I can often find old upholstered chairs and footstools at garage sales and auctions. The fabric is often dirty and very dated. That was the case with this vanity chair I picked up at an auction last year.
The brown and tan zig zag pattern on this chair was definitely screaming 1970s—and not in a good way. It was also pretty dusty.
I began by removing all of the old upholstery and padding. I cleaned the chair with Krud Kutter and gave it two coats of Waverly Chalk Paint in the Cashew color.
I distressed it with 100 grit sandpaper and gave it a coat of Varathane Crystal Clear Satin Polyurethane.
Once the frame of the chair was complete, I tackled the upholstery. I always remove all the old nails and tacks. I just like a clean surface and if you have ever hit an old tack or staple with a new staple and been stung by the stapler from the reverberation of hitting the old hardware, you would remove all of the old hardware too. It is worth the effort.
I used the wood as a template and cut a new piece of foam for the seat. I layered a piece of cotton batting over the foam and selected this coral and cream ticking fabric in a canvas weight. Anytime you are working with a pattern (like these stripes), you need to ensure the line are straight. They will stick out like a sore thumb if they are not aligned correctly. I start in the middle of each side and work my way out to the corners ensure the fabric is taut and straight.
I cut a piece of foam to fit the back of the chair and layered cotton batting over it. I used the same coral and cream canvas ticking and tacked it on the chair.
I used tacks on the back to finish the chair. I aligned the stripes on the fabric on the back of the chair with the stripes on the fabric on the front of the chair. It takes a little more effort, but it looks more polished.
I reattached the seat of the chair and it was complete.
This is a nice little chair that can be used once again as a vanity chair or it can be used in an entryway as a place to sit to put on or remove your shoes. It would also look nice in a bathroom or next to a bed in a bedroom.
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