Don't you just hate when you start a project you think is going to only take a couple of hours, only to get into it and realize it is much much more involved than you had originally anticipated?
That's what happened to me recently.
That's what happened to me recently.
I had a couple of free hours and thought it might be a good opportunity to start taking the old fabric off my Salvation Army chair so that I could paint it and send it off to get reupholstered. (Now, the upholster said they'd paint it, but if I did it myself, I'd save $100. Plus, I thought it would be a piece of cake).
However, when I started tearing the old fabric away, I realized that it was covering two very thin and brittle layers of wooden panels.
One layer for the fabric covering the inside of the chair and one for the fabric that shows on the outside. Removing the fabric from the chair without damaging the panels was proving to be a frustrating task for a novice like myself.
Did I need to keep those wooden panels intact because they'll get reused? Or would they get replaced anyway as part of the reupholstery process? I did not know and the upholstery shop was closed.
Buzzkill.
In the end I figured it would be best to stop what I was doing and wait until I could contact someone at the shop.
Fast forward a few days later when I spoke to the professional. She said to go right ahead and strip the chair down to the frame. No need to avoid damage to the panels as they will get replaced anyway. Whoo hoo! I love when I get get the answer I'm looking for.
So I'll resume stripping the chair and keep you updated on my progress.
(And to satisfy your curiosity, the estimate I got for recovering this chair was $350 and 4 yards of fabric.)
16 comments:
That's so frustrating! I hate stopping a project once I have it in my head that I'm going to tackle it. Which fabric are you using on the chair? What color are you paint it? I'm excited to see the finished result!
Happy you got the answer you were looking for! V. cool chair and am excited to see what you're going to do for it. And, thanks for sharing the price to upholster - not bad!!
Fun, I cant wait to see what they look like when they come back from the shop. Speaking of, what shop are you going to? I'm always looking for a good upholster person :)
Something like this seems to happen with almost every project I take on.
Thanks for sharing the estimate, I've got several pieces I need to take the pros - but the costs scare me. Your estimate helps me figure out what I'm up against.
that is almost exactly me last weekend...including the FitFlops!! Cant wait to see how it turns out.
First of all, that chair is awesome!! Can't wait to see it all prettied up. And good for you for taking a go at it - you answered the question I had too about how much it was going to cost you as I would love to have that redone at some point to a chair. Have you worked with this reupholsterer before? I need to get a good rec in my area for one.
Ahhhh I have a chair graveyard of chairs that I have begun dismantling and then stopped because the chairs started giving me attitude and being uncooperative. I should really never buy cool old chairs with the intention of refinishing them...it will not happen, I'm afraid...
Can't wait to see the finished product! I'm sure you picked some perfectly pretty fabric. :)
Bleh. Stupid chairs and their stupid staples. I thought reupholstering would be more. Maybe I should stop being cheap and let a professional do it!
Hi LindsB, I'll take it to a little shop in Providence, RI http://www.kreatelier.com/. They are the same people that did my wingback, seen here:
http://hazardousdesign.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-new-to-me-chair.html
Good luck!
It is frustrating, but you made a good call. Always best to be careful, right? I'm sure they'll be fabulous.
your home is stunning! New follower :)
Can't wait to read through your blog!
Lilac and Grey
What a cool chair--the shape is so unique. Sorry to hear that it was so frustrating!
What fabric are you using for the new upholstery?
Can't wait to see what this chair ends up looking like by the time you are done with it.
It will be a fine chair when you are finished!
Carrie-I have felt the same way about getting involved in projects that seem over my head. It looks like you have a fun one and it'll turn out great once you're done. Can't wait to see the finished product.
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