24 Oct Dining chair makeover DIY

I wanted to share a project I had already completed about a year ago. Once upon a time, I loved modern design and had short back white leather chairs with metal legs. But after falling in love with shabby chic, rustic and farmhouse decor, I decided we needed a change. I began my hunt online for four second-hand dining chairs using resources such as:

• Kijiji
• Craigslist
• Facebook garage sale groups

I came across four chairs in need of some TLC, but instantly fell in love with shape of them. Best of all, they only cost $60! What a steal right?!

Before

This was my first project using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, which I use for almost all my projects requiring paint as there is no need for any surface preparation whatsoever! These chairs were painted with two coats of the white paint and lucky for me, I had left them out in the sun to dry and which actually crackled the paint in certain spots where we put it on too thick. I loved the result! I then sanded them with sanding blocks to create a shabby chic effect.

I then went on a hunt for fabric to recover the seats. Now, as a designer, designing for myself  is quite a difficult task.  That’s why I spent a few hours in a fabric store trying to make a decision! I chose a thick grey striped fabric, but if I ever want to change it, is extremely easy to do and inexpensive as well.  I was able to get away with using half a yard of fabric, but the amount you need depends on the seat size and the number of chairs you’re covering. The only other tools needed are scissors and a staple gun.

It is extremely simple to change fabric on a chair seat. Normally, the fabric is screwed in from underneath so grab a screwdriver that will fit the existing screws to remove them. You can either leave or remove the existing fabric depending on its condition. The same goes for the padding.

In my case I used a striped fabric, so I had to make sure that the darker stripe hit the centre of the seat before securing it. When you’re wrapping the fabric around the seat,  you have to make sure you are putting enough pressure on the foam to pull the fabric tightly but not too much to distort the stripe and make it look crooked.

Staple gun all around and then pull the corners in and staple those. It is a quick and simple DIY that can change the look of your dining room or accent chair instantly on a budget.

 What do you think of this transformation?

After