I am not a fan of cheap upholstery. My philosophy is buy the best upholstery your budget can afford and then DIY/rework/save up for the other items in a room. If you know how to upholster, vintage furniture is a great route. They just don’t make things like they used to, so nowadays you really get what you pay for when it comes to new upholstery.
I don’t know what I was thinking then a while back when I ordered some cheap chairs on a whim. I had been shopping for a new pair of chairs for a long time, but everything I liked was at least $1500 per chair with my discount (like the Odette chairs below from MGBW). We’re thinking of moving in September so it just didn’t make sense to shell out thousands for chairs right now. Plus, I didn’t want to wait two months to get them.
Then last month we hosted five dinner parties and I was desperate for chairs. I looked on Overstock and Wayfair when I was up against a wall and saw these chairs. They were on sale for $275 each and I had a 25% coupon code and there was free shipping, so I went ahead and just bought them. I liked the shape of the arms (they sort of reminded me a little bit of the Odette chairs) and I liked the nail head trim. And they came in just two days.
When they arrived I was a bit disappointed. They weren’t as nice and crisp looking as the photos and they just felt blah. Rather than deal with returning them (and since we *really* needed extra seating), I decided to jazz the chairs up.
I went to my local fabric store (JEM) and bought six yards of black twill tape that was about the same width of the upholstery nail.
I used these handy staple removers to take out all the old upholstery nails
I actually thought the brushed nickel was pretty and would have looked great with the black twill tape, but I have some polished nickel lighting nearby and it was all looking a little matchy-matchy. So I bought some brass nails and brass caster cups for the front feet.
To get started with the new trim job, I just rolled the end of the twill tape under:
And used the old nail hole to make things really easy.
The only real trick to keep in mind is to pull the ribbon tight so there is no gaping between the nails. I also went back and tapped everything in with an upholstery hammer.
To keep the corners smooth, I just folded the ribbon in under itself and put the nail into the folds.
I added brass caster cups from Lee Valley but the legs ended up being a little wider than I expected so I had to cut away some of the wood so the casters would fit right. It was a pain! Totally recommend double checking your dimensions before adding casters!
Here’s the front view of the finished chairs. It’s not a drastic change, but I think the trim and casters help the chairs look a little less cheap.
I like them from the side best.
Here’s a wider shot of the space. In case you need a refresher here’s a link to our floor plan.
They’ve grown on me. I like the shape of the arms a lot and I think the new contrasting trim highlights the shape. So even though I broke my own rule about not wasting money on cheap upholstery, I think I’m pretty happy with these chairs for now and they fit in well with the mix of furniture styles I have in the space.
Sarah – I didn't end up shortening the legs. The new slight slope was actually helpful and made the chairs a little more comfortable!
xx
i loved the way you transformed the chairs, pink pillow is like the cherry on the top. Your posts are so inspiring…
The chairs looks awesome and very stylish. I just loved the design. Thanks for sharing here. Keep up the good work.
Love the trim. it's beautiful~
I love how you come up with the most creative ideas!!!
OMG!!! this is awesome…It's almost hard to believe that its a DIY concept.
the trim adds a lot! I think they look really nice!
The chairs look great! How do you manage to squeeze in so many projects!? What happened to the last DIY w/the louis chairs?
Nice changes you have there! Really lovely to the eyes!
Another awesome DIY, they are always so tasteful and creative. And how do you have time for 5 dinner parties in one month?! Wow.
Jenny – I love that round 3-legged table in the corner near the kitchen that has a plant on top of it. Where can I find something like that? Is there a proper name for this type of table instead of "3 legged round table"? lol
thanks,
Annie
Lovely updates! It really is the details that make a space feel put together.
I love what you did these – what a fun mini-makeover! The black gives them a little something something for sure, well done!
That is a great change! I especially the touch of gold on the feet. It's all in the details!