How to Refurbish a Chair

Maybe you have a favorite chair in your house that needs refurbishing because time has taken its toll. Or maybe you're a bargain hunter who picked up a cheap chair at a yard sale, a chair that you knew could be a furniture masterpiece after some TLC. These steps will take you down refurbishing lane and turn a tired old chair into brand new piece of furniture.

Things You'll Need

• Clean rags
• Wood cleaning soap
• Water
• Fine grain sandpaper
• Glossy or satin-finish paint
• Paintbrush
• Screwdriver
• Hammer or staple gun
• Upholstery tacks
• Polyester batting
• Fabric

Instructions

General Chair Refurbishing

1. Wash the chair thoroughly using wood soap, clean rags and water.

2. Gently sand the chair with fine grain sandpaper. You do not need to remove the paint completely from the chair, just enough to make it coarse. Using another clean damp rag, wipe off the dust caused by sanding.

3. Apply a thin coat of paint to the chair starting at the top and working your way down. Make one brushstroke down, then a brushstroke upwards to meet the first. Add as many coats of paint as you wish, allowing time to dry in between coats, until you are satisfied with the results.

Padded Seat Refurbishing

1. Flip the chair over and remove the seat with a screwdriver.

2. Remove the old fabric and padding from the seat. Cut out a chair pad from a piece of the polyester batting. Make sure the chair pad is large enough to hang over the sides of the seat, with at least 2 inches left to wrap around to the back of the seat.

3. Use a staple gun or some upholstery tacks to attach the batting to the seat. Take a piece of fabric and cut out a large enough piece that it wraps around the chair pad a little bit more than the batting. Use staple gun or upholstery tacks around the fabric to fasten it to the seat.

4. Screw the seat back onto the chair when the paint has dried. Have a seat in your new refurbished chair.