Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Reupholstered Cane Chair

Ok- I am so excited to share this chair makeover with you! It was truly a labor (a lot of labor!) of love but the end result is totally worth it.






(I hope you don't mind that I showed you the Ta Da!! first.)


I found the dilapidated chair at the Goodwill a while back. An older gentleman was sitting in it and I thought he wanted to buy it- but when I asked him he said that he was just lounging while his wife shopped. Score!





It was tagged for $15 but I haggled for and got it for $10 (every dollar counts!). It had some problems of course. Torn, dirty fabric and ripped cane. 



I knew it had potential because I had seen Mandi at Vintage Revivals save a similar chair a while back. So I set to work taking the chair apart, starting with the upholstery first and being careful not to tear it so I could use it later as a template for my new pieces. 



This chair had some serious staples in it. Whoever put it together did not want it taken apart. I had to pull out the pliers and flat head screwdriver to get them all out. It took FOREVER!



There were some casualties.


But I triumphed in the end!!



The next task was taking the cane apart. And if I thought the upholstery did not want to come off, I was not prepared for this cane. Seriously- it was a beast. Good thing I took it outside because if was incredibly messy as well.





And when times get tough it's nice to have someone around to "help" you out.


Once I FINALLY got the cane off it was time for spray paint. I choose to paint the frame a glossy white.


Then I webbing back on. I was lucky to find some white webbing at our local craft store (Walmart). For better instructions on this part check out Mandi's blog.



Once that was finished it was time for upholstery. I had some fabric leftover from my Slipcovered Lounge Chair project that I thought would be perfect for this chair. I used a similar technique from when I redid my dining chairs. I traced the original fabric scraps onto my new fabric, leaving about an inch extra around the edges. Then stretched the pieces and stapled them into place to secure them.





To finish it off I hot glued fabric trim around the edges to cover the staples.


Then finished!

This project was good practice for the other upholstery project I have been trying to build up confidence for. It was tough but the end result was worth the hard work.









Yay!! What's the toughest project you have tackled? Was it totally worth the end result?

Linking here

39 comments:

Andrea said...

I am really impressed. I tried an upholstery project earlier in the year and it didn't go quite so well. You did a fantastic job. Love the fabric too!

Lindsay said...

You are amazing! SO much love went into this little chair--and you can totally tell. You did a great job giving it life & making it new again. Great job!

Carly said...

Your chair looks unbelievable! Thanks for checking out my blog! I <3 recieving comments!
Smiles, Carly

Kahli said...

I'm sorry for your broken nail! That looks kind of painful :(. But you did prevail and the chair came out so lovely. I have upholstered some chairs here and there. My first sewing project ever was reupholstering a chair....I know I was being ambitious!

http://designpardeux.com/armchair-makeover/

outjunking said...

Ouch! The nail! You did put a lot of love and work into that chair. Wonderful. But tell me more about haggling at the Goodwill. You can do that.
Lisa

Courtney said...

Love it, love it, love it!!!
You did a superb job Rachelle, well done!!
I want this at my place!

Erin {Lavender and Lemon Drops} said...

Great transformation!

annies home said...

looks great love the beauty in the new style come see me at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

6th Grade said...

love it and LOVE your fabric choice!

amy

stopping by from beyond the picket fence

Sherry said...

Wow, your chair turned out beautiful. Definitely labor of love...I'm your newest follower; I found you through the Project Queen. I would love a visit when you have a chance. http://decoratingwcents.blogspot.com/

Alison Agnew said...

golly

i have never attempted recovering furniture
which is a good thing
because i'm pretty confident
i would stink at it

but your refinished chair is lovely
and i'm so glad you shared this at
fridays unfolded!

alison

Katie said...

This turned out wonderful!! What a great reupholstery job! Love that fabric with the white!

Marci said...

I love the transformation. So fresh and crisp.

Ethereal PLUS what I Love said...

Your chair turned out great ... don't you just hate breaking a nail? Small price to pay for such a beautiful chair ...Right? I think so :)

Ramblings of a Southern Girl ~ Rhonda G said...

Wonderful job on the chair!!! Glad you provided a tutorial and pictures. I have this same chair and was trying to figure out what to do with it! :)

Carrie said...

LOVE! Please oh please consider linking up to my weekly Refresh Your Nest linky party; I'd love to feature your chair. That fabric is also one of my very favorite patterns, is that the trellis pattern from Dwell?!

http://makinglemonadeblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/refresh-your-nest-friday-5.html

WhyCuzICan said...

