And that’s just what happened here. I managed to secure a pair of Midcentury Modern Gunlocke chairs for free! Did you know that JFK had a Gunlocke chair in the oval office? You can read more of the history here.
The wood was in pretty good condition and I decided not to paint. But the frame had a lot of dings, scrapes and paint splatters. I lightly sanded all the problem areas and then used dark wax to bring back the luster. This is a great shortcut compared to refinishing the whole shebang.
Now are you digging that upholstery? It’s groovy and it had to go. Instead I chose to reupholster the chairs using an Ikat pattern shower curtain that cost me $20. Say what? Fabric shower curtains are a durable and inexpensive option as compared to upholstery weight fabric. It’s water resistant which is great for cleaning up spills and you get a whole lot of fabric for your dollar.
Both the backrest and seat cushion were easy to remove from the frame with a couple screws. I removed the old fabric and replaced it with the Ikat shower curtain using my staple gun. This style of chair is as easy to reupholster as a simple dining chair seat cushion. I was also able to reuse the original foam and batting which made the project quick and kept expenses down.
And now for the finished project…these photos were taken around the Sweet Clover Barn by my partner Cassie.
This photo really shows off the great wood finish.
So will you use a shower curtain for your next upholstery project?
I’m sharing this #thriftscrorethursday makeover with my friends Brynne of The Gathered Home and Trisha of Black and White Obsession. Tag your #thriftscorethursday finds on Twitter and Instagram too!