Mid-Century Modern Chairs: From Ripped to Restored

I grew up with mid-century modern furnishings in our home.

So I get excited when I see items from that era come into my workshop. A client dropped off a pair of these lovely chairs for a makeover, and I couldn’t wait to dive in.

Not only was the fabric shredded but the stuffing was starting to peek from beneath where the burlap had split. One asset: the springs still looked in great shape.

The obvious first step was to remove the torn blue fabric. I could feel from the front that there were decorative buttons lurking underneath. Sure enough, there were — along with a truly astonishing old upholstery fabric!

Once I’d removed the older red fabric, I could assess the cotton batting that fluffed the backs and seats of these chairs. Alas, it was very worn and stained. Time to order high density foam…

In the meantime, I did some minor repairs on the frame. Then I sanded the legs and back supports to prep them for a clear coat of poly. My client was looking for a more natural wood appearance to go with some terrific sage green fabric.