Here’s a makeover of my very own.  I got these 2 matching chairs for free on Craig’s list.  I planned on re-covering the chairs myself through my MATC upholstery class, but after my last project took 6 months to finish, I got antsy and decided to enlist the help of a professional.   Altogether this project (including fabric) was about $900 for the 2 chairs.  It’s not exactly cheap, but when I priced out other options at a $450 price point, I found that this option was the best for me because it was custom (I got to pick the exact fabric I wanted) and I really liked the lines and quality of these chairs.   An added bonus– the luxurious down cushions that didn’t need any new stuffing!  The fabric came from JoAnn’s (an orderable) on the West side.   At $40/yard, I used one of those 50% off coupons they’re always throwing around and got all of the fabric for around $150.  The upholsterer I used is actually one of the teachers at MATC.  Check out his website here.  He’s super nice and look how cute he is.  Finding a good upholsterer is important– you don’t want to just go with the lowest bid.  Trust me, I’ve seen some bad upholstery jobs and it’s really not worth your money to go with a novice.  Always ask for referrals and ask to see previous work.  You don’t want to see any wavy piping or lumps and bumps where they shouldn’t be.  Peter did a great job on my chairs, and charged a fair price.  Thanks Peter!  

Written by Katie Stephenson, filed under Home Decor, Reference. April 14, 2008

4 Responses

1. Rachel Says:
   April 16th, 2008 at 1:53 pm

   Wow what a great makeover…considering the chairs were free that is a considerable bargain…nice work and great advice!

2. Sara M. Says:
   April 17th, 2008 at 11:12 am

   These chairs look great! And I love that they were free, AND the fabric got to be a very personal choice. Buying from a store just doesn’t give you as many options. I’m going to definately keep my eye peeled this summer for some bargain chairs I can have made over! Thanks for the great advice!

3. Meredith Says:
   April 17th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

   You have inspired me to dredge up my own estate sale pieces and seek out help to upholster them. It’s great to be a do-it-yourselfer on some things but sometimes smarter in the long run to find experienced help on bigger projects.

4. Jennifer Says:
   April 17th, 2008 at 1:07 pm

   Your chairs look beautiful! And so much more original than something you buy from a catalog or chain store. Great idea!

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