A Makeover Story | A Louis Chair Pt. 1

One thing we have to admit, the French know a thing or two about decorating. Take the Louis chair for example, it is simply amazing. They can be used in almost any room and they always make a statement. So naturally, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for one at local thrift shops and yard sales.  It wasn’t until late this summer I saw one  and she was beautiful. She was also over the amount I was willing to pay. So I waited, and waited, and waited, until I could talk the shop owner into going down on the price. I think I ended up paying $40 for the chair (originally priced at $120). I planned on spending $100 in reupholstery supplies and fabric.

The first step I took in the project was removing the old fabric and filling. Initially, I planned an hour for this process. However, it took forever because the chair had been previously reupholstered and the person who did it went overboard with the  staples. I swear I pulled over a thousand staples. My fingers were in so much pain and I’m not even going to tell you about the blisters. In total it took about 4 to 5 hours to remove most of staples and 2 layers of fabric. Which is way to long for a chair this simple. I cursed the person who added all those staples with every pull. However, I finished and started preparing for the next process… stripping, sanding, priming, & painting.

Tips for Stripping Fabric From Furniture

• Take pictures of everything before doing anything. I like to take pictures of the chair from different sides. Be sure to get close ups of detailed folds and joints.
• Try to remove the old fabric in solid pieces. The Louis chair has 4 parts: inside back, outside back, seat, and arm pads. Keeping the fabric in solid pieces will help with making a pattern with the new fabric.
• Wear your safety gear. Goggles and a dust mask are not optional. Gloves are good to have too, but I absolutely hate wearing them. This is why I have total man hands.
• Invest in good tools. I use a CS Osborne Staple Lifter to remove staples. They belonged to my grandmother so they  have seen decades of staples and still work.
• Don’t half ass it. The person who covered the chair before me didn’t take the time to remove any of the original staples. Not cool. I like to remove most if not all staples for a smoother recover.

Read Part 2 on priming & painting of this chair here.

See the Reveal here.