DIY TIME
I picked up this sweet piece at a garage sale for $3...eeep!! It wasn't something I had planned to tackle at first because I loved that original fabric. I even tried to clean it - mistake. It made the color bleed and it looked even worse. After that, I stuck it in the corner of our bedroom and used it quite frequently.
That gorgeous chenille fabric was so utterly dirty and had been worn with love all over. See those holes in the seat up above? The seat was originally tufted and missing several buttons, and my kids and cat also had a hayday with this chair.
The back panel was the only part in decent shape. My kids loved to crawl behind it and rub the raised surface of the fabric because it was so soft.
I told my husband that this winter when the snow was flying outside, my little ol' self was staying inside to work and planning to tackle two chairs. One of them was this one, a channel back chair.
UPHOLSTERY
Mind you, I have no formal instruction on upholstery, but somehow it just makes sense to me. I've told the story before of my great-uncle, a renowned upholsterer, who was requested at times to be flown to different cities to do custom work. My grandfather would help him, and I wish I could have picked their brains on tips & tricks, or better yet, watch them work. That's where I claim I got my passion for it. I mean, who else would make their hands look like they got in a cat fight for a piece of furniture? tsk. My inspiration for this chair came from my love of deconstructed chairs, particularly the ones I found on Pinterest. Hmmm...what do I mean by deconstructed? Well, just that...a chair that's pretty much down to bare bones, looking well-loved, rustic, and oh so full of character. My pinterest board has oodles of examples for you. Take a look so you see what I was after.NEXT STEPS
When I purchased my yardage, I had every intention of selling this chair in my shop and doing a white linen front with beige back to create a light, airy feel. However, I just couldn't get myself to do the white on front because nobody who owned children or pets would purchase something like that. I switched it up and went with beige on front. Off goes the old and on with the new! This is reality...big mess. Toys everywhere, tools and batting strew here and there. That's all part of the fun!
It wasn't until halfway through that I reasoned with myself that I just couldn't sell this chair I had come to love. It's so comfortable and the lines just draw me in. That's when I got a little more relaxed and started to enjoy myself. By the way, did I tell you I had to have this project done in two days in order to meet this month's themed makeover deadline...whew!!
THE REVEAL
I can't tell you the number of times I made mistakes that were easily reversed. sigh. I am living up to my mantra, "Haste makes waste". However, I'm so stinkin' excited that I can keep this chair.
It's original place is in the corner of our bedroom, so that's where I put it, but my intention is to have it in our family room once it's done. I've already told the cat I will wipe out 8 of her 9 lives if she touches it.
The legs and arms are fresh, but I've left them with all their quirky marks and a hint of stain. I like the aged look and it adds character, as well as tells a story.
The white back really adds dimension and gives that eclectic feel as well. The upholstery tack trim was a must in my book because I didn't want too clean of chair. Most deconstructed styles leave ragged edges and as much as I would have liked to do that, I wouldn't want to tempt my kids (or my cat) with unraveling.
UNBELIEVEABLE
Can you believe the difference?? Just look at the seat height. If you sat into this channel back chair, you would have a near heart-attack because it sunk. I would warn my guests to be careful when sitting in it for fear they would freak out. With new padding, batting, and the complete works, it is now the most comfortable chair in my house.
I adore my channel back chair and can now say I've reupholstered something for myself and my family. For those of you that loved that original fabric as much as I did, never fear! I've saved the salvageable remnants for another project for me - I couldn't throw it away! I'll give you a hint...I love to sew. {wink,wink}
MORE FUN
This was a fun themed makeover, and if you'd like to see the past month's posts, just click below.
Before you head out, I would love for you to enjoy more chair eye-candy from my friends also participating in the themed makeover.
Also, more projects like my channel back chair makeover:
