Saturday, February 22, 2014

Dining Chair Revamp

Changing the seat covers is an easy way to revamp dining chairs. A coat of paint sometimes helps, too. :)  For my new (old) dining chairs, I kept the look simple with basic black-on-black.

I found the chairs (and matching dining table) on craigslist. The chairs were sturdy, but the seat covers were in horrible shape.

The original covers had been gold, like the chair on the left above. The seats were later covered with a beige fabric (by someone who should never be allowed near a stapler again).

After pulling out what felt like 10,000 staples, I removed the beige fabric to reveal... more staples!

When I tried to remove the ancient gold fabric, it practically disintegrated. After pulling it off the first seat in strips and strings, I decided to leave it on the other seats. To help smooth out the worn corners and provide a bit of padding, I added a layer of white fleece.

For the main cover fabric, I used some black velvet that I had on hand. I laid it out, placed the seat on top, and cut the fabric about 2-3 inches larger than the seat.

Keeping the fabric taut, I stapled it in place, paying special attention to folding the corners.

I spray painted the chairs black and put the seats in place. Done!

37 comments:

  1. My kitchen chairs also had staple overload when we stripped them down. Of course, I went with the world's most obnoxious fabric instead of taking the elegant and understated route….. >heh<

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Seat covers do require a lot of staples to keep them taut, but I believe Staple Frenzy must be a common disorder. ;)

      Delete
  2. The chairs look so much more modern this way! And from my chair revamping days I still remeber the intense hatred for people who put in more than 50 staples to put on new fabric! All the time and work to get these out again...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I spent quite a bit of time attacking staples with the flat screwdriver and the pliers. It was not one of my more enjoyable experiences, to say the least.

      Delete
  3. I love these! Amazing transformation!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The black on black is very elegant! I'm not very good with spray paint - too many missed spots and/or drips.

    I am so tired of knitting ... I wanna start painting something! ;o)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The trick with spray paint is to have proper lighting, and then to look at the object from every possible angle to catch the missed spots.

      I'm in a painting mood as well. :) But the cold, snowy weather precludes any more spray painting for a while.

      Delete
  5. Oooh, I love it! I want my main room to have black and white Victorian style, but I think my living room will be more crimson! Great redo!

    ReplyDelete
  6. It never ceases to amaze me, why somebody takes such beautiful furniture design and makes chairs in dull grey-brown colour and covers the seating with unmatching gold fabric. No wonder they look better after your revamping and good luck with the velvet, we all know it loves to catch every possible non-black lint you don't even suspect to exist ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed. The chairs have an interesting shape, but the original finish was hideous. The velvet is likely not permanent... when I find fabric for new curtains, I may change the chair fabric to coordinate. Until then, I should keep plenty of lint roller refills on hand. ;)

      Delete
  7. oooh, these look like they'd be right at home in a dungeon. I approve.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just wait until you see them with the leather straps and electrification! ;)

      Delete
    2. I am intrigued by your ideas. Take lots of pictures, or ask me to participate.

      Delete
  8. Those chairs are gorgeous! Recovering seats looks so much more simple than I thought it would be - love what you've done with them. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, my gosh, I'm beginning to think we're sharing a brain! I went on craigslist recently, and bought a 70s-tastic dining set that could be cousins to yours. I can't wait 'til the weather improves enough that I can paint it. If I get really ambitious, I may even try a faux zinc finish on the tabletop. Anyway, congratulations on your find! They look gorgeous now!

    (Holy exclamation marks Batman - I must drink less coffee before commenting. :P )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My set came with a table as well. I already have a dining table, so I'm not sure what I'll end up doing with it. A faux zinc finish sounds really interesting!

      Ha ha! :D

      Delete
  10. I was going to do the exact same with my own dining room set, but they're far too plain to put that much effort into them, so I just put it off, hahah; they're literally nothing special, as basic as basic can really be. Changing them color won't do anything lol.

    But these, I can totally see why you did it-- the foundations is *gorgeous*
    And you just made them stunning!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had a dining set that was completely plain, but I painted it anyway. And put bat fabric on the seats. :) Though it didn't add class or sophistication, it made the set a little more fun.

      Thank you so much!

      Delete
  11. Woooow this looks insane!! Revamp would be the right word for your amazing work!! Come to think of it, you could actually sell the same chairs for twice the price now! XD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much! The set was a table and seven chairs... I need only four chairs at most, so I may end up reselling the table and some chairs.

      Delete
  12. Beautiful chairs!! Your velvet cover became a lot more neat than the previous stapler :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Ha ha... yeah, I used scissors instead of ripping the fabric with my teeth like the previous person. ;)

      Delete
  13. So cool! I hope I am doing this soon because I am getting free table and chairs from my friends but being married.. you need to talk everything xD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Free is good! :) I suppose you do have to discuss... but who could argue with black? Black goes with everything, right? ;)

      Delete
    2. Nooo, there is no arguing with color black, getting the new tables and chairs is the problem.. xD Marriages..

      Delete
  14. those are wonderful ( ive noticed all lovely scary looking furniture ...seem to come with a VERY scary price...you have beat the system!)

    now im going to be going to "how would this look painted black?"

    which my friend might enjoy seeing my sewing chair needs to go (according to him it "sounds like im sitting on a screaming Banche ")

    though i wonder what possibilities might lie for my silver thumb tacks i seem to be hoarding as well .....

    i now dub you a fallen angel for this!!!!!!!!
    best inspiration ive gotten in a while

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A whole world of furniture (and decorating in general) possibilities opens up when you keep in mind that most things can be painted black. :)

      Silver thumb tacks might make a good substitute for the nailhead trim often seen on upholstered chairs.

      Thank you very much! :D

      Delete
  15. that looks awesome *_* i want it :D
    http://doom-kat.blogspot.de/

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for sharing content and such nice information for me. I hope you will share some more content about. Please keep sharing! Black Velvet Dining Chairs

    ReplyDelete