Granny must've had a skinny bum

So I was hanging out with my new boyfriend, Craig, the other day and found this adorable vintage chair for only $10:

Aside from the fact that the cane seat was busted out, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it! I even got a whole complementary layer of dust, spiderwbes and a few dead daddy-longlegs for my $10. The seller said this chair has been in her family for many years- owned by her Granny, mom and then passed on to her. She guessed it was probably at least sixty years old.

Look at this amazingly detailed wood work on the back and top...

This morning I gave the chair a quick dusting (bye-bye mummified daddy-longlegs) and started pulling out the left over caning:

Check out my awesome work bench- I know Bob Vila would love to own one like this.

After 30 minutes of clipping and pulling and tugging, all the caning was gone and the chair was ready for a new seat. I went to the local Lowes and asked the guy in the wood section what type of plywood I should use: 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch. He looked me up and down and asked, "So are a lot of BIG people going to be sitting in this chair?"

I explained that the chair was vintage, so a bit smaller than modern chairs, and that it wouldn't be used for seating very much...he laughed and said the 1/4 inch plywood would be fine.  Then we had a 20 minute conversation about how vintage furniture often seems much smaller than new stuff and how all our grannies must have been tiny little things....Can I just say that I *heart* my local Lowes people? They are always super helpful and willing to spend lots of time answering my crazy questions!

So the next step is to cut out and upholster the chair seat. Here is the combination that I'm thinking of- the paint will go on the chair frame and the fabric will go on the seat:

What do you think? My other thoughts were to use this fabric and either leave the chair frame wood or paint it soft white....I'd love to hear your ideas!

 

 

Comments

[Kathleen]

I think I'd go with the fabric (love it!) and keep the chair's original wood. Unless you're doing a white room or a gray and white room. What a find!

[shizzknits]

Its going into our master bedroom. Which Im
Repainting.... Probably to slivery grey or the walls and white for the furniture...

Namaste-
Sheree
Sent from my iPhone

[homejewel]

I definitely like the wood as is. I think you would lose some of its character by painting - see how it is dark in the grooves? Love that! The fabric will look great with it.

[Janet B]

I love your fabric. I like the wood but whatever, the painted chair with that fabric could really pull a room together. I just recovered a chair and what a difference it makes! Have fun!

[Sheila]

Like the fabric,don't make it white, let it wood, is more beautiful as it is, you can use a varnish instead.

[air max 93]

let it wood, is more beautiful as it is, you can use a varnish instead.

[Nike Blazer]

let it wood, is more beautiful as it is