chair revival

As you read this, I am flying back to Rhode Island. After spending the last six weeks or so in Kansas, I have to admit that I'm ready to return to my cool Rhode Island weather. However, I'm already missing my family and friends. Can't wait to see you all this fall!

My last weekend back home was a whirlwind. I attended the Frontier Western Celebration in my hometown complete with Mutton Bustin' and Hog Waller. Yes, that's right, Hog Waller. :) My dad took Grand Champion in a local BBQ competition (his second Grand Champion this summer!). My baby sister came home from Dallas and we had two full days of sister bonding. And my friend Renee and I finally finished our reupholstery project. Whew!

So, today I bring you our before and after. Because who doesn't love a good before and after? I posted the before picture a few weeks ago when we first started this project. Really take in the beauty of that olive green crushed velvet. Look at the gorgeous tufting. And that rich mahogany on the legs and other decorative wood accents. She's a real diamond in the rough, eh?

And...the after:

I love the shape of this chair. But it was a beast to take apart, as usual. Once we got it torn down to the padding, the first order of business was to prime and paint the legs, which were horribly scuffed up. I love the white we ended up going with. It's perfect with such a bright fabric.

Speaking of fabric, this chair is destined for Renee's second-grade classroom so she went with a bright, fun chevron fabric. Bonus: it was only $9/yard! We found this fabric online at fabric.com and it was the perfect choice.

We also decided to get rid of the original tufting and tucks. The fabric we chose is so bright and busy that tufting would have been a bit much. I think we are both really happy with the way this chair turned out. However, I've said it before and I'll say it again...I wouldn't want to tackle another reupholstery project for a LOOOONG time.

As I've noted before, reupholstery is one of those things that you just have to feel your way through. Every piece is different. The important thing is to take tons of pictures as you go and keep the original fabric pieces so that you can refer to those as you put the puzzle back together. Renee and I would have  been lost had we not done this. More than once, we had to pull out an original piece of that nasty green fabric or bring up a photo of the original upholstery to reference.

Other than that advice, just feel your way through it and work slowly. Believe me when I say that upholstery is never a fast process.

Okay, I'll be back with more recipes tomorrow, posting from The Baby State once again. Happy Monday everyone!