Intern Emily: Affordable Chair Makeover

Written on November 12, 2009 at 3:16 pm, by Intern Emily (Emily Cook)

Finding affordable furniture can be a challenge—especially on an intern’s budget. So when it came time to furnish my brand-new abode, I started to hit up local thrift stores—every college student’s one-stop-shop for apartment furniture. But I began to realize anything in my price range came with either a questionable stain and strange smell, or a super-psychedelic print that was just a little too groovy for my liking.

Frustrated, I drove down to the next best place college students go to shop on the cheap: Mom and Dad’s. My mom is as serious a decorating nut as I am. I figured she was sure to have something in her collection that would work. Mommy dearest definitely pulled through for me.

These armless chairs used to sit in our living room. When we got new furniture, my mom hauled them up to our three-season cabin at the lake, where they sat on our back porch. When it came close to closing up for winter, instead of hauling them home, she helped me pile them into the backseat of my car. It was a pretty tight fit!

Structurally, the chairs are in perfect condition. Aesthetically, they didn’t quite suite my taste. They’re nice, but they didn’t work with the look I was going for. A little too hunter green, maybe? Not to mention the spattering of tiny holes left in the upholstery after our cats used the chairs as scratching posts.

Our solution: simple slipcovers. Slipcovers are great. Whenever you need to, you can take them off and throw them in the wash. If you ever get tired of your décor, sew a new one using your old cover as a pattern. And that’s exactly what we did. Even though my mom and I aren’t great at sewing, we decided it was worth devoting an afternoon to try. The chairs’ simple, armless design made it easier than we thought.

So they’re not perfect, but for the cost of the entire project, they were totally worth it. Here’s the breakdown.

Two chairs: Free!
Ten yards of light blue and orange canvas fabric: $60 (I have tons left over, so I’m planning to try to sew my own curtains).
Labor: A fun afternoon with my mom.

Two brand new-ish chairs for 30 bucks each! Can you beat that? Share some furniture makeovers you’ve tried to tackle! Comment below, or upload a photo on DIY’s page on Facebook.