This whale of a chair needed a serious makeover. Fabulous HUGE bones, but really dated upholstery.
The seller described this giant chair as one for Paul Bunyan! The seat alone is almost a yard across. This was going to be an epic project indeed.
Grab the mast and hang on for this voyage!
Step One: Gutting
I unscrewed the seat and detached the seat back and the fabric on the rear side. I also removed an ocean of staples. Fortunately, the seat foam was still afloat, But the fabric, batting, and trim all had to be sent to Davy Jones’ Locker.
The biggest question to tackle next was whether to spruce up the wood stain or paint the chair. I wrestled with this for a long time as the wood was quite lovely. But this chair, reminiscent of the teak on old sailing vessels, was really giving off seafaring vibes.
I found a navy blue and white nautical fabric perfect for this job. So I ended up going with Classic White from Farmhouse Paints. I cringed a little when I splashed on that first brushful, but in the end I think it was worth it. Navy and white is always a striking combo.
Step Two: Repairing
The seat springs had seen calmer shores in the past. Unfortunately, a couple had snapped completely. That required replacing all five in this case to ensure the tension was even — smooth sailing, you might say.
This was definitely a two-person job to accommodate the tension while installing the springs. My trusty crew (family) pitched in to help out. Now if only they’d swab the decks…
Step Three: Reupholstery
It was time to start putting this ship back on course.
I attached the new fabric to the chair seat after cleaning the foam and wrapping it in new batting. Then I stapled the fabric of the back in place on the chair frame before screwing the seat back on. I have to give myself a gold admiral’s star for successfully lining up the pattern.
Remember last post when I mentioned my new double-welting sewing machine foot? Here it is in action, making the decorative trim that covers the staples. This pic gives you a hint of that nautical fabric I’ve been keeping hidden until the reveal…
And now this land yacht is ready to set sail!
What a titanic undertaking! I’m really relieved to have not sunk this ship. Now I can imagine someone curling up to read a good book in this chair at their lake cabin after a sunny day at the beach.
Status: SOLD!
If you have questions about any of the items you see on my blog, let me know via my contact page here or my Instagram shop (@serendipitysequelsmn). And check back next week for my latest furniture reveal.
