I picked up a wonderful desk for my kid’s new apartment, but it didn’t come with a chair.
My kids are pretty lucky that I hoard makeover furniture in my garage so they can “shop” out there!
I picked up this vintage chair on Facebook Marketplace for $5!
With a little TLC, I knew it could work nicely with the desk. But the seat was covered it what appeared to be an ancient vinyl tablecloth – yuck. Yet I couldn’t resist those ornate and unique legs.
Step One: The Frame
Once I removed the rotted seat foam and cover, I sanded the frame. This chair had seen a lot of action over the years, so I filled the nicks and scrapes with DAP® Plastic Wood. But the years of use left the finish uneven and blotchy in places. That meant re-staining.
I applied Minwax® stain in Red Mahogany, which seemed the closest color match to the desk. Then I gave the frame a coat of Minwax® Fast-Drying Polyurethane (after discovering that Red Mahogany is the one tint you can’t use my usual Polycrylic on… cue eye roll).
The plywood base for the seat was rotten, too. With my jigsaw, I cut a new piece, using the old one as a pattern. I traced that same shape to cut the 1-inch foam for the cushioning.
Step Two: The Fabric
For reupholstery, I placed the foam slab on the new seat base and wrapped it in batting. Regular readers will know what comes next… stapling in place with my Surebonder® pneumatic staple gun!
My kid selected this moth print fabric from Spoonflower®. Though not my usual style, I was happy with the results because the fabric coordinated well with the vintage furniture. I stapled the fabric onto the seat and added a matching trim to the edge for a finishing touch.
To add a special surprise, I lined the drawers of the desk in the same fabric. I used Mod Podge® Fabric to stiffen the fabric and prevent fraying. It leaves the back of the fabric a bit rubbery, so the fabric clings nicely to the drawers.
And here’s the chair, ready to go!
After considering permanently attaching the fabric to the back of the chair, I decided to make a removable chair pad instead. That will make it easier to reupholster the chair later if a style change is desired.
Now this desk and chair are ready for their big trip out east. My kids sure are lucky I can help furnish their apartments!
Check back next week for my newest reveal. If you have any questions about the items you see on my blog, feel free to reach out using my contact page or via my Instagram (@serendipitysequelsmn).
