Project Rehab: Office Chairs Go Boutique Chic
Discover how a pair of generic office chairs is transformed into fashionable occasional chairs
Upcycled furniture and decor add character, charm and style to a home. Repurposed pieces can also save money and keep materials out of the landfill. As part of our ongoing Project Rehab series, which features reader projects, we’re highlighting the transformation of a pair of generic office chairs into seriously stylish occasional chairs. Do you have a furniture makeover of your own? Please share it in the Comments.
The process: Schramm worked on the chairs one at a time. First, she removed the seat and back, stripped off the old fabric and refinished the frame. She then built two small wood panels to fit inside the arm openings. She sanded, painted and finished the frame with a coat of furniture wax. Finally, she upholstered the seat, back and side arm panels in a variety of fabrics.
Cost breakdown per chair
Chair: $10
Paint and and wax: $20
Upholstery: $70
Wood for side panels: $5
Batting and cushions: $10
One of the finished chairs, shown here, features a matte black frame, white faux fur on the seat, black-and-white polka dot upholstery on the front side of the chair back and a floral motif for the upholstered side panels.
Chair: $10
Paint and and wax: $20
Upholstery: $70
Wood for side panels: $5
Batting and cushions: $10
One of the finished chairs, shown here, features a matte black frame, white faux fur on the seat, black-and-white polka dot upholstery on the front side of the chair back and a floral motif for the upholstered side panels.
The back of the chair is covered in denim from an old pair of True Religion jeans.
The challenge: Schramm says that for one of the chairs she cut the fabric too short. Instead of losing hope, she improvised by adding a new material. “No one knows what was in your head to begin with, so if at some point you have to scrap part of your initial vision and start again, it’s fine, no one will ever know,” she says.
The challenge: Schramm says that for one of the chairs she cut the fabric too short. Instead of losing hope, she improvised by adding a new material. “No one knows what was in your head to begin with, so if at some point you have to scrap part of your initial vision and start again, it’s fine, no one will ever know,” she says.
The second chair features a distressed white finish on the frame, white faux fur on the seat and interior side panels, a velvet ikat cover on the exterior of the side panels and a multihued decorative fabric on both sides of the seat back.
The inspiration: Bringing discarded furniture back to life inspires Schramm’s work. “I have worked on chairs that were found in the trash and were gross, old and broken,” she says. “I love bringing them back to life and making them beautiful.”
Now you: Do you have your own fabulous furniture makeover? Please show us in the Comments!
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The inspiration: Bringing discarded furniture back to life inspires Schramm’s work. “I have worked on chairs that were found in the trash and were gross, old and broken,” she says. “I love bringing them back to life and making them beautiful.”
Now you: Do you have your own fabulous furniture makeover? Please show us in the Comments!
More
Satellite Dish Now a Mosaic-Topped Breakfast Table
New Leather Shade Makes a Vintage Lamp Light Up
From Antique Icebox to Bright Green Vanity
Project: Office chairs
Who did it: Amy Schramm
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Cost: $115 a chair
Time: One week per chair
The hunt: Amy Schramm found the pair of office chairs at an online garage sale for $10 each.