The Helpless Louis XVI Chair Rehab {before & after}

louis chair rehab5

I picked up a sad, helpless looking Louis XVI chair at a flea market a couple weeks ago for $20 (gotta love flea market finds ;))  As I’ve said before, the worse-off a piece starts, the better I feel about giving it a transformation…and it’s safe to say that this chair started out pretty bad.  I’d been eyeing Louis XVI chairs at places like Restoration Hardware and Home Decorators Collection image 5917986 10439277for a while, so I knew exactly what I wanted.  I just love the rustic charm and simplicity of this style chair.  I was looking for a chair to sit along side of my newly revived dining room buffet, so I chose a color palette of gray and white to use on the chair.  Here’s how the chair started out:

Yes, this chair left much to be desired.  So I got work stripping off the fabric and cleaning off years of dirt and debