Small Changes

With the new year I was overcome with a crazy desire to make some small changes around the house.  I want to make it my home.  I'm working with a limited budget, so the changes I make will be small, but they will indeed put my mark on the place.

One of the first projects was to re-upholster the dining room chairs.  The dining room set is from the 1940s and was purchased at an antique auction several years ago.  It's been to the refinishers for some general structural help over the years.  It's true what "they" say though - They just don't make furniture like that anymore.  It's a solid set.  When it was purchased from the auction, the chairs had some hideous fabric on the seats. Taking the fabric off revealed the original fabric, which I didn't think was all that bad at the time.  So the chairs have been used for the last several years with the original fabric still holding up super well. 

Before - Original 1940s Fabric

I decided recently though that I was tired of the old fabric and wanted to change it up a bit. My lovely sister volunteered to help me with the project.  I had a budge of $50 to recover six chairs (five regular chairs and one captain's chair).  We headed out to a very swanky fabric store across town where I knew that I would not be able to afford half the fabrics in the store.  Once we got there, I made a bee-line to the back hoping to find a clearance section.  Score!  There was a clearance section and it was overflowing with goodies.

I set my sights on a fabric that both my sister and I thought the clearanced remnant might not cover all the chairs.  I held on to it anyway and continued looking around.  I found a second, more expensive remnant that would be sure to fit all six chairs.  Not being able to decide which fabric to go with, I walked away with both of the remnants.  I figured if the one I really like didn't work, I would find something else to do with it.  The remnant I really liked was originally $67 a yard!  It was on sale for $9.99 a yard, and the remnant was a yard and a half.  So $15 for the first remnant.  The second choice remnant was $15 a yard and was a little over two yards.  (Not sure how much this remnant originally cost, but I'm guessing it was around the same price range as the first if not more.)  I walked out spending $15 more than my budget, but I had two really great fabric remnants to work with.

Once I got home, I took apart all of the chairs and laid out the fabric I really liked.  And it just fit all six seat covers - just barely!  My sister cut the fabric and folded, and I went to town with the staple gun.  The project went much smoother than we anticipated.  And the result is some pretty nice looking dining room chairs!  I'll save the other, larger remnant for a few years down the road when I get the itch to recover the chairs again.

After - The fabric is a nice Italian velvet in a soft yellow. 

Although the wood looks darker, I didn't do anything to the finish of the chairs (before picture taken indoors with flash, after picture taken outdoors while I was scotch-guarding the chairs).