Flame Stitch Chair Makeover

One of my many hobbies besides stamping is revamping vintage furniture. I am very certain that it runs in the family. When you have to be thrifty and you are creative, wonderful things can happen. It is possible to have the living space you desire if you are willing to look at your personal space as a problem to SOLVE instead of just a problem. 

Turning a vintage chair modern can be a seriously rewarding and easy project. Above are a few of the supplies you need to get started. 

1. My personal favorite tool: a staple gun and staples

2. Screwdriver to remove the screws that secure cushions to chair

3.  Scissors for cutting your choice of fabric{*if you are into this blog you def. already have these}

4. Fabric {you wont need too much depending on the project you take on, I used about one and a half yards with still some to spare}

 

 This chair is a piece that I purchased a couple years ago for about $5.00 and it survived many college dwellings, parties, and cats. What I really love about this chair is how easy the cushions can be removed. When you are looking for your own project, keep that in mind. Fabric and padding are easy fixes as long as the structure of your chair is sound to begin with.

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Step 1: Use your screw driver to remove chair cushions. {keep screws in an easy to find spot. It would be a bummer to loose them!}

 

Step 2: Remove the old staples that are holding the existing fabric to the cushions. Sometimes you can achieve this by simply pulling at the fabric but if you need added leverage, I recommend using needle nose pliers. 

 Step 3: Use old fabric as your template for cutting new fabric. This is the easiest way to accurately measure your new fabric. 

 

Step 4: Lay the cushions on top of the new fabric and make sure the fabric is centered. Begin to staple new fabric to the backs of your seat cushion(s), working along one side at a time.

Step 5: Remember to keep the edges of your fabric folded over once so that you do not have leftover hang underneath of your seat. When you have finished stapling, replace your cushion(s) onto the chair frame.

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After a little elbow grease, this chair has a fresh new look that is simply elegant and reminiscent of Eames designed furniture. I hope this post will inspire some serious chair UP-CYCLING makeovers.  

Couch Love

Our wardrobe is not the only thing that deserves a make over every once and a while. Today I created several different looks with the same banana leaf sofa by adding/subtracting a few pillows and a throw. For the first look I took away the large back support pillows and added an array of smaller multi-colored pillows. To make the look cohesive, I made sure the colors in the pillows all stayed in the same color scheme (blues, tans, dark brown). The second look I tried added the back support pillows and made a monochromatic statement with one large oat colored pillow. By placing the pillow in the middle, a more minimalistic look is achieved. The next look is slightly traditional with a twist. The placement of the pillows is traditional in the sense that they are symmetrical, but the twist comes into play by using two contrasting pillows (one is dark, one is light). The last look was created with a simple light blue quilted throw. When placed in the middle of the couch, the throw becomes part of the couches' decoration instead of an after thought. I added a throw pillow in a similar shade of blue to emphasize a blue theme.
I hope these few looks can inspire some new looks in your apartment. Happy Redecorating!