Today we had a big snowstorm, and I finished recovering my six dining room chairs. There are several upholstery projects on my list, and this was by far the easiest. The fabric I used was a mint condition vintage barkcloth slipcover for a couch with three cushions, purchased on Etsy for $50. The 3 cushions were perfect for recovering our chairs, because each side had been carefully cut from the same section of the hibiscus design. Because of the shape of the original cushion pieces, I had to turn the flowers upside down to fit my seats, but I don’t think it’s too noticeable. The cream background was a little dingy, but it brightened right up with an overnight soak in Oxyclean. I was also able to repurpose the piping on the cushions to use around the bottom of the new seats. The best part is I have tons of this fabric left for couch pillows and other fun projects.
Note to future DIY upholsterers: staple removal is absolutely the worst part. I don’t know about other furniture makers, but I think the upholstery workers at Ethan Allen could easily ramp back on the amount (and length) of staples they put on their chairs.
What a beautiful design on the barkcloth. Recovering where the seats are removable is such a satisfying job. Well done Martha.
Such a beautiful fabric! Recovering anything fills me with awe — I can’t imagine doing such a wonderful job as you did!
So pretty! Nice job!!
Lovely print! It was definitely worth all of the work. Thanks for going to all of the trouble to get a shot to share with us too.
Snow day in Seattle!
Haha! I thought you must have been up pretty high to make those chairs look so short, but then I realized they were knee deep in snow! How good it must feel to accomplish something so bright and cheerful on a cold winter day!