In a previous post, I talked about purchasing eight French chairs off of Craigslist. The woman really wanted to get rid of them. She had purchased a new set and did not have the room. She was asking $20. Not per chair, but for the whole shebang! It was the deal of the century as far as I’m concerned. I had been looking for French chairs for years! I would find some chairs, but they would not be well made or there would not be enough of them. I couldn’t believe my luck! They were sturdy, had beautiful detail and there were eight of them. Six side chairs and two arm chairs. The backs were in bad shape but I wanted to reupholster them anyway. The color was dark but I could change that. So they came home with me and the work started! I painstakingly refinished the chairs. It took weeks, but it was so worth it. After the wood was how I wanted it, I decided to have them reupholstered. We have a great place here in Rochester, NY called Fabrics and Findings. I have used them before and they do an amazing job! It took eight weeks, but they are finally done! I picked them up and I am so excited to show you the finished product! It was a long time coming, but wait until you see results!
First the recap
The original state of the chairs. Structurally sound, the backs were in bad shape, but I was planning on upholstering them anyway. Dark stain which could be removed.
I removed the original upholstery. Literally hundreds of upholstery nails later!
Stripped off the dark finish!
Look what I found underneath. Gorgeous light wood!
I got into every nook and cranny to remove every last bit of shellac, stain and dirt I could!
Then I sanded every inch to a very smooth finish!
Three Phases: Original , stripped and sanded.
And now the reveal!!
Quite the difference!
I posted video #2 on Instagram here is link: Addition Update Video: