The former owner of our new home left behind several pieces of really nice furniture for us. Since some of the furniture was a little dated, we wanted to give them an updated look. This is how we tackled the dining room set, particularly the old Victorian “Queen Anne” style dining room chairs. These old dining chairs are solid wood but we’d like to update the finish and change the seat fabric. By the way, if you want to see how we refinished the dining room table, we will be writing about that as well so check back soon!
Refinishing and reupholstering a dining chair is a great beginner DIY project so if you have old dining room chairs like this one and have never tried to give them an update, you’re in for a very rewarding experience. As long as you also pack some patience, because as a forewarning, it could take some elbow grease and a lot of time depending on what you are starting with. This one took a lot longer than we expected…
Keep reading and we’ll walk you through each step in reupholstering our dining room chairs, sharing tips and tricks along the way. By the end, we’re certain you’ll be inspired to try this DIY project yourself. If you do, don’t forget to share it with us @hammerandhandsaw on Instagram, Pinterest or TikTok!
Materials and Tools You’ll Need
In our experience, there are a lot of supplies needed for a upholstery and refinishing project so before getting started, we’d recommend gathering these necessary materials and tools:
Heavy duty staple remover or needle nose pliers
Screwdriver
Plastic containers (ones you don’t mind throwing away afterwards or getting dirty)
A small, cheap brush
- Toothpick and scour pad/steel wool
Plastic wrap or plastic bag
Orbital sander and sandpaper
All-purpose heavy duty cleaner (we used TSP solution)
Your choice of paint or stain (we applied a paint wash)
New upholstery fabric (we chose a black and white farm animal fabric from JoAnn’s)
High density foam padding (if you are replacing the cushion)
Fabric scissors and/or utility knife
Upholstery staples
Measuring tape
Dust cover fabric (optional)
- Scotch Gard or similar product
Protective gloves and eye protection
Drop cloth or old newspapers
I (Dejene) went to a couple craft/fabric stores to find a nice cotton material that would fit our overall design. I found this black and white farm animal fabric from JoAnn’s.
Step 1: Removing the Old
Set Up Your Workspace
Lay down a drop cloth or old newspapers to protect your floor. We recommend doing this in a garage or outside particularly if you are using chemicals or stain for proper air ventilation. Place the chair on the drop cloth.
Remove the Seat from Chair Frame
Most dining chairs have removable seats, which makes the reupholstering process much easier. Flip the chair over and locate the screws that hold the seat in place. Use a screwdriver to remove these screws, then lift the removable seat off the chair frame.
Remove the Dust Cover
If your chair has a dust cover on the underside of the seat, remove it with staple remover.
Remove the Old Fabric
If the existing fabric is in good condition, you may choose to upholster directly over it. If you don’t like it or it’s worn out, you can remove it completely like we did. Using the staple remover again, pry out the staples that are holding the old fabric in place. Once you get into a rhythm, it will go quickly but be mindful to not damage the wood. You can also use needle nose pliers to pull out any stubborn staples.
Remove the Padding
If the old padding is worn out and old like ours, take it out. We’ll replace it later. Note: you may need to use a utility knife to cut through any stubborn adhesive.
Step 2: Preparing the Chair Frame
We wanted the new finish to be a much lighter wood tone, so we needed to strip the top coat and old stain from the dining room chair. We would do this by applying a paint stripper then sanding it down.
Apply Paint Remover
For this, you’ll put on your protective gloves and eye protection. You can use any paint/varnish remover but we put a generous amount of Klean Strip Green Paint and Varnish Stripper in a plastic container from a take-out restaurant and used a small, cheap brush to apply the Klean Strip to the wood. We’d recommend tackling this in small areas and covering the area with plastic wrap or bag. Let it set for at least 40 minutes or up to overnight. Biggest tip– Don’t let it dry while you are scraping! Once the product dries, it’s so much harder to remove. Even if that means reapplying after letting it sit, you will be in much better shape.
Scrape Off the Old Stain
Use a 5 in 1 paint tool or any scraper to remove the old stain. And be forewarned, this part takes the most time! As mentioned before, you may have to reapply the stripper again especially if you have several layers to remove. You want to get as close to the bare wood as you can. You may also need a toothpick, scour pad or steel wool (we used all three!) to loosen stain in the more intricate areas.
