How to Recover a Wing Chair
A wing chair is an armchair with a high back and large side arm pieces. The large back and arms are designed to help protect a seated person from drafts. Many of the wing chairs we see today are antique and therefore may be in need of some updating.
To refurbish a wing chair you have two options: Take it to a professional or recover the chair yourself. Recovering the wing chair yourself is a less expensive option. However, it can also be a challenge if you've never done this type of repair job before.
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Things You'll Need
- Needle nose pliers
- Fabric
- Fabric pen
- Scissors
- Cotton batting
- Staple gun
- Staples
Instructions
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1
Visit an upholstery or fabric store and take a look around to see what kind of upholstery fabrics are available. Choose a fabric that meets your needs and expectations while keeping in mind the color scheme of the room where the chair will be placed. Also take note of the color of any remaining furniture in the room--this will help you decide on a fabric color.
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2
Remove any staples or tacks from the wing chair by using a needle nose pliers to pull them out. Remove the loose fabric from the chair by gently pulling it from the frame.
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3
Lay out the new fabric on a solid surface and spread the old fabric from the wing chair on top of it. Use a fabric pen to trace around the old fabric to form a template on your new fabric.
Cut out the template while leaving approximately three inches of overhang around the edge.
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4
Spread the cotton batting over the bare frame of the wing chair while focusing on the seat, arms and back of the chair. Secure the batting in place by stapling it to the chair frame with a staple gun.
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Recover the back of the wing chair by spreading the new fabric over it and tucking the fabric down along the sides and back of the chair frame. Secure the fabric in place--staple the fabric to the back side of the wing chair frame.
Gently tug on the fabric to pull it toward the upper bar of the back of the wing chair frame and staple it in place. Pull each side of the fabric taut and staple it to the corresponding side of the frame.
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6
Recover the seat of the wing chair by spreading new fabric over it and pulling the extra fabric through the bottom of the seat. Secure the fabric to the underside of the frame by pulling the fabric taut and stapling it to the frame. Stretch the sides tightly and secure each one to the frame on the underside using the staple gun.
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7
Recover the arms of the wing chair by spreading new fabric over them and pulling it tightly. Secure the fabric on both sides of the arm by stapling it to the wing chair frame.
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Tips & Warnings
When choosing a fabric for your wing chair try to find one that is flexible and somewhat thin. Suede and leather tend to be more difficult to work with as they are thicker and stiffer than most other fabrics.
Keep staple guns out of the reach of children as the staples come out of the gun with a large amount of force.
When working with a staple gun, keep the safety lock latched in place while not in use to prevent any potential injuries.
It is a good idea to wear eye protection when using a staple gun to keep small splinters from flying into your eyes.
References
- Photo Credit contemporary accent chair image by James Phelps from Fotolia.com
