Curb Side Trash to MCM Treasure

Alisha Lime
by Alisha Lime
6 Materials
$100
8 Hours
Medium

Curb side finds can be amazing but sometimes you have to look hard for the potential. These chairs had great curves and a solid structure – definitely worth saving. Here's how I rescued these chairs from the trash and gave them new life.

I starting by taking the bottoms and backs off the chairs and removing the existing upholstery and padding. I used pliers and a flat head screw driver to remove each staple. This can be tricky and time consuming but stay with it!

I gave the frames a light sanding with 220 grit sand paper and cleaned them with a degreaser. I used TSP.


Looking better already!

I primed and painted each chair. I used a flat black but ended up needing a top coat to prevent chipping so they have a bit of a sheen.

I decided to leave the back of the chairs open and only replace the seats.


I used 1 ½” padding and cut it to fit the shape of the seat backing. I added a thin layer of batting and used a spray adhesive to hold it in place. Leave extra to wrap around the sides and adhere to the bottom. 

I saved the original upholstery to use as a template and cut my fabric to size. Using a staple gun, I worked my way around the edges to attach the new fabric. 

All that was left was to reattach the seats with the original screws and brackets that I saved.

I love how these turned out – you would never know they were headed to the trash. 

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2 of 31 comments
  • Sandra nicky Sandra nicky on Jul 09, 2020

    Not replacing the backs was a stroke of genius! (...and it doesn’t matter that it made the job a lot easier).

  • Mary McDonald Mary McDonald on Aug 30, 2020

    i like the sheen. It looks like a modern piece with a curved metal frame. Very nice and great choice of fabric! You brought the chairs right into 2020!

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