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How to Successfully Reupholster a Curvaceous Modern Chair with a Sweater

by on Apr 19, 2010

created at: 04/19/2010

The Indy Thrift Score Social Club has it’s first event this Saturday. Yes, I’ve found a group of enablers and we’re gathering in the morning for a Tour de’ Junk. I’ve been told that the terms secondhand, thrift, or secondary market would be more appropriate. Anyway, we’re hitting downtown Indianapolis for our greedy little secondhand fix. Most of the scouts are mid century modern fans and that’s where things can get sticky. Chances are that if anyone comes across a tattered chair of the MCM kind, it usually has beautiful soft curves and reupholstering this treasure becomes a dilemma since woven fabrics don’t generally cooperate with soft round curves. So, how do you reupholster such a modern marvel?

One solution is to cover it in a stretchy, knit fabric that wraps around the curves snugly. You could buy a knit fabric or just do what Troy did. He’s a man after my own heart.  Inspired by an article in Country Living Magazine  (now that’s a puzzler to think about later), he handily recovered this modern Shaw Walker chair in a gray sweater from Marshall’s. One large sweater is all it took. What do you think, about $14.99?

See his photos over on JunkMarketStyle.

For a resource guide on secondhand conversions, check out our new Curbly book,

Make It: Secondhand Chic. 

Learn more about Curbly's latest publication, Make It! Secondhand Chic