Reupholstering a Family Heirloom: Part One
Breathing new life into an old piece of furniture simply by changing the fabric one of my favorite things. Even more so when those pieces have sentimental value.
So when Jean Stoffer Design asked me to reupholster a piece for her client that belonged to the clients father, I was ecstatic to take on the job.
This sweet little skirted swivel chair was in need of some love. For the client, this chair had sentimental value, but was not fitting in with the direction of the new design of the space.
The fabric on this piece had also seen its day! Jeans team had selected an adorable hand blocked textile to replace this one, that not only fit in with the new design of the space but also updated the chair.
Typically all of my upholstery projects start the same, by removing all of the existing fabric, starting with the dust cover. However when I got started on this piece I needed some instant gratification, so I removed the skirt around the perimeter. I then moved on to the heavy swivel mechanism and dust cover on the underside.
The most important piece of advice I can give is to photograph, photograph, photograph! Take photos of all angles, each step, any unique part of the piece that you might need to remember when you’re putting the new fabric on.
When removing all fabric and staples, it starts to become pretty intuitive. You can’t remove one piece without removing the piece stapled on top. This is also why documenting is so important, because it will show you the order you will need to apply the new fabric.
The “guts & bones” of this chair were perfectly in tact, and I did not need to do any repairs to the frame or springs first. This makes a job like this a little bit easier! I try to reuse as much of what came on the chair if it is possible. I did add some padding where needed.
Growing up in Grand Rapids, MI I love finding furniture pieces that were born in the same place I was. Named ‘The Furniture City’ in the late 1800s, Grand Rapids attracted many furniture makers and entrepreneurs alike. Klingman’s Furniture was started in 1896 by Phillip J Klingman, and this little swivel chair is a piece from their collection. This is another one of my favorite parts about reupholstery- not only the family history, but the history of the piece itself.
Come back next week for part 2!
