My neighbor recently had a yard sale to sell all the furniture that the previous owner left behind. There was a variety of old and new furniture. We stopped by to say Hello and my oldest daughter fell in love with a vintage vanity chair that needed some TLC.
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She didn’t need this chair – we have extra chairs stored in the basement still with no home. But I told her that if the chair wasn’t sold by the end of the day, I would reach out to my neighbor. Under one condition.
She needed to remind me.
I figured, like most kids, she’d forget about it and move on.
But she didn’t….. That night I went to bed that night and saw this note on my nightstand that made me laugh….
Ok, ok , she can have the chair LOL.
I think she’s going to be my little DIYer. She has taken a shine to helping me with my other projects – like the old rocking chair and telephone (or “gossip”) chair makeovers.
So I gave her the go-ahead to go pick up the chair and bring it home. She carried it herself down the street and into our garage to be restored. [BTW – garage/ yard sales are just one of may great places to find free vintage furniture to restore].
It turned into the perfect DIY project for her. It was a simple project that should could do (almost) all by herself, gain confidence, learn some DIY skills and be proud of a job well done.
Vintage Vanity Chair – Before
Here’s a pic of chair before the upcycle.
This chair is already in great shape. The brass frame just needed a coat of paint, while the seat needed a new cover.
How to Restore a Vintage Vanity Chair
First we dissembled the chair by unscrewing the 4 screws under the seat. Then gave the brass a quick sanding with 220 grit sand paper.
Using safety glasses (and careful supervision by mom), and this awesome Rust-Oleum Comfort Spray Grip Holder, she refreshed the brass with Krylon Short Cuts aerosol paint in Gold Leaf.
While that metal was drying, we ran over to Jo-Ann Fabrics where she found this perfect fabric that matched the colors in her bedroom. In addition the fabric is quilted, so it gives the seat a bit more cushion!
Here we are all smiles on our drive home.
(Sorry about the cover on her face, but with some crazies in this world, I need to protect my kids a bit….but I promise she’s smiling ear to ear in this pic!)
Next was attaching the fabric to the seat. Since this step required a heavy-duty stapler, I took over.
And then we simply reassembled the chair using a screwdriver.
Vintage Vanity Chair – After
Drum roll please….. Here’s the after shot! My daughter was SO proud of herself for this DIY project. And I’m as equally proud.
She found the chair at the yard sale, brought it home, picked out the materials, and did the entire restoration (minus the fabric stapling).
And now, she uses it as her desk chair in her bedroom. We picked up this desk 1-2 months ago for free from our local Facebook yard sale page. An older couple were downsizing and moving, and this desk had been for their now-grown daughter when a little girl.
Isn’t it perfect with that desk? Here’s a longer view. I love this area of her bedroom with her curtains (from Target)!
Curious about what we used?
Supplies
- Drop cloth
- Screwdriver
- Safety glasses
- Spray Paint – we used Krylon Short Cuts in Gold Leaf
- Material for upholstering
- Scissors
- Heavy Stapler
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Related Chair Restoration Posts
Want to be the first to know about new posts? Be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter of even Etsy! Or better yet… Subscribe below!
My monthly (admittedly sometimes more, sometimes less….) emails are like receiving a unexpected letter from an old friend WITHOUT needing to put on your slippers and walk out to your mailbox…. See? I got ya, my friend!)
[Note: My posts are proudly connected to these amazing link parties full of DIY ideas and inspiration!]