Refinish 80 yr old dining chair that was painted black?

To refinish the wood, I would use Citristrip. It will remove the black paint. For fabric, you want something a little heavier to withstand wear and tear. Choose a pattern that goes with your decor. I would need to see a picture to tell you how to attach it. You may need to staple in padding and then put fabric over it - maybe with upholstery nails.

you will need to strip off the black paint then either refinish with paint, stain or clearcoat

as far as the fabric for the seat that depends on the colors in your home and what appeals to you - get a few pieces to try on the chair before you decide

You will need to strip the paint off. I would use a mild stripper like CitriStrip. Make sure you don't let it dry.

You will need to add padding before you recover. I would attach the base to the frame first but without seeing it, unsure how to do it. In general you may be able to nail with small brad nails. The glue down the padding and staple on the fabric underneath. If you want to have something a bit ornate, you can use upholstery tacks around the edges on the sides of the seat.

Here is a video tutorial on how to strip the paint off of the chair to get started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1j7N4WPJTg

If you want to re-stain the chair then, here is a tutorial for that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4h4AEFPxwM

You mention your home is minimalist. You could also, after stripping it paint the chair white or a cool blue. I would select a fabric that coordinates with your home and you can then add padding and recover the seat.

This video should walk you through the seat process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMOUq3lcFZE

Hi Diane, you want to strip it down,

https://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-refinish-mahogany-furniture

And to put new material on,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1bpfKsuvEA

Painting the chair

https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=paint%20chair

Upholster seat

https://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=upholster%20chair%20

Refinish wood without sanding or stripping the existing finish!

https://designertrapped.com/how-to-refinish-wood-chairs/

Black might be in the grain and also Citrustrip changed its formula and is “out of favor” with some refinishers. They like Kleanstrip, in case your stripping is not going well.

Yes, add padding, bought at a Jo Anne fabrics typically.

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