My new (old) Craigslist $15 chair to re-upholster!

15 years ago

I saw this ad appear this afternoon and raced to see it after work. She was asking $20, but took my $15 offer happily.

Her ad read, "I got this neat old gliding rocker at an auction several years ago, planning on fixing it up and reupholstering it. I never got around to it, and now I'm trying to empty out the attic. Hopefully someone else can enjoy this unique piece of furniture! I believe the auctioneer described this as a Victorian platform rocker, but do please see the photos. It definitely needs some love, but it also has some really interesting detail in the woodwork that could make it worth it. I have seen similar items, just the frame, for sale on eBay for over $100."

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The condition is wonderful! It doesn't glide, but it's a rocker, with tiny brass wheels on the front legs. It's completely original, and I have already experimented getting the old finish off using Formby's Furniture Refinisher, and it's working beautifully. I think it's walnut, and the upholstery has cotton padding, horsehair and burlap underneath. I think this will be my first upholstery project, as it'll be almost all stapling or tacking and gluing. I will have a BALL working on this to make her pretty again. Isn't she cute?

Hard to see, but it has a bit of curly-que carving on the arm support in the pic below.

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Comments (14)

cliff_and_joann
15 years ago
She's a beauty! have fun...

Joann
nanny2a
15 years ago
Oh, you lucky lady!! I was looking all over for one of those last year to reupholster for my, (then), pregnant daughter!! I wanted to find one for her to use in the baby's nursery and searched for months......to no avail! I know they make new ones, but she loves antiques. Have fun with this one, it looks like it will be easy to recover. I can't wait to see what fabric you choose.

Heidi
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hi there Lyban! Sorry to chime in so late in the day; I missed your post earlier. In my experience it would be almost impossible to upholster from the top down instead of bottom-up. The entire process depends on placing quite a bit of weight on the jute webbing, which is stretched tightly across the wooden frame, then softened by the springs. If you try to do it backwards, you can't achieve the same amount of tension and it will sag, plus it will likely put too much stress on the leather cover and stretch it out of shape. Hmmm. The thing is, the hard part about putting a leather cover on is the measurement and pulling to fit. In this case, that has already been done. I really don't think it would be too hard to carefully take off the cover and then rebuild the innards from the ground up. Since you've already cut out the webbing and springs, I'm afraid I don't see any other way to do it and make the chair comfortable and able to take any amount of weight. Be brave! :-) Of course you can just wait to get it done professionally, but it's honestly not that hard to do, and you can just follow the tack holes from the previous job when you put the leather back on. You will need to get new webbing (quite cheap) and a webbing stretcher which are both available at Joanne's Fabrics or online. The sites already listed by others give you some good pointers, and here's a good beginner's book I can recommend with very easy-to-follow instructions and great illustrations: Here is a link that might be useful: Simply Upholstery Step-by-Step
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You have inspired me. This is now my next project (after the bathroom is finished). I have always thought this piece was ratty looking but it served a purpose in our bedroom. The cat sleeps on top and the TV is there also. I also use it to keep my office papers. Thanks to you it will soon have a new look. I just checked it out a bit and noticed that the drawers are dovetailed but could not find a manufacture's name. Do you know who made yours?
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Heat will kill bedbugs as well - I've left CL sofas in my car for a day or two in the heat of summer as well as in the middle of winter - both temp extremes will kill any cooties. It's supposed to be quite warm this week in this area and I assume yours too since you aren't that far away from me - if you could leave it in a closed van parked in the sun on a sunny day, I doubt you'd have to worry about bugs. Smells and such are another story. I've bought a lot of upholstered pieces on CL and at thrift stores and got burned once, with a sofa that had a smell that just wouldn't go away (I smelled it in the store but thought it was just the thrift store background smell that I was smelling). I febreezed it, set it in the sun, put dryer sheets in the cushions -- NOTHING got rid of that smell so I eventually got rid of the sofa. Now I make sure that any upholstered piece I buy passes the whiff test. I also size up the people and the house where it's coming from - if it's a gross looking house or the furniture looks like it's had a hard life, I pass on the furniture. But in the past 2 years, I've bought 2 sofas, a big sectional, and a chair from CL without a problem or any bugs. All of the pieces came from spotlessly clean houses, look brand new and cost about a tenth of what I would have paid for them new so I have only positive things to say about buying upholstered stuff on CL. And re: the bedbug paranoia -- just because you buy something new doesn't mean it can't also have cooties -- most new furniture is shipped over from foreign countries in shipping containers that can harbor bugs. And there was a big stink on the news lately about new mattresses picking up bedbugs on the delivery truck (because its the same truck they use to haul away old mattresses and they often have old mattresses and new mattresses on the truck at the same time as they make all the deliveries/haulaways for that day.) Bedbugs skeeve me out to no end (I make my dh strip and leave his luggage and clothes outside when he gets back from business trips to cities that are known to have a bedbug issue in their hotels) but if you obsess about it enough, you'll be afraid to go anywhere or buy anything, so at some point, you just have to roll the dice and hope for the best.
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I like it! Thanks for posting this follow up. It's fun and inspiring to see other's projects completed : ) It's so nice to see old things made new, again.
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User
15 years ago
Oh, swoon!!! What a fabulous chair - and an amazing bargain to boot!
kimberlyrkb
15 years ago
Cute! Nice first project!
lynninnewmexico
15 years ago
Wonderful chair . . . and what a bargain price! Have you picked out a fabric for it yet? Where in that beautiful home of yours are you planning on putting it?
Lynn
Taralyn
15 years ago
What a find! Do post pics when you are done! Seems like everyone on my Craigslist thinks that because they were foolish enough to pay a ridiculous price for a piece of furniture, that everyone else should pay 3/4 of that ridiculous price for the priviledge of owning it. If I am going to pay 700 (for example) for a chair, call me picky, but it is going to be new.....:)