Clean the Wood
Once you’ve removed most of the stain, you’ll need to inactivate the stripping process by neutralizing it with a heavy duty cleaning solution like TSP. This also removes that last bit of residue that is likely left behind. You can also lightly rinse off the cleaning solution if that’s easier.
Sand the Wood
Once the old stain and any products are removed, sand down the dining room chair to make sure the surface is smooth and even. We used our orbital sander for this step. Start with a coarser grit like 60 or 80 and finish with a finer grit like 120 – 220 for the most polished look.
Related Post: Choosing the Right Grit Sandpaper and Sander to Prep Wood Furniture for Paint
Wipe it Down
Use a damp cloth to remove any dust and residue from sanding. Let the chair dry completely before the next step.
Step 3: Applying a Finish to the Chair
Apply Your New Finish
This step will vary depending on your choice of finish:
- If you are applying a stain, use a clean rag to apply the stain on the chair, in the direction of the wood grain. Wipe off the stain and wait for the first layer to dry before applying a second.
- If you are painting your dining room chair, then you may want to prime your piece first. Once your primer is set, then apply your paint per the manufacturer’s instructions.
We decided to apply our paint wash technique to these dining room chairs and table. We like it because it tones down the orange in the wood but is translucent enough that you can still see the wood grain. We used Sherwin Williams’ “Outer Banks” interior paint sample as the base for this paint wash.
Step 4: Reupholstering Dining Room Chairs
Measure and Cut New Foam Padding (if needed)
If you’re replacing the padding, measure out a piece of the high density foam/upholstery foam to the same size as the chair seat so that it fits snugly.
Measure and Cut Batting
The batting is important to minimize friction, soften the edges out, fill out corners and create an overall smooth surface. Measure out enough batting to cover the foam padding (basically add a few inches to each side of the seat measurements).
Measure and Cut the New Fabric
Lastly, we’ll need to cut a piece of fabric to replace the seat cover. You can do this by measuring the dining chair seat and adding a few inches to each side to ensure you have enough fabric to work with. You’ll need enough to cover the seat and also wrap around both the foam and batting.
Layer the Foam, Batting and Fabric
The layers are: seat, foam padding, batting and the new fabric. We’d suggest starting by stapling the batting first. Do this by laying the batting on a clean surface, then the foam padding and lastly the seat. Fold the batting over the foam layer and the seat, then staple it down on the sides and corners. Lastly place the new fabric face down, then place the seat (with foam and batting) face down on top of the fabric.
Tightly Staple it Together
Starting at the center of one side, pull the fabric tight and staple it to the underside of the seat. Move to the opposite side and repeat, then staple the remaining sides, always working from the center outwards. Pull the fabric tight to knock out any wrinkles and trim away excess fabric.
Finish the Corners
Fold the corners neatly and staple them in place. There are different techniques for this, so choose the one that looks best to you.
Step 5: Reassemble the Chair
Attach the Seat
Once the chair frame stain is fully cured, attach the newly upholstered seat cushion back in the frame. Align the screw holes and reattach the seat using the screws you removed earlier.
Add a Dust Cover (optional):
If you removed a dust cover earlier, cut a new piece of dust cover fabric and staple it to the underside of the seat. Dust covers aren’t necessary but it gives the project a polished look.
Protect and Finish:
Spray with ScotchGard or a similar product to protect the new fabric cover from water damage and spills.
And this is our final product!
Tips and Tricks for Success
Take Your Time: Although you could do this in a weekend, it still takes time to achieve a clean, professional looking furniture piece. Rushing through the process can lead to mistakes and furniture that might not last as long as you’d like.
Practice First: If you’ve never reupholster a dining chair before, you might consider practicing on a less important piece of furniture before tackling your main dining room chairs.
Choose Quality Materials: Invest in good-quality fabric and padding. They will last longer and most likely also look better.
We are so happy with our our dining room chairs turned out. They match the dining room table perfectly and have completely transformed the way the sunroom looks. We only wish we would have done it sooner!
Let us know if you ended up giving this a try! Refinishing and reupholstering dining room chairs is a great way to customize your furniture to match your personal style. We hope this step-by-step inspires and helps you tackle your next furniture reupholster project with no problem.
