HOW TO UPHOLSTER A VINTAGE EASTLAKE CHAISE LOUNGE
Eastlake chaise lounge DIY project
Early in the 2020 pandemic, I saw an amazing Eastlake chaise lounge on Facebook marketplace. Remember those early pandemic days when you spent hours imagining creative home projects? There it was staring me in the face — an upholstery project for the woman who knows nothing about upholstery. The couch was a steal at $60, and it only took a short drive to pick it up.
It needed help. The woodwork was in good condition, but the upholstery was dingy and torn. Unsure how to approach the project, I left it in the garage. For awhile. And then I had the epiphany to cover it in one of my vintage Mexican blankets.
But I don’t know anything about upholstering!
Now keep in mind that I have zero upholstery skills or knowledge. But I wanted to give this a try. I did not try to replace the horse-hair stuffing. It seemed to be in good condition and it did not smell. I know there are professionals out there who would have replaced everything, but my approach was simply to give it a fresh, modern look.
My DIY upholstery steps:
1. First we cleaned the wood, which took gentle scrubbing with a soft toothbrush to get the dust out of all the grooves in the carving. Then I carefully cleaned the wood with wood soap.
2. My husband then took the back off and propped it all on sawhorses so I could work on it more easily.
3. I used a staple gun to attach the Mexican blanket all around the edges. I made sure to leave some of the blanket fringe hanging down on one side.
4. I used old upholstery trim to cover up the staples, first gluing it around the edges than carefully tacking it at intervals with tiny nails to make sure it stayed in place.
5. The last step was to reassemble the chair and then make sure that the legs were sturdy and straight.
About Eastlake furniture
The 19th century Eastlake design was named for Charles Locke Eastlake, an English architect and author. The Eastlake style was reminiscent of Victorian furniture and was made for the middle class. It was intricately carved yet moderately priced. Today the style is still fresh and modern with the right fabric. This guide can help you identify the style and authenticity of your pieces.
Want to see this refurbished Eastlake chaise lounge in action? Check out this post to see how we styled it for a beautiful fiesta shower. Best Fiesta Party Ideas