terry
Molly Brown
15 years ago
dogs.....after seeing your super find, you reminded me that I haven't checked my local Craigslist in a while. So I got on it and guess what? There was your exact chair!!!! You must be right in this same area!! I don't know how Craigslist works. Can she take it off when it is sold so that other people don't think it's available.
You have a great find.
teeda_2006
15 years ago
What a deal! I recently saw one very similar to that on Ebay--it was called a "platform rocker".

Can't wait to see it after your magic touch. (And I'm just dying to see the Horchow inspired french chair reupholstery job next!)
My3dogs ME zone 5A
Original Author
15 years ago
elenkao, And to think I copied the ad because I thought she'd take it right down! I was only about 5 miles from the chair.

I have some fabric that my sister gave me that was left over from a custom job her store did. I just saw it again, and thought it MIGHT be a possibility. I don't know where it'll eventually go, but I knew I wanted it as a 'project' chair.

The 'Horchow chair' is going to have to wait til I practice on ones like this! I am in my local store where I buy most of my fabric quite often, so am always eying what they have for possible combinations for that one.
tinam61
15 years ago
Once again I am SO JEALOUS!!! LOL they never have anything good on my Craigslist!! I've even taken your lead and started checking the household furnishings too (along with the furniture).

That will look great in your house! I can't wait to see the finished project.

tina
printersdevil
15 years ago
What a bargain for this beauty. I can't wait to see it returned to its glory.
susan209
15 years ago
WOW! What a deal, the wood is beautiful and think how wonderful it will look after you finish redoing it and the upholstery looks as though it wouldn't be too bad (of course I wouldn't have any idea how to do something like that). We all shall be so anxious to see the finished product, will you be able to save a 'before' picture to include when you show it redone? It is a lovely old chair.
newdawn1895
15 years ago
That is such a unique chair and I hope you post pics after it is finished. Fifteen bucks? That's lunch at McDonalds for two with fries.

Really nice, my3dogs.
plainjane425
15 years ago
my3dogs...You did it again!! Beautiful lines on the chair, and what a bargain. I'd love to see it when you're finished.. It will make a great addition to your home.

My new (old) Craigslist $15 chair to re-upholster!

Comments (14)

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My new (old) Craigslist $15 chair to re-upholster!

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