The email subject line I received from this client was “A Sad Looking Chair”, and she was right. The fabric was worn thin to the point of tearing on the seat and on the back.
She provided me with a bolt of a golden tan denim type of fabric. I convinced her that it probably wasn’t the best fabric to use especially if she wanted it to wear well over time and to stay clean. Though denim/canvas is good for a lot of applications especially slipcovers, I didn’t think a permanent upholstery project would be appropriate considering how much it would be used. I looked through my stash to see if I had another leftover scraps that would be a better option and after a little back and forth, we decided on a striped upholstery weight fabric for the front of the rocker and a solid coordinating fabric for the back.
I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to remove the front and back, but I would figure it out a step and a piece at a time. Slowly and carefully I started the tear down process so as not to damage the wood, taking pictures to document the process so I would know how to put it all back together again.
The front of the rocker was actually a separate wood frame that the front is stapled on to and then screwed into the back frame. The back of the rocker is then stapled on to the top and then tacked on the sides with upholstery metal tack strips that are hammered into the wooden frame of the front.
There were no big surprises as there sometimes are, but the back front foam did need to be replaced as it was very dry and starting to crumble.
The neat thing about upholstery is that every project is a little different and an opportunity to learn something new. And though this job initially looked simple, it was a little more complicated than I thought it would be. But in an effort to expand my skills, I took on that challenge and am so glad I did.
Isn’t she pretty? Not only is the rocker “happier” now but so is the owner. It’s back in the corner of her bedroom where it belongs.
Denise
detailsbydenise.com 