Chair reupholstery and bay window seat cushion.
One really easy way of updating furniture is simply changing out its fabric. Whether it be a couch, occasional or dining room chairs, new upholstery can make old furniture look new again.
This was the case of one of my customers who had a set of really beautiful, sturdy, solid wood chairs with an intricate carved design, that she had purchased at a steal of a deal. The chairs were previously refinished and reupholstered, but after a few years use (and with a toddler around), the seats were showing wear, were stained, and really needed a fresh look. After doing major renovations in the kitchen, the customer was also looking for a matching seat cushion for her new bay window seat.
As I began working on the chairs and removed the seats from the chair frames, I discovered that the chairs required more than just a new piece of upholstery fabric! I ended up cutting out new custom mdf seat supports as the original mdf was bent from years of use and had overworked drill holes that were at this point too large for screws, so the seats could not be secured to the chair frame.
I also ordered new 2" medium density foam for the seats and added a new layer of thick batting because the cushioning that was under the existing fabric was now pretty much paper-thin, it was old, and disintegrating.
The new upholstery on the chairs is flawless; new mdf seat supports provide a straight and sturdy base. The new foam gives just the right amount of firmness, softness, and cushioning, making the seats super comfortable.
Perfect pleats in the upholstery fabric yield smooth, rounded corners with absolutely no puckering.
Consistent fabric pressure all the way around the seat ensures that the entire seat surface is perfectly level (no "wave" effect occurring along the edges and top surface of the seat).
Even the underside of the seat is neatly finished; all excess fabric is trimmed and raw edges are tucked under. Wherever applicable, a pneumatic stapler was used to attach the fabric, resulting in firmly and securely placed staples that will not fall out.
The bay window seat cushion was custom sewn to fit the window bench perfectly. A 2" medium density foam on the inside, lined with thick batting makes for a firm but soft at the same time, comfortable sitting spot.
Custom made piping in the same fabric as the rest of the cover along all the edges gives the cushion a professional, finished look.
All corners are perfectly neat and joining seams are reinforced with double stitching.
An extra long, custom length zipper along the back and portions of sides of the cushion allow for easy removal of the cover, if necessary.
A thick layer of batting on the foam gives the cushion a perfectly smooth, even surface. On the inside, all seam allowances are serged to prevent the fabric from fraying.
The new kitchen, with its custom bay window bench seat cushion and matching upholstery on a set of beautiful vintage chairs, is now complete.
Come on in, have a seat!
