How to Restore Retro Kitchen Chairs

Many crafty homeowners are finding used retro chairs with torn seats or backs -- perfect to reupholster. There are good reasons to select this type of chair. The frames often are sturdy chrome and the seats and back are durable, easy-to-clean vinyl. If you restore a retro chair, you can get exactly the color and design you desire.

Things You'll Need

• Retro kitchen chair
• Screwdriver
• Scissors
• Soap and water
• Scrubber
• Towel
• Steel wool
• Pliers
• Upholstery batting
• Scissors
• Staple gun
• 1 yard patent vinyl
• Space heater
• 1 yard vinyl trim
• Scissors
• Welt cord for piping
• Sewing machine
• Scrap material
• 1/2-inch double sided tape

Instructions

1. Remove the old upholstery seat using a screwdriver. Remove the vinyl fabric covering the seat back if it doesn't unscrew. Cut with scissors and peel. Try not to damage the back supports and upholstery batting.

2. Wash the chair frame with soap and water, using a scrubbing sponge to remove debris and dirt. Dry with a towel. Clean the chrome using steel wool. This should remove any remaining dirt, old paint, glue or unknown stuff. You may want to give the chair a second quick wash with soap and water and towel dry.

3. Remove the cardboard back from the bottom of the chair seat. Use a screwdriver to pry up one side and pull it off. Save the cardboard as a pattern for replacement cardboard later.

4. Pry up the edges of the vinyl with a screwdriver, then pull the vinyl off. Usually the vinyl will tear through nails and staples. Use pliers to remove all old nails and staples.

5. Place the seat face down on upholstery batting. The batting should extend beyond the edge of the seat by 8 inches on each side. Bring the batting over the sides. Staple it to the wood at least 1 1/2 inches from the outer edge. Don't allow the batting to bunch up. Trim off any excess.

6. Cut patent vinyl so that it extends 8 inches beyond the edge of the seat on each side. Place the vinyl face-side down. Place your chair seat face-side down. Set a small space heater on your workbench and turn it on. Wrap vinyl over one side of the chair seat and staple it in place. Pull the opposite side up, warming the vinyl with the heater. Don't let the vinyl burn or tear. Stretch the warm vinyl over the side of the chair seat and staple. Warm, stretch and staple the remaining two sides.

7. Warm, stretch and staple your corners last. Keep your seat moving and do not allow the heat to remain near any area for very long. The idea is for the vinyl to shrink and look smooth. Continue stretching and stapling until the seat is finished. Trim your excess fabric.

8. Cut a 2-inch strip of contrasting vinyl fabric to make piping. Your length should be long enough to wrap all the way around the four sides of your seat, plus 4 inches. Place welt cord along the center of the strip. Fold the vinyl over the cord and sew a seam as tight to the cord as you can, using your sewing machine. Some machines have a piping setting.

9. Open one end of your piping and cut your cord back by 1 inch. Turn your seat face down. Place the end you trimmed at the center and back of your cushion so that the piped edge faces out. Staple the piping around the bottom edge of the seat. Cut the remaining piping 1 inch past where it overlaps. Tuck the end of the piping into the vinyl where you cut your cord back. Staple. Cut a piece of replacement cardboard using your old cardboard as a pattern and staple it over the seat bottom.

10. Remove the vinyl from your chair back. Pull all staples and nails so the wood is smooth. Cut batting to cover the front and sides of the seat back. Staple the batting along the back edges of the sides, top and bottom. The staples you just removed should help guide you where to place the new staples. Trim off your excess batting. Do not put any batting on the back side of the seat back.

11. Cut vinyl to cover the front and sides, plus 4 inches on each side. Warm, stretch and staple the fabric from the center out, as you did with the seat. Keep your staples all in the same line near the edge of the back so you can cover them later. Shrink your corners and bends carefully with the heater.

12. Cover the old upholstery material on the back with a scrap piece of white pillowcase-type material. Cut vinyl to cover the back, plus 4 inches on each side. Warm, stretch and staple the fabric from the center out. Keep your staples all in the same line with the other staples. Shrink your corners and bends carefully with the heater.

13. Cut a 1-inch strip of contrasting vinyl long enough to wrap around the sides of the seat back. Place your vinyl face down. Place double-sided tape down the center and fold the sides toward the middle, making a long finished strip. Tack this strip with the finished side up, starting at the bottom center of the seat back, using an upholstery tack and hammer.

14. Position the strip covering the staples at the next corner and tack it. Position the strip to the next corner and tack it. Now insert tacks between those tacks. Use as many tacks as you like around the perimeter of your seat back. Trim off your excess cover strip. Screw your chair back together.

Tips & Warnings

• Piping and finishing strips do not have to be in contrasting colors.

• Nailhead strips are available to cover your staples and tacks.

References

• Pink Of Perfection: Reupholstering a Retro Dinette Chair