How To Reupholster Antique Dining Chairs

Do your beautiful antique dining chairs need a facelift? Reupholstering them is a great way to give them a fresh new look and brighten up the space. If you have the time and the inclination, you can even try to do it yourself.

Below are step-by-step instructions to help you:

• Remove the seat from your antique chair with the help of a screwdriver.
• Trace the seat (leaving ¼” on all sides) to create a cardboard template.
• Use the template to trace and cut foam for each chair.
• Fix the foam on each seat with the help of an adhesive.
• Cut your fabric to size: to determine what size you’ll need for each seat, measure the width of your seat across the top and sides including the foam, then measure the front to back of the seat including the foam and the seat thickness.
• Use a staple gun to attach the fabric in the following manner:
  1. Lay the fabric on a clean, flat surface.
  2. Place your seat on top with the foam side down.
  3. Fold fabric over the seat on one side.
  4. Pull firmly, but not too tight and staple.
  5. Repeat these steps for all sides.
• Trim off the excess fabric in the corners leaving about 2″ to fold.
• Fold over the corner fabric and place 2-3 staples to hold in place.

Decide on a specific style i.e. modern, vintage, rustic, classic, etc. and get good quality fabric to match. You can even add studs, buttons or fabric trim to totally transform your antique dining chairs. Remember, the older the chairs, the more careful you have to be. If you notice that you need antique repairs, it might be preferable to have them redone by an antique furniture store. Getting your antique dining chairs professionally refinished will help preserve them longer.

To learn more about antique refinishing or any other vintage furniture in your home, call Carrocel today at 416-999-2525.

We can take care of all your antique furniture refinishing and reupholstery needs.