Reupholstering Dining Chairs

The improved chairs

This is a post I have been meaning to uhhhh... post.  It was my first major DIY job.  Well, over a period of 5 years, yes, you read correctly, 5 years, I have stripped and stained the chairs.  Last weekend I got enthusiastic and finished off the table.  Which I just love the look of, but frankly, the chairs were letting the table down.


I reuphostered the chairs.  The material is a grey/cream stripped material that I got from Spotlight.  It was an end of roll special.  Although located within the furnishing fabrics, I think that it is very lightweight, so it may not last the distance.  However with two toddlers, and at $8/metre I figured if it lasts me 5 years, I will just change it.

The material has given me direction for the rest of the dining room.  I am going with a majority black, white and silver theme.

The table, I stripped the top and stained it, then put Cabothane over the top.  I was going to strip the legs as well, but saw a table that I loved, that had painted white legs.  So I decided to paint the legs, and thought, if I don't like it I can strip it back, like I was originally  going to do.  When I painted the legs I was just so pleased.  I finally had a peice of furniture I love.  Unfortunately the original table colour was so uuurgly that I have no photos of it. You will just have to take my word for it, it was dark brown, and blurgh.  
couldn't be bothered

I just needed to get on with it and reupholster the fabric.

Dining room chair in progress

Reupholstering the seat is easy, I just unscewed the seat from the chair (from underneath) and stapled the fabric on.  With stripped fabric, just keep checking that it is straight.  and staple all the sides first, then tackle the corners. 

After I did all the chair seats, I tackled the backs.

One chair finished

The backs of the chairs prooved a little more difficult.  I had some staples showing where I had joined the back piece of fabric to the chair.  So, I added some piping to hide the staples. I think that adds a bit of "something" to the chairs.  I love the contrast the black piping adds, and it seems to break up the grey.  Love, love, love it.

The "After" table and chairs.

  

Before

and After

So there you have it.  My first real DIY.  And it is a success as far as I am concerned.