Before and After: Chairs
A few weeks back, I scored two vintage Brown Jordan chairs at the flea market for an unbelievable price. The only problem was that they were an ugly, pea green with vinyl cushions that looked every bit their 40 years. I had been obsessed with this kind of chair after it appeared in nearly every issue of Domino Magazine (Jonathan Adler’s version here) so I decided a little makeover was in order.
{Before}
1. I primed the chairs with two coats of Krylon’s oil-based primer and then spray painted them a glossy white.
2. I went to a lumber yard that custom cut wood to fit the chair seat. My next stop was a foam store where they cut the foam 1/4″ larger than the wood and used a spray glue to adhere the two. I finished the top with batting, that I glued to the foam, so that it would create a clean curve and extend the life of the cushion.
3. I picked out a durable cotton fabric and cut out the shape of the cushion leaving a 4″ border. Once the pattern was centered, I pulled the fabric taut over the edges (starting with the front and back) and stapled it to the frame. I then secured the sides and made sure to overlap the corner pieces perfectly for streamlined edges.
4. Once everything was securely stapled, I trimmed the extra fabric from the bottom.
5. I secured the finished seat cushions onto the chair.
{After}
131 comments
amazing transformation!! great DIY job, I absolutely love them!!
Great DIY project!!
you’re my hero these chairs are amazing!
wow you rule at home DIY! i’m really obsessed with that type of fabric.
xx
What a great job. Well done, they look lovely.
They turned out amazing! Great idea.
Beautiful! They look much better then before!
you make it look so easy :O they look lovely.
These look great! You make is look so easy! I have the same project ahead of me, I have to re-do a stool, but I love doing that sort of stuff! It’s so much fun to me to be able to totally transform something and make it individual!
http:/sequinsandbangles.blogspot.com
wow, they look fantastic so fresh and colourful!
THAT IS AMAZING! great job!
Wonderful! Great project. The chairs look so pretty.
Great DIY! The chairs are beautiful!
wow, your blog is really nice
I started posting some pictures I took and I like…
martamestre.blogspot.com
kiss from portugal*
Ohmy, those look so great! Really nice job. ♥
You did such a great job! I actually like your chairs more than those $500+ ones. x
Fantastic job!
Brilliant, they look great!! I would love to do something like that, maybe you have inspired me!
You’re so handy! I would love having those chairs in my apartment–they’re great!
I love them- very Domino-esque.
Love the chairs and your blog! What a great job !!
That looks great and so easy!
Can you come to my house?
bravo! they look awesome.
they are so cute!!! i loooove them!!!!
i love them!!! i love vintage stuff!! ha!! love them!! there so pretty i love how everything you have is white!! am considering doing my room white but am really messy so i dont know how that will go!! ha!!
good job! love the black&white!
Your chairs are awesome! Can you share how much you’d paed for a find like that at a flea mrkt? And… what does it cost you for the re-do. Thx
bellissime!
Wow! I am so impressed! Those look great!
Amazing transformation!
Great job Emily! These chairs look amazing!
xoxo
J
http://www.talkprettytome.blogspot.com
gorgeous! I LOVE these chairs I wish I could find them at a flea market!
they look awesome – good job girl!
What a difference!
Gorgeous transformation!!
Very impressive job. Well done. Enterprising, creative and great follow through!
is there anything that you CAN’T do!?
you are so crafty!! they look amazing…
So impressive!! Kudos for all the amazing ideas (and skills!!)
Beautiful! It’s amazing what a little paint and new fabric can do to a chair!
Fabulous! I’ve been wondering how to do something like this … I’ll be bookmarking this post for sure — Thanks!
love these!!! now i need to find a flea market to go to!!
the chairs look abfab! your diy projects continue to leave me so inspired!
http://mama-fashionista.blogspot.com
Beautiful! I can’t wait to have an apartment of my own so I can start doing fun projects like this
They look amazing now, great job!
Beautiful!
wow, amazing DIY! You are very talented Emily =)
http://www.fashionsnag.com
they look so fabulous! you really did an excellent job on them.
*faints*
Wow! those look great, love the fabric choice!
kmala.com/blog
Well done – they look amazing! You have inspired me to recover my dining chairs! I love this fabric you chose I’m looking for something similar in navy! Keep up the great work! I love your home improvements as much as your fashion posts!
you’re so good at this!
S
xx
seriously, you are like the queen of DIY projects! I’m envious at your creativity and inspiration. My dad owns his own furniture company, and i showed him your chairs, he thinks they are awesome. thats pretty good coming from a guy who has been making custom furniture for 31 years!
[...] Before and After: Chairs | cupcakesandcashmere.com/before-and-after-chairs – view page – cached A few weeks back, I scored two vintage Brown Jordan chairs at the flea market for an unbelievable price. The only problem was that they were an ugly, pea green with vinyl cushions that looked every… (Read more)A few weeks back, I scored two vintage Brown Jordan chairs at the flea market for an unbelievable price. The only problem was that they were an ugly, pea green with vinyl cushions that looked every bit their 40 years. (Read less) — From the page [...]
They look great. I love that fabric.
These are FABULOUS!!! What a great job!
Emily, these look great. They couldn’t have turned out better.
LuckyUmbrella.blogspot.com
holy crap i love those chairs. they were awesome as they were…but you just made it so perfection! i love domino magazine! thanks for sharing. you’re photos were great and made this DIY so well documented. thanks for sharing. i love your blog and totally am going to follow!
http://www.jemappelles-christa.com
uugh i have been hunting for those exact chairs for a year now! you did a beautiful job.
Love the new look! Great Transformation, I wish I could do DIY projects!
I love the cushions! What a great little makeover!
looks great! I love diy projects
http://cupcaketrash.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing your DIY project! I was looking at my room lats night and realized that it’s so boring and that it needs a makeover. Furniture is cluttered to one side of the room, and there is a big gaping space where I’m thinking chairs and a little table should go. You have inspired me to go with it! I have been obsessing over the damask pattern, so seeing that black and white pattern for your cushions got me really excited. Thanks again!
xoxo,
Victoria
http://thestylistadiaries.blogspot.com
very impressive! job well done!
gorgeous! great finds and great chair makeovers!
WOW! I love it! So chic!
love what you did to these chairs!!! gorgeous.
hope you can stop by and take a look at my DIY – boot anklets*
http://the-ensemble-project.blogspot.com/
You are a marvel! Seriously.
Gorgeous! Such a pretty fabric, and I love the backs of those chairs. I’ve seen replicas in furniture stores around L.A., and they’re crazy expensive so good for you on the flea market find, I love when that happens!
Olive
http://www.VisforOlive.blogspot.com
Gorgeous! I love the backs of the chairs. I’ve seen reproductions of these chairs in furniture stores in L.A., and they’re crazy expensive! I love finiding a great deal at the flea market.
Olive
http://www.VisforOlive.blogspot.com
oh my, these “after” chairs looked amazing. you did an awesome job to it!
great job!
I think you may be the most fabulous DIY-er on the planet! Love the new look of these chairs!
These chairs look GORGEOUS! I love what you’ve done with them – they look perfect!
ADORABLE!! LOOOVE THEM!
Absolutely gorgeous–I love the damask black and white print!
Those are gorgeous! I don’t know if I’ve posted here very often, I usually lurk and ohh and ahh over your outfits but DIY posts are my favorite! I’ll have to link to this in my next Revamp Roundup. Thanks for sharing!
I am so impressed! They are fabulous. Oh how I wish I was capable of something like this…
wow so much work but so worth it! the chairs look awesome!
I recently recovered cushions on my dining room chairs in a similar pattern. I love them, but now you’ve inspired me to consider painting the chairs white! Yours look great
)
Can you just come to my apt and decorate it up for me?? Haha.
Love it! It’s not a lot of work at all!!! I should have thought of this ages ago! Thanks!! (I overdid it with all the exclamation marks, lol)
Amazing. That is one of my favorite prints! Nice work!
wow those are amazing!!!
WOW! You are quite crafty my dear. These look lovely…I am jelous!
Very cool!
They are stunning! Absolutely worth the effort.
Really nice work! So crafty of you!
A-mazing. You are such a modern Martha Stewart. I always want to do projects like this, but I’m afraid I’ll end up with a sad mess. This post inspires me though to give it a second thought. =)
http://www.closetcravings.com
so cute!!! love love love!
Great DIY job! Everytime I see your projects I feel an overwhelming urge to create/update something myself.
could you please share where you found that fabric? i’ve got dining room chairs i’ve been waiting to redo and that fabric is perfect for my look!
thanks!
you’re turning into quite the design maven! i love the before and afters! keep them coming.
wow I love them!! Fabulous!
these turned out beautifully! nice work, perhaps you can come do some redecorating for me!
Those look absolutely amazing! Great job!
-meream
love the fabric that you chose. the chairs look great!
wow! What a project! You make it sound so easy! They look great!
http://www.iplayinla.com
Very cool!
Awesome find!
Helly Lonny Mag? Yes, this is Bee. Please accept this submission of my friend Emily’s GENIUS chair reno for your next issue. It’s bananas.
SERIOUSLY!
beautiful! love them!
wow that is incredible! you are super artistic
http://thestylespotter.blogspot.com/
Well done! I once bought some antique chairs in the style of Louis XIV…they sat around untouched for 2 years…and then i sold them on craigslist when i moved cross country! now i’m feeling like i need to give that project a second chance.
Great job you did with the chairs! They’re beautiful.
Oh wow! That was awesome. =D
Summer
A Writers Den
Brown Mestizo
Awesome job! Very crafty lady u are.
emily, I have been lurking for a while without commenting and I absolutely LOVE your style; and your ability to translate it in your clothing, your food, and your decorating techniques! This blog is fab.
*ciao*
You are very talented and inspiring.
hello, gorgeous! these look beautiful and brand-new. you did a wonderful job.
great job! those chairs look fantastic!
after reading this post i’m really in the mood to do some DIY projects! your chairs turned out fantastically..you have to be so pleased!
Just perfect!!
AMAZING!
Those look totally fantastic. If you lived in my neighbourhood I would tottal hire you
Awesome job! We really did feature those a lot at Domino, didn’t we? I remember with each shoot they were in we would squabble a bit over who got to buy them. Great job!
xo Katherine aka. Urban Flea
http://www.urbanfleadesign.net
Ok.
I’m reading through your posts and I’ve established a few things here.
1. You’re completely beautiful. Undoubtedly so.
2. You take smashing photos.
3. You can cook a mean meal.
4. You’re handy around the house.
5. You’re very stylish in every way.
You’re well on your way to perfection, my dear. So much talent for one beautiful girl. Wow. xx
Great job! I don’t know why it is, but I really associate this kind of chair with American style. Maybe it’s because, like you said, it’s been in lots of Domino magazines – and I have never seen this style anywhere in the UK.
incredible. martha stewart: eat your bloody heart out
They look great…I LOVE DIY!!!!!!
Jen Ramos
‘Cards & Prints You’ll Love…’
http://www.madebygirl.com
madebygirl.blogspot.com
You’re so so clever! I love this.
Beautiful! Great Fabric choice!
Wow, that is amazing and BEAUTIFUL.
I will follow this instructions!! wish me luck!http://thevintagedevil.blogspot.com
Love it. Beautiful finish!
Wow you have great vision. You inspire me.
i loove those chippendale chairs! i’m an interior design student so i’m the ultimate DIYer. good work girl
thanks! i was looking for a DIY about chairs because i need one for my bedroom
Interesante, yo cotizaciуn en mi sitio mбs tarde.
http://www.affhtc.com/ Socco
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