home contact about

Instagram

Pintrest

YouTube

Email

social nesting

stay home & feather

Posts Tagged ‘DIY reupholstery’

Comments Off on DECKED OUT SEATING

DECKED OUT SEATING


2015
08.10

Tags: DIY outdoor padded seating, DIY reupholstery, outdoor seating, padded bench, upholstery
Posted in needle&thread, update&decorate | Comments Off on DECKED OUT SEATING

DIY-in-thirty-bench-banner

Take a seemingly awkward space and turn it into the most original spot from which to soak up the sun. This easy (and portable) seating solution is just the thing for extending the invitation when hosting al fresco.

padded-seating-6

As the new Social Nesting HQ includes a deck, there was a scramble to get it summer-ready while working on all of the other redesign activities we have undertaken. And while there 20-foot expanse was a welcome addition, it was also ripe for the zhuzhing… especially this odd little structure.

DIY outdoor padded seating

Built to encase a light well to the floor below, the thin wooden surround is a low and narrow and not much use as is.

So off we set to create two custom cushioned seating pads that would lift and lighten the space and get four more places for guests to rest.

DIY outdoor padded seatingIn our quest to forego any sewing, the decision was taken to make two long and narrow structured cushion the exact width of the top ledge of the light well using a thick, firm foam padding with an MDF base, upholstered, like our chair project, with outdoor fabric.

For this, we amassed:
– outdoor fabric (in two coordinating styles)
– a staple gun
– thin MDF
– 4-inch foam padding
also good to have but not crucial were:
– double-sided tape
– pinking sheers

padded-seating-2We started by placing the MDF sheet onto the foam and running a strip of double-sided tape along the edge of the MDF – the tape acts as a way to hold the fabric in place once you fold it over but before you get to stapling, like so…

padded-seating-3Trim the fabric with pinking sheers to minimize fraying and secure to the taped underside of the MDF. Staple in place all the way around the MDF base.

padded-seating-4For the neatest edge, we secured the corners in the style of hospital corners on a bed.

And finally, the quickest and easiest way to line and protect the base was using adhesive felt cut to size.padded-seating-5

And there you have it – a pretty padded bench for lounging…

DIY outdoor padded seating

…or extra dining places for when four become eight.

padded-seating-7

 

3 comments

sitting stylishly


2014
05.21

Tags: Cloth House fabric, DIY reupholstery, How to upholster a dining chair, reupholstery, vintage dining chairs
Posted in needle&thread, update&decorate | 3 Comments »

banner

DIY upholstered dining chairs

I talk too much. And I will never stop talking too much, because sometimes talking too much gets you exactly what you want.
chairs-at-the-lido
Take these chairs. I did.
Dining chairs had been my personal design Everest. Years of mental and physical training were being poured into finding the right dining chairs. We had lived far too long with the cheap and horrible chairs that came with the flat because I would not cave until the right combination of affordable, comfortable and cool came along.

Then Ger – our friend and fellow hunter for all things beautiful – texted “Do you still need dining chairs?” with the picture seen here attached to her text.

And with that, I could see the peak. My Everest was about to be conquered. Because I had talked and talked and talked about dining chairs and bless her, Ger had listened.

These incredible vintage beauties were just what I wanted. There were only five (fine) and the needed reupholstering (even better) and they took two months to procure, but they were ours and I was nearing the peak.

I took to disassembling and cleaning and oiling them as soon as I could.

Chairs-stripped

Then it was a matter of fabric. I really wanted to play with them, and as they were really affordable, I didn’t mind getting experimental with a view to changing them when the time came.

Driving the staff at Cloth House to distraction with my repeated visits and sample requests, I settled on a series of sturdy but playful ticking stripes.

Chairs fabric palette

Chairs cleaned and disassembled? Check.
Fabric acquired? Check.
Staple gun at the ready? Check.

Now upholstering something as basic as a seat cover could not be simpler.
There are those who will want to do it more by the book, and if the idea is to reimagine them for life, then by all means. But if, like me, you are likely to change the fabric eventually, then this is truly enough…

DIY upholstery instructions

The most important thing to do is apply the staples at opposite points for evenness and tweak as you go – you will quickly get the hang of it. The process is very forgiving, so make mistakes.

Each seat and back took 10 minutes, bringing all five to stunning new existence in under two hours! And how satisfying was it when they came out like this…

DIY upholstered dining chairs

Did I mention they are mix and match? As the seats screw off fairly easily, these can be rearranged as the mood strikes.
Could I be happier? No.

DIY upholstered dining chairs

Could they go better with the Social Nesting aesthetic (Social Nesting plant pot bag and Social Nesting upholstery fabric)? No.

Is that my flag planted firmly at the top of design Everest? You bet’cha…

  • bowl&spoon

  • needle&thread

  • paper&ink

  • love'it&covet

  • update&decorate

  • search


social nesting by Themebuilder | Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).