What a labor of love (boo boos and all), it turned out lovely!

Thanks for sharing it with all of us (and cutie pie kiddo, btw)

Visiting from Making Lemonade: Refresh Your Nest Fri Linky party today,
~Smiles, Suzanne from NW Illinois

PeggyJean said...

Wow! I love this chair you did such a great job! Especially love the color choice.

Rose Garden Malevik said...

woow,,,,,,,,What a great job :)
and do not miss...

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WELCOME :)
HÃ¥kan ( The Roseman)

Unknown said...

How cute! I love it! I hope you'll link up on my new linky party here, http://www.coffeeandtheirkisses.com/2011/10/stitch-n-niche-saturdays-3.html.

Anonymous said...

Nice job on the chair - it looks fabulous!

Cathy @My 1929 Charmer said...

Your chairs are quite beautiful. I have two very similar chairs from my Mom who has since past. I have been so "afraid" to tackle since they hold such memory. Your blog has given me the confidence to tackle. When I'm done, I'll let you know how they turned out. Would you please post this at my 1st Sunday's Best Party. You need to share!

Kammy's Korner said...

wow, why have I never thought of just removing the bad caning?! I just leave it and hope it gets hid with a pillow! thanks for the great idea and it turned out awesome!! Also would love for you to share this post over at Trash To Treasure Tuesdays on the Korner! Thanks!! http://kammyskorner.blogspot.com/2011/10/trash-to-treasure-tuesday-link-party-2.html

Cassie Bustamante said...

rachelle, that is beautiful! i absolutely adore the fabric you chose- it is perfect for that chair!

Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal said...

Oh this gives me hope! I have 2 of these chairs upstairs and I've been ignoring them. I love the fabric you used!

Gwen @ The Bold Abode said...

You are one BOLD girl! What an undertaking, and it turned out incredibly striking!

Carrie said...

As I said before, I absolutely LOVE this project. Thanks so much for linking up to Refresh Your Nest Friday. I loved it so much I put it on the Making Lemonade Facebook page. ;-) What can I say, I'm a sucker for that trellis pattern!

Chris said...

Hi Rachelle, what a wonderful job you did with the chair. It looks absolutely fabulous. Kudos. I found and am now following you through My Romantic Home and will visit you often. I hope you will pop along to visit my blog also and perhaps you will follow me. I would love that. Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs, Chris

The Charm of Home said...

That turned out really nice! Thank you for joining me for the HSH Fall Open House!
Sherry

Glenda @ Magnolia Bend Drive said...

Hi, your retro chair looks great. I really like the fabric you choose. I have this same chair and have been able to use it in a couple of places in my house. Its just the right size.

Kylean said...

This is so great! I am so impressed! I really love the way the chair turned out! Great job!
Ky
http://burstofcreations.blogspot.com/

Alison Agnew said...

just a note
to let you know
that i'm featuring your chair
on this week's
fridays unfolded!

alison

A Few Pennies said...

Great transformation--love that pattern on your fabric--striking against the white--I have a chair similar to this and going to attempt a redo. Love this!

Sarah Bridger Design said...

Props to you for getting that geometric fabric perfectly straight!

Shabby Marilyn said...

Very Impressed! That was really a lot of work! Newest linky follower
glad to find you, hope to see you visit and follow along!

Kim @ keller-creative said...

This turned out wonderful. I love the modern take on an old chair!

Unknown said...

Hello ! I love your chairs, and especially the fabric ! I just revamped 2 thrifted armchairs with the same one, so I though you might be interested in taking a look : http://frenchhappynest.blogspot.fr/2013/03/armchair-makeover-from-gloomy-to-happy.html?showComment=1364120024891. I hope you like them as much as I like yours ! Cheers from France !

Unknown said...

Hi, I love what you did to the chair! I have recently purchased a chair of the similar look and style to this chair. The Cain is in excellent condition though, I was wondering if I can just paint over the Cain. Also when painting do I sand first the apply the primer the sand again and finally paint the final coat, or is there a different way? This is my first time reupholstering ever and I don't really know what I'm doing. Your blog has helped me so much already. Thank you :-)

Unknown said...

Wow! A lot of effort went into this chair, but I am impressed. It turned out great! I reupholstered an old chair in drop cloth because I couldn't decide on a fabric. I actually love it and now have lived with it for 2 years!