Shabby chic chair makeover

Chair: before and after

We decided to convert the room downstairs to a office - one side was mine and other was my husband's. I found a white desk and needed a chair. Husband just got himself a typical office swivel chair but I wanted something with a little more character. So I went searching, what I had in mind was something timber, something with carvings and something I could add my personal touch to. I looked at the local Secondhand and Op shops but nothing. We have a flea market every Saturday so I thought I'd try my luck there and guess what, the second shop I looked in had a couple of chair and one in particular caught my eyes. I asked the owner the price, expecting at least $50, but to my surprise he said $10 - what a bargain, I couldn't grab it fast enough!

Before: chair with potential but need some work

I couldn't wait to start working on it! The next day I sanded the polish off so the new paint would adhere better. Then I took the seat off and gave the timber chair frame 3 - 4 coats of white semi-gloss paint that we had left over from doing our doors and window frames. It was really important to wait at least 15 minutes between each coat to let the paint dry completely or the finish would be sticky and lumpy but I was so excited I couldn't wait in a few areas. Luckily it was in spots that weren't too noticeable unless you look very carefully.

While the final coat was drying, I re-upholstered the seat. A little while ago, I found some gorgeous vintage looking fabric at an Op shop - it was an amazing find and a favourite amongst my fabric stash. Carefully I cut the fabric to size and used a staple gun and secured the new fabric to the timber support underneath. The corners were a little bit tricky but I just thought back to when I used to cover my books in school and applied the same theory - if I could do it when I was 8, surely I was able to do it now. It was just a matter of folding the top piece down first and stapling that, followed by the two side pieces to form a rounded triangle. Then I made sure the fabric was straight and taut and did the opposite corner. It was really fun and I didn't even tear the fabric - phewww!

After: my office chair

Finally I secured the seat back onto the chair frame. At this stage I needed husband's help because the chair was so old that the thread on the timber had worn out and I needed longer and slightly bigger screws. With the seat firmly screwed on, I stood back and admired my newly made over chair. I must say, I am very pleased at how it  turned out, not bad for a $10 chair and it even had a shabby chic feel. Eventually I will sand the edges of the timber to give it more of a weathered shabby look but for now I want to savour my fresh paint job a little while longer.