Easy Reupholstery Part 2: The back of the French Chair

This is the second part to my Easy Upholstery post for the French Chair.

As I had never upholstered before, I went about it in a different fashion,

and as usual, I try to figure out the easiest and fastest way to get a great result.

The chair looks like it came from a furniture store, when in reality it came from

an antique shop, and it was just an ugly fabric.

To Read Part One, Click Here.

When I left off, I had not finished this back panel of the chair, nor had I applied the "gimp" trim,

which is a flat braid that is used to cover up raw edges and staples.  I have had quite a few emails

inquiring was I ever going to finish the chair and post about it?  Well I did finish it, but never got

around to posting....so here is how I did it, in the easiest way possible, of course!

Measure roughly how much area you need to cover with the gimp and then go to 

a fabric shop or craft shop and select the color and style of flat braid (gimp) you think

looks best.  I picked out an off white color, but I likely would have gone for a bit darker,

but this was all they had.  This is simply applied by using a hot glue gun.  Fold over one edge

of the gimp and glue it to itself to create a finished edge on the gimp. Then simply glue

along the edge of the staples and press the gimp into position. Finish the same way,

by turning under the last part of the gimp and glueing down to hide the raw edge.   

For reference, this is the fabric as it is stapled onto the edge of the frame, 

and then trimmed back very closely.  These areas need to be covered with gimp.

I also applied the gimp around the small upholstered arm rests, 

and anywhere you could see where you had stapled the fabric to the chair frame.

For the back, there was NO place to apply staples, 

as the back panel is usually done first by the upholsterer.  But we are covering

existing upholstery...so its going to be a different approach.

( The back panel area is just a covering of fabric stretched across for a decorative purpose.

  No one sits on it, so there is no support under the backs.)

I came up with a clever way to go about it, and easy too.

A green burlap fabric was chosen for the back (you can use the same fabric as the rest of the chair, but I wanted to have something more interesting). I used some pins to place the burlap over the back and hold it in position.  Then I cut the burlap to be about 1" - 2" bigger than the back area I needed to cover.  I don't have photos to show this, because I can't find them...but its super easy.  Cut out your back fabric to be a little bit bigger than the area you will cover.  

Now you have your fabric ready to be attached....but how?

Using spray adhesive (any brand from a craft store will do), 

I sprayed the back of the chair right over the existing old fabric. 

 Then I smoothed on the burlap over the old fabric using my hands,

leaving an inch or two excess around the edges. 

Next, you have to push the excess fabric under the wood frame. 

 You may have to trim the excess fabric to less than an inch, depending 

upon how much you can push it under the frame.  

To push it under the frame I used a metal spatula.

Simply shove the fabric under the frame using the spatula to guide it under the wood frame.

Remember, you will trim around the edges with decorative trim or more gimp.

It was quick and easy and painless!  

I used a fancy trim for the back to add extra interest,

but you could certainly just use more gimp. 

 In fact you wouldn't need to add anything, because

the raw edges are hidden under the frame, but it looked unfinished to me.

Use your hot glue gun to apply the trim around the back.

 Start in a random side spot so when your starting and 

ending edges meet, its not in a super obvious place.

These chairs look good from the back as well as the front,

so that is why its fun to use a complementary fabric for the backing.

And that is how I upholstered this 1970s French Chair into something I love.

Read Part One Here

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Fab Florals: Tole Chandeliers, Artwork Pillows

While waiting for spring weather to arrive I have been keeping busy by getting things on my wish list checked off, so that when it finally does get nice outside I will be ready!  And I think that the snow and rain and generally awful weather in Boston has had an effect on my desire to brighten up the interior around here.  Florals have been really attractive to me lately, (hence my decoupaged floral desk a few weeks ago) and when I saw this brand new line of pillows by artist Jennifer Lanne of New York, I couldn't wait to get one for myself.  She creates beautiful artwork, based on historical references, generally Rococo in feel, and has turned them into full blown version of European Old World Gypsy Boho style art that I think are amazing! She came up with the idea of taking her paintings and putting the images onto fabrics and released them this week for sale.  So I was first in line, and now I have my own art pillow by Jennifer Lanne!

This is from her website ( I will provide a link at the bottom of the post, don't worry!) and it shows off her style very nicely.  There is MY pillow, far right, tipped in a vertical position.  I was tempted by the pillow front and center, but decided the overall turquoise pillow with small roses would look best for my home.  She also has fabric tuffets and eiderdowns to choose from. Anyway, her artwork is one of my current obsessions~and come to find out we will be in the same field at Brimfield, next month, and our tents are back to back! I love it when the universe lines things up like this!  Justin, my son, and I will be at New England Motel lot #40, and you will find a mix of Maison Decor Frenchy stuff with his Pioneer Goods, rustic stuff!! You can see us and then check out Jennifer Lanne's amazing booth all at the same time! Dates of Brimfield Antique Fair are May 10-15, 2016.

Ok, so back to my house~I just propped it up on my iron daybed to show it off.  It looks pretty in my kitchen on the old worn green painted bench and just as pretty on the living room sofa! I guess I will let Fifi O'Neill decide where to put it when she comes to shoot my house in June. Thats another reason I am getting a few projects done around here, a magazine shoot will make you spring into action like nothing else!  I plan to make a Sunbrella cover for the daybed mattress before it goes outside for the season, as you can see the foam sticking out on the end.

 I will be doing a project with Matthew Mead for Sunbrella Fabrics, and in the corner you can spy some of the gorgeous Sunbrella that just arrived!  I also got a bolt that you can barely see that is all white and it looks like a duck cloth, which I plan to use as the mattress cover. The celery green and the lilac geometric will likely be pillows. He will be shooting my courtyard and its going to be terrific fun getting it all looking amazing outside. 

 Since the daybed is an oddball size, as its likely 100 years old, I found a 4" thick foam mattress at Walmart that I cut to size with my electric carving knife.  I plan to spray the bed an antique Parisian green, then put the white cover on it with the pretty green and purple pillows!! Maybe have a monogram on a pillow or two...can't wait to see this project come to life.

And in the kitchen, I finally got Mr. Maison Decor to switch out my kitchen chandelier for this old Italian Tole number that I have had for years.  It was offered for sale in my shop but no one ever bought it. One lady would come in and look at it every few months, but she never bought it. It was the weirdest thing, haha. I wonder if she wishes she pulled the trigger and bought it after we closed up the shop? Anyway,  I just love these kind of chandeliers. All handmade by some Italian craftsman. It has the original paint on it, and I think it looks great with my cottage kitchen.  

 As you may know, I just love antique or vintage lighting and I think it adds so much personality to a room.  As does artwork and fabrics of course...its so nice to add a refresher for spring in the way of a new pillow or two, and with that, why don't you pop over to Jennifer Lanne's website and get inspired!  Visit her here at Jennifer Lanne Art at Home. I am all about her art, so I just had to share my pillow and say this as well, its beautifully made with a down insert, zippered closure and as you can see by her label~MADE IN AMERICA! 

What is not to love about a small business like this?

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