Wednesday, November 13, 2013

A Few Upholstery Before and Afters

Since I have been trying to get through with projects quickly lately to put them in the shop I have been forgetting to take a lot of process pictures- sorry to anyone who enjoys those! First up I wanted to share a chair I found and Craigslist and had high hopes for:



The fabric was blue and had a very office-y feel to to. I was in love with the chrome frame and curved back. I knew with the right fabric it would be a gem! So I set to work tearing the fabric off and stapling the new.


The bottom went on like a dream, I was ready to keep this chair for myself! I was envision modern glam all over the place.


But the back... well that did not go so well. The arch was such a pain! I could not get the fabric to lay straight no matter how hard I tried, how many different strategies I worked through, or how many times I redid it.



(The picture I sent my mom while half crying over it)

In the end this is how it turned out:


Meh....

I've debated for a long time whether to try and sell it or not. I don't know if anyone would want a chair with the fabric crinkled like that. Just today I brought it over just to see how it would do. Time shall tell!

Another little makeover I completed was this little lockbox I bought for $2:


I liked it because it had handles and hinges that gave it some character. But sorry Asia; your fancy artwork had to go. I sanded everything down and gave it a new coat of white paint. Then added a set wheels I bought for $1, cut a new top for it and upholstered it with some leftover fabric from my dining chairs.


Terrible IPhone Picture but nonetheless-- Voila!! Upholstered Storage Ottoman! I also ended up sanding the paint down some more to show the character of the wood.  I think it turned out cute!

Have you ever had a project go awry? Do you sometimes think your simplest projects are some of your best?

3 comments:

Mally said... 1

This is very cute. I like the cushion top. What a great save for $2. Very nice.

Trish said... 2

Why not work with the wrinkles and shir (sp?) the back. Make the tube twice as long and scrunch it up. Does that make sense?

Courtney said... 3

Well you have been busy! Your space will be full, but not for long though ;-) these will be snapped up for sure!
And things go wrong over here all the time, especially when it involves me and a sewing machine! But...it's how we learn :-)