Many years ago we bought a dining room table, 6 chairs and a sideboard from a second hand shop. They insisted we couldn’t just buy the chairs, we had to take the lot. So we did. The table went to a needy student, the sideboard found its way back to a secondhand shop, and the chairs became the chairs for the timber table we already owned.
When we first got them, they were covered in a light green 1950s patterned vinyl. That was never going to work. It was old, dirty and just a bit scratchy when you sat on it. So the vinyl came off and was replaced with fabric. At the time I used bright colours, 2 of each, to liven up the space. In theory this was a great idea, but with 4 small people using them on a daily basis, it wasn’t long before they needed replacing, despite using a silicone protection spray on them. Next they were covered in a dark blue – all six. The new coverings lasted longer, but those grubby fingers had a way of finding their way to the fabric-covered seats.
Solution? Replace the fabric covered timber chairs, with plywood chairs that could be easily wiped down when they became mucky. Great idea!! So the timber chairs went into storage, where they stayed for over ten years. That is until recently, when they were hauled out and given a new lease of life. Cream with a thin blue stripe! Perfect for the small table that is now in the kitchen. The things you can do when they get older!
Hot tip: if you have small children, buy chairs that can be easily cleaned !
Years of dirty hands.
To begin – remove seat from chair.
Take out the tacks and remove the lining.
Save for later. This could be replaced too, but its not seen, so why bother.
Remove the cover.
Expose the seat frame.
Cut the fabric to size.
Lay new fabric over the seat.
Reuse the tacks to secure the fabric, pulling tight as you go.
Replace the lining fabric.
Done!
Position seat on chair base and screw in place.
Finished.
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