I quite often pass by second hand furniture stores and find they’re mainly filled with hundreds of old chairs – but naturally, they’re all in need of a bit of TLC.
I’ve been researching innovative ways of giving them a fresh new lease of life. Below are some of the great ideas I’ve found – and all really very simple!
Look at this for a cute way of turning a standard metal framed folding padded chairinto something special – ideal for stylish, small living spaces. Simply unscrew the padding and upholster with your chosen fabric using a staple gun. For the metal frame, make sure you buy suitable metal paint for the job, or it’ll scratch right off – try Hammerite’s product range for a guaranteed quality paint finish. In the example below, gold spots have been painted on top of the hessian fabric using gold fabric paint in order to achieve a wonderfully chic result.
Below is another great way of revamping a basic chair, with only a few really straight forward steps – though perhaps a little fiddly! You’ll need a poster or wallpaper cut to size to fit the chair’s seat and back. Then stick the template down using PVA glue, and finish with a matt varnish. To ensure a quality and smooth finish round the edges, take a scalpel and carefully go around the chair removing any untidy bits. Look how lovely and quirky it looks!
This next example involves very few steps, but you do need to be a confident illustrator! Wipe down the surface of your chair, and dry thoroughly. Then, using a waterproof permanent marker simply draw away at your design, though you may prefer to draw it in pencil first. (Top tip: use masking tape, go around the edges of the seat and the bottom of the wooden rods. This will avoid you having to do any touching up at the end). Lastly, once you’re finished and the ink is dry, give the seat a quick coating with hardwearing varnish. What a simple idea!
Note: the chair below has been prepped and painted in matt white before being drawn on. However, it could also work on a different colour or even on the light natural wood. Depending on the condition of the chair, you may need to sand it down to remove any existing patchy varnish…
For a more classic looking chair, some traditional upholstery and a fresh lick of paint will do the job beautifully – just spend some time searching for that gorgeous fabric. Note: if the chair doesn’t have a padded cushion base, you can very easily add your own by taking a thin plywood sheet and have it cut to size. Then, get some foam cut a couple of inches bigger than the plywood, and do the same with the fabric template. Lastly, align all three pieces together and begin stapling as you would normally on the underside of the board. You’ll then need to position it to the chair and screw it on yourself. So easy!
Alternatively, if you’re not feeling confident enough to undergo an upholstery project and are just after a quick and easy transformation, take a look at this for an ingenious solution. If you take the measurements down yourself, and provide the foam insert and wooden toggles, why not take it over to your local seamstress and get them professionally made? It wouldn’t be an expensive job…
I hope I’ve provided you all with a few ideas! I personally can’t wait to get my hands on an old chair…