dining chair makeover

I have been without dining chairs for almost 3 months now. Which makes it sort of difficult to sit at the table for a meal. When I sold my old ones on kijiji, I didn’t think it would be hard to replace them with something I really liked. I just added it to my “to do” list.

Aside from the fabulous “ghost chair”, that sells for about $400 each (craziness!), not much out there was really grabbing me. I think the problem was that I really couldn’t decide what would look best. Maybe it was best to wait for a bit until I see something I really like...

I have an old harvest table that I got in a swap with a friend (she wanted a smaller table, I wanted a bigger one). I painted it black, fixed the drawer and added new hardware. For seating on one side of the table, I used a large vintage bench, complete with the original tufted leather and chrome frame/ legs. I got this gem for free when I rescued it from the junk pile that was being thrown out by a previous employer who was cleaning house to gain more storage. All I had to do was scrub off 30 years of dirt and dust. I love both of these pieces because they are originals and because they come together to make an interesting and eclectic look.

All that to say I was really having difficulty choosing two chairs to complete the seating around the table. And I thought it would be easy!?!

As I was trolling the good ‘ol Army Navy Store on Agricola Street, I saw these typical hotel/conference room chairs. Nothing to get too excited about…except I really liked the shape. Looking past the 80’s pink itchy fabric, there was some potential here.

For 10 bucks each, I figured I’d give it a shot. Next, I headed to Fabricville and scooped up some heavy-duty vinyl that looked a lot like the leather on my bench for $30. I re-upholstered the seat back myself…after a slightly frustrating hour spent trying to figure out how they came apart (!).

Because I wanted to be sure these chairs could stand some wear and tear, and because I wanted to make sure they looked more professional than the attempt I could make, I took the seats (and the rest of the fabric) to a professional upholsterer.

And I’m glad I did. For $60, he replaced the foam, re-upholstered the seats – complete with piping - in an hour. I took them home, popped them back into place and…voila! Now I have two dining chairs that look kinda like vintage 1950’s diner chairs for $55 each.

They are a great fit with the existing table and bench. All together, I love the set…it’s original to me and it perfectly fits the style of my home.