths, so there is enough material to pull underneath the seat and over the chair's frame. The individual units are then sewn together. Once they are attached, they are sewn to the backing fabric on lines you have created by measuring the original fabric. The lines on the backing fabric must be narrower than the flutes to create enough space for the fiber fill or cotton. My channels measured 5-1/2”, so I drew lines that measured 4-1/2”. 

Prior to attaching the flutes, I made marks on the top rail of the chair to line up the fabric to keep it centered. The last fabric panel I attached was the back. After it stapled to the frame, I created the double cording, or piping. This is used to cover the staples and add a customized look to the chair. 

The fabric I used for this project was burgundy, with a diamond motif, that I had used last year to reupholster a bench. My customer saw this fabric on the blog and loved it, so she wanted it for her chair. Luckily I was able to get the same fabric! It’s one of my personal favorites. You can view that bench by clicking on this link: http://finalefurniture.blogspot.com/2021/11/antique-bench-trash-to-treasure.html

This chair was a true challenge, but with each project, I learn and advance my upholstery and sewing skills, which I truly enjoy.

View of repairs 

*As pictured on the left, you can see the areas where the chair was damaged and needed repair. This needed to be done prior to the leg refinishing and upholstery.

Eastlake Chair Reupholstered

Eastlake Chair After

Eastlake Chair Before

This was a very old Eastlake chair which had been thrown away. My customer saw the potential of this chair and brought it to me to reupholster. Originally he had just wanted the springs to be restrung, as they had been popping through the fabric on the bottom, but upon closer inspection, I realized the chair’s springs were not the only thing this chair needed. The seat was rock hard, which meant that the foam was completely deteriorated beyond usage, so I told him it needed to be completely restrung, with new webbing. 

After I removed the old fabric, as I had guessed, the foam was so deteriorated it resembled a dried out loaf of bread. Yellow dust had sifted out of the chair’s bottom edges as I pried the old fabric off. It was indeed a mess and was simply not usable in its condition. Once I removed all the fabric, I made yet another discovery. The springs were tied to the chair upside-down, meaning they were strung to the bottom of the chair instead of the top of the chair’s seat, as it should have been done. This involved removing all the “guts” of the seat, which was the old deteriorated webbing as well as the springs and strings. 

Plus instead of using webbing to secure the springs to, they had used burlap only, which was definitely inadequate. Webbing is attached to the bottom of the chair then the springs are attached to the webbing. After this step, the springs are tied in the “eight-way” tying technique so that they are secure and do not move as well as adding the proper support and structure to the seat. Retying strings is a time-consuming job and requires accuracy and a bit of upper body work, or they won’t hold up for the long haul. I tend to over-tie springs, erring on the side of extra instead of under-tying them. Better more than less in this application.

New Webbing
With Springs
Ready for Tying

After the springs were securely tied, I stapled burlap to the top of them, snugging them tightly on all sides. A one inch layer of foam was the next layer, followed by a 1/4” layer of foam for added comfort. For the final padding I used loose cotton which is commonly used for upholstery. This is a very soft, comfortable cotton that comes on a roll. In some applications, many layers of this cotton is applied when a seat (or couch) needs more stuffing. 

Once I had the cotton in place, I stapled a layer of high quality muslin to cover everything else I had applied. The muslin makes a nice final surface on which to attach the fabric. Because my customer was on a tight budget and didn’t want to purchase new fabric, I chose a soft gray plush material, which was left over from a previous job, and was just enough to complete this chair. 

The cushion on the arms needed to be replaced as they too were beyond usage. I used the old cushions as templates and cut new ones using my carving knife. It worked quite well and covered the area nicely. The back of the chair needed new webbing and foam. The fabric was applied to both front and back of the upper part of the chair and the entire chair was finished with piping, which I prefer to using decorative nail heads which are difficult to pound into hardwood, such as this. I polished the metal wheels, which were original to the chair. The chair was once again usable.

1940’s Chair New Upholstery

 

1940s Chair Before

1940s Chair After

This was a super challenging reupholstery project. This chair was purchased by my customer’s grandmother in the 1940s. The story was that her grandmother had saved her money so she could purchase this heart-shaped back chair. I’m sure at the time she bought it, it was in much better condition than when I received it. Made of green satin, the chair was made with tufting, buttons and formed to accentuate the heart shape, which is part of the chair’s wood structure. 

Because the original fabric was much thinner than the upgraded fabric, it had a skirting along the bottom edge which surrounded the chair. Popular for the time, this skirting was a definitive feminine design for a small chair such as this which was commonly found in a woman’s dressing room. The chair’s petite size is an attractive feature because it was small enough to put into a corner of a bedroom or dressing room. The heart-shaped top was surrounded by shirred fabric to match the arms. Piping in an off-white was the accent color for the green. However, the chair had seen better days and had spent many years neglected,  suffering the elements and its share of rodent damage as well as other crawly things that made the interior their home. To say the least, it needed a major overhaul.

Back of chair after

Back of chair before

My customer had her heart set on a nautical theme and chose a lovely fabric with light blue, gray, white and navy with various nautical elements including sea shells, lighthouse, seagulls and a compass. The colors were muted but worked well with the overall design and theme of the fabric. 

I spent four evenings removing the old fabric, including the old thread and taking the sections apart, measuring and marking them, so that I could replicate them in the new design. However ambitious this was, it didn’t turn out that way. As I reconstructed the new underlayment of the chair, i.e. webbing, burlap, foam, rolled raw cotton batting, etc. the dictation that I take it into a different direction. I had always planned on adding the skirting, but the more I worked on the fabric, the less I wanted the skirting. It just didn’t look right with the new design of the chair.

Because the chair had zig-zag springs, it required a strong foundation so that you wouldn't feel the springs when you sat on the chair. And because the upholstery fabric was considerably thicker than the original satin, creating the “loose cushion” style was not possible. I was able to maintain integrity of the chair’s original “heart” design in the back by following the form of of the wood and being conscientious about keeping that shape while adding the various layers of cotton batting and foam. 

The most difficult part of the top heart shaped area was adding the fabric covered buttons. Because I made the back as a single, attached unit, the buttons has to be pulled through all those layers and stitched individually into place before the back fabric could be applied. This proved to be quite a task which involved using various tools of the trade. (I have learned to keep bandaids on hand while doing this type of work!)

Because of the shaping of the new fabric, I could only add piping to the very back of the chair, but I used two rows for character and keeping the back area straight, so I could easily apply the back fabric by using tack strip. Tack strip (or curve ease) attaches the back fabric in a way that you can’t see any fasteners. It’s got sharp “teeth” that grab the fabric’s edge, then gets hammered down to close the fabric on itself. 

Because the chair’s arms were built with fairly thin wood strips, it was a bit tricky attaching the batting layers and eventually the fabric because it was difficult to find where the wood was. This was quite time-consuming, but turned out great. Plus with all the padding, the chair is much more comfortable than it was before since the seating is much thicker than it was originally made. I finished the chair by making arm covers (to protect from your skin’s natural oil) and made a matching pillow with ruffled edges. I refinished the chair’s legs, because I opted to omit the original skirting, which simply didn’t look good with the updated fabric and style of the chair. The legs weren’t in bad shape, but they needed a touch-up so this completed the chair. Now it’s ready to face another 70 years as a cute little chair that graces a woman’s dressing room.

Dining Room Set Painted

China Cabinet Before

Wow! This was a big job. Lots of pieces and lots of work,

China Cabinet After

attention to detail and planning. A traditional dining set which was selected to be painted for an updated look to match our customer’s new home. The wood tone no longer suited and after selecting various stains in light shades, we moved into a different direction; paint. With thousands of paint colors available with as many names to match, we ended up with “Dorian Gray,” by Sherwin-Williams. It was a great color; light enough to look fresh but not super bright as white would have been.

Hutch Before

The China cabinet had a lot of curves and detail, so the doors and

Hutch After

drawers were removed and the entire cabinet was sanded, primed and painted, interior and exterior. The hardware was also painted in an accent gunmetal gray metallic, which looked splendid with the new paint in a high gloss finish. The hutch got the same treatment. The color really brought out the carving and details of the pieces.

The other challenge was the six chairs, including two armchairs. These had been re-upholstered many years ago with leather with decorative brass nail heads, but it wasn’t what our customer wanted, I suggested double welting instead of decorative nails. 

The chairs took a long time just to remove the fabric, three hours per chair. There were so many nail heads and beneath them, a million or so staples and smaller nails holding the previous leather in place. It was a very time consuming job leaving Jim and I both with sore hands and shoulders. After that each chair had to be masked off on the seat area, sanded, primed and painted. After they dried, they were ready for fabric, which was custom ordered. While waiting for the fabric, I added decorative detailing paint to the top center of each chair, to  highlight the scallop design. It tied both the light and dark gray colors together and matched the painted hardware. It’s fun adding “bling” to a project.

Armchair After

Armchair Before

The fabric our customer chose was a dark gray plush with a nap and was gorgeous for the freshly painted chairs. Cutting fabric has a sequence. First you need to cut a piece about 4” larger than the area you are covering to allow movement and positioning. 

If the fabric has a pattern, you’ll want to pay attention to the focal point and place the pattern in the center of the seat, working around it to center it prior to attaching it. You tack it in place then stretch it to center it. It’s essential to carefully cut around the arms of the chairs so that you aren’t short. You cut in a “Y” seam perpendicular to the chair’s arm. Precision is key here. Once the fabric is stretched into place, have a pneumatic stapler ready and loaded is essential to get the job done efficiently. It’s my new favorite tool. 

The dining room table had three leaves, which made it a fairly large piece. Painting large surfaces requires patience and a lot of skill. The glossy finish was perfect for this classic design. What a difference!

This was a lengthy job with many challenges, but we love how it turned out and that’s the ultimate reward.

Table Before

Table After

Chair Before

Chair After

Vintage Wing Chair Gets New Fabric

New Gingham Fabric

This chair had an outdated blue and white plaid fabric which had been popular in the 1970’s. While still in good condition, an updated look was in order, so my customer choose this lovely gingham checkered fabric which suited the style of the chair as well as the era.

This chair was quite challenging because of the many components and sections it had. Because of these many components, I had to carefully remove them all, taking good photos and tagging each one, so I could refer to them later when I put the new fabric on each section. I decided to tackle the hardest piece first and worked on the bottom cushion, then the back cushion. Unfortunately, I have no photos of the chair before I began working on it, but I did take a photo of the cushion so I knew how to put it together.

Old Cushion

Because the bottom cushion had cording on the top and bottom edges, all the way around, and wrapping around the chair’s arms, I knew this was going to be a difficult job because I had done a chair such as this before and knew what was involved. Lining up the cording to match the curves is difficult, to say the least as you have a very narrow and sharply curved area in which to create a tightly fitted, finished corded seat. This was indeed the hardest part of the cushion.

Once that was complete, I “tested” it by slipping it over the cushion and was not pleased that the brand new seat I had just spent four days on no longer fit the original cushion. I opted for not making another cover, but getting a brand new cushion, custom made to fit my cover. The Foam Factory was a life-saver! I took my fabric piece there and left it in their capable hands to make a workable cushion that would look great and be extremely comfortable and fit well. Indeed, the new cushion was perfect and all the work I did was worth it because the seat was super comfortable and fit the chair perfectly.

The wing chair portion had fabric that faced the inside and outside, so each piece had to be marked, “inside facing right, outside of fabric, inside of fabric," etc. This method of marking my photos proved to be invaluable when I put it all together. The padded armrests were yet another story. The original foam was deteriorated and had suffered “dry rot,” which happens when foam cushions basically fall apart, leaving a dusty yellow residue. I replaced them with leftover cushion from another project which worked great. I used my scroll saw to cut and shape the 3” cushion. You can use an electric knife to cut thick cushions, but since I don’t own an electric knife, my scroll saw worked wonderfully, slicing right through the foam like butter. Having the right tools is essential for any project! Finally, the chair was done with new fabric and look pretty good if I do say so myself.

Bar Stool Gets New Upholstery

Bar Stool Before

Bar Stool After

This bar stool was in desperate need of new fabric, otherwise it had great bones. The fabric was circa 1980 and had seen better days. Ripped on the seat it needed replacing.

The wood was teak as it was originally used on a boat. Still in great condition and sturdy, this heavy chair only needed new an updated look.

In order to reupholster the seat, I removed the arms and flipped the chair upside down to remove the staples which held the old, outdated and very stiff fabric in place. The foam was yellowed, but otherwise still usable. I decided to use the old fabric as a template, which needed to be taken apart so I could design a new seat with the existing fabric to get the right measurements, which is essential to get a good fit. It was much easier than I thought it would be and I was satisfied with the way the new fabric hugged the seat perfectly.

Edwardian Kidney-Shaped Desk

Edwardian Desk and Chair Before

Edwardian Desk and Chair After

I came across this amazing Edwardian Kidney-shaped desk and matching chair at an estate sale and knew I had to have it. Luckily, all the drawer pulls were in tact, but the top left one was missing a screw. Easy enough to find a screw and put the pull back in. The chair was in great shape, but the fabric was quite worn and dirty. Not a problem, as I could easily replace the fabric.

Drawer Pull Before Polishing

Drawer Pull After Polishing

My first project was the chair. I found a perfect gold fabric that pulls out the painted gold "arrow" design on the chair. I removed the seat and touched up the minor scratches on the chair itself, then replaced the fabric. It turned out to be a great choice as it looked great! Next was the desk itself. I replaced the missing screw and used tung oil to polish the wood until it gleamed. (Unfortunately, I took the photo of the cleaned desk and spent hours removing the background, before I polished the handles, therefore I added the photos [above] of the drawers separately showing the newly polished handles.) 

Once I pushed the newly upholstered chair underneath the desk, I knew I had indeed made the grand finale, hence the name of my business. I loved this beautiful desk and chair and together, they make a great team. The desk and chair are currently available for $675.00. Please contact me at 586.873.1405 if you're interested in purchasing them.

Chair and Desk After

Desk After

Old Chair, New Seat

Chair Before

Chair After

This was the third chair in a sequence of chairs we refinished for a friend. Using the same striped fabric, it makes a great mate to the other chairs. This one required very little, only a good cleaning and protection with boiled linseed oil. The reupholstered striped fabric is perfect for the period and gives this once-old, neglected chair a new personality.

Seat Before

Seat After