This 1970's chair is another Granny goody.
I received such positive response to my latest post about spiffing up Granny’s couch, that I wanted to write about another of Granny’s pieces, a 1970’s Chippendale style chair.  This faux bamboo chair had a black lacquer finish and a tan leather seat when it came my way a few years ago.  It was handsome, but a bit serious and neutral for my taste, so I gave it an irreverent DIY makeover.
I apologize that I don’t have a BEFORE picture, but here is the simple process: Â I removed the chair seat with a screw driver and stretched some new fabric over the leather seat, stapling it to the bottom of the wooden seat base. Â I sprayed the frame with 2 coats of glossy white paint, allowed it to dry and then popped the seat right back into place.
Here are the ingredients for this one day project:
1 chair from my Dad’s attic- $0
1 can of  spray paint- $15
1 yard of remnant fabric- $20
1 staple gun with upholstery staples- $30
Unlike sofas, chairs are often easy candidates for DIY upholstery makeovers. Â I’ve never bought a new chair; I just keep my eye out for diamonds in the dust at fleamarkets and thrift shops. Â Plus, I always go scavenging in the attic on trips to the family homestead.
Look for chairs with simple seat covers that can be unscrewed from the bottom. You can often just staple your fabric to the underside of these removable seats without stitching, tacks or trim.
If you don’t have time to scavenge for old chairs and reupholster them yourself, you can always just buy them new… Â Jonathan Adler is selling a version of my Granny’s faux bamboo chair for $600. Â Â Or perhaps I’ll see you at the Brooklyn Flea next Saturday. Â Happy scavenging!
7 Comments
Absolutely love this chair!! Gorgeous.
It is stunning, especially with the fabric that seem to mimic the wood back in pattern. You have a gifted eye and had a wonderful grandmother!
The chair looks great and granny’s sofa is totally hot. But I can’t get over a can of spray paint costing $15! I thought it was like $3.99.
Busted! I made up the price of the spray paint. However, this is NYC, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a can of rustoleum is more like $6 at our corner hardware store. We’ve spent so much on paint in the last year, it defies logic.
Again, beautiful! Might I ask, what is your brand preference for spray paint? Thanks!
Oh my, you’ve caught me without an answer. I just use Krylon semigloss because it’s what my hardware store carries. Although, you did just inspire me to find this link to make CUSTOM colored spray paints:
http://www.acehardwaresuperstore.com/seymour-water-blend-custom-color-aerosol-spray-paint-p-95824.html?ref=42
Thanks Travis! If anyone tries this, please let me know! All best, ADD
lovely job, but I would like a bit more color and vibrancy in your living room. Maybe a more exotic fabric from Brunswick and Fils, not so rectangular in design, bcs the chair has its own diamond design and it gets too repetitive. Don’t get me wrong, it looks lovely, but since you asked for more decorative elements for your living room, I thought you would like this idea…