Before and After Upholstery Project

I love before and after photos.  Weight loss, weight gain, plastic surgery, home remodels, makeovers, makeunders....  I love the transformation.

Here is my very own before and after... with a chair from my living room.  I am pretty ashamed of how filthy and awful it got.  I almost performed some photoshop shenanigans on it to make it look less dirty.  But I didn't.  This is real. Ew. Real is gross sometimes.

I decided I was going to reupholster this last year.  After that, I just didn't bother taking my shoes off while curling up in it.  I'd like to blame it on children or pets.  But it was all me.

I have never done an upholstery project before.  You learn a lot when you take it apart.  Like how many staples are holding it together.  (It is a lot.)  And how much sewing there isn't.  It is just trickery with fake seams, staples, tack strips and cardboard.

The actual sewing in one of these is minimal. I found that part easier than making a dress. But there definitely is some technique to making it all fit back on.  It was strange seeing how the chair is really just a crude frame with foam.  Not nearly as refined as you would think.

There really isn't much to these chairs, is there?

Cover is off and it already looks better.

Partway through.

The arm was cracked so we patched it.

Finished! With footstool.