lounge chair
Joellyn Monday, July 2, 2012 at 12:04PM I pulled this relic out of our storage room the other day and gave it a good dusting off. Isn't it a gem?
Actually, it is in such rough shape that it was tucked into the back corner of the storage room and left behind and forgotten about. But I've been secretly planning to get my hands on it for years. For you design-y friends of mine, no, it is unfortunately not an authentic Eames lounge chair. It is a Plycraft copy. But even the vintage Plycraft furniture still has quite a bit of value.
Paying someone to restore this would cost quite a bit, and could exceed the resale value of this chair. But it has sentimental value to me (it belonged to my grandparents) and it is darn comfortable, so I am going to attempt the restoration myself.
Trouble is, it needs new upholstery.
Since I have zero experience in that department, I'm going to enlist the help of my mom. Especially when it comes to the piping around the edge. Mom has some white vinyl that she is willing to donate to the cause. Not that I have anything against the existing color, but I do think it would look sharp in white.
The wood needs to be refinished also, which will be a delicate process since the veneer is quite thin.
Wish me luck! I'm not making any promises on the time frame, but I'll keep you posted.
Reader Comments (6)
One of my favorite chairs in one of my favorite color combos! Good luck!
I'm jealous!! :D Good luck
Wow. You are way braver than me! I totally think you should come up this summer, and look us up please! I think we could all kinds of good fun that is funny. seriously.
Sounds like a great project, whether it is a genuine Eames or a knock-off! My parents have an Eames in black leather/black wood. Beautiful. And so, so comfortable! Looks great with a black, gray and white Pendleton blanket draped over it! You have such a great eye for design I am sure however your chair ends up, it will look fabulous! :)
I'm getting ready to reupholster my own Plycraft chair. I've never done any upholstery either, but for some crazy reason I think I can do it. Not sure how much fabric I should buy. Do you think 5 yards will do the trick?
Shelly, five yards should more than do it, depending in how wide the fabric is. Maybe even three yards. Most vinyl comes pretty wide. My suggestion would be to remove all the pieces, lay them out on the floor and measure them before you buy. Don't forget to account for the binding and buttons! :)