Reupholstered and Redesigned Recliner

A few years ago, my husband and I cleaned out his storage facility and he begged me to let him keep his Mamaw's recliner.  I must admit I hated the way it looked, but new recliners are expensive so I conceded.  This chair had been through it all.  It belonged to my husband's grandparents who have since gone to Glory.  It survived much abuse from my husband and his friends while it held up during his apartment living.  The exposed wood on the seat bottom was collateral damage from Scout being a puppy, and since the chair swivels, she loves to push it with her body while my hubby is sitting in it.  The chair is a comfy place for sitting and napping; however there is only so much red (circa 1994) a girl can take.  So I dove headfirst into transforming this chair into something easier on the eyes.

Step 1:  Do lots of internet research.  I did not know if this was even possible, but a Google search led me to a few DIY sites that had some good tips on what to do.  A few of these are:

1. TAKE YOUR TIME.  This project took me about 4 weeks start to finish.  I work full time, so I mainly did this on the weekends.
2. Use proper tools.  I will discuss these more in Step 2.
3. Do not rip the old cover.  Try to pull it off as it was originally upholstered.  You may need this as a pattern for the new cover.
4. Be sure to have lots of wine on hand for brainstorming.

Step 2:  Use proper equipment.  Also, WEAR GLOVES when disassembling the chair.  There can be a lot of nails and tacks hanging with the sharp end exposed.  Below is a picture of most everything I used.

I also used a basic sewing machine to sew two lines for the upright portion of the chair.  If you have to sew, be sure to buy upholstery thread.  The last thing you want is to get it together and have it rip.  (Thanks to my sister for this tip!)

Step 3:  Decide what kind of fabric you want to use.  I went to an upholstery fabric store, but any sturdy fabric will work.  This is what I chose for mine.

You may want to consider how often the chair is used, who usually sits in it, and if it's in a high traffic area.  As mentioned before, Scout (the dog) likes to push the chair around with her body, so I chose the pleather material for the bottom portion.  This way her hair will not stick to it.

Step 4:  Rip the nasty stuff off!  You will want to put an old sheet or something similar down before you begin.  We found old candy wrappers, rotten foam, and dead bugs in the chair (among other nastiness).  We started at the bottom and went up.  My husband is pretty handy, so he helped me remove the fabric as well as the swivel base of the chair.  Remember to try and keep the old fabric pieces in tact, as you may need them for a pattern.

 Scout is wondering what's going on with the chair.  She thinks I'm crazy most of the time.  The feeling is mutual.

Thanks to my sister for her help!

Step 5: Begin the redesign and reupholstering.  I decided to remove all the 'fluffiness' from the chair.  I added new foam and filling to the arms to replace the old foam, giving it clean lines.

 You can see Bradley hiding on the couch in the photo above.  He hates home improvement projects.

I did a lot of draping before I began, just to get a feel for how the fabric might work and stretch over the chair.  I recommend a lot of brainstorming before cutting.

The back/upright part of the chair was a real challenge.  I did some heavy thinking about how I was going to transform it, since the original design was meant to have two pieces - one for the front housing the foam cushions and one large fabric piece for the back.

I added a new, single foam piece to the back and filled in the sides with batting.  I then draped the fabric (inside out) over the back, pinned it, drew a line where to sew on both sides, and sewed it up.  I thought this would be the hardest part of the chair, and it turned out to be the easiest.  My husband helped me assemble this part without the stapler.  We used tack nails to ensure no sharp edges would be lingering.

Step 6:  Reassemble the chair.  Be very careful here.  Since I used a light colored fabric, I was worried about any greased portions of the base coming off on the seat.

 

 

I did end up using a few decorative upholstery tacks on the back.  This will not only reinforce the fabric, but it adds a little something interesting.  The original design had the back piece of fabric going all the way to the bottom underneath the seat, but I decided to leave it exposed, so nothing will get "caught" in the chair.  It will just fall out the back!

Step 7:  Sit back and enjoy your new chair!

My husband was fast asleep in his Mamaw's refurbished recliner.  He said it's not only comfortable, but it feels a lot wider without the fluffy foam cushions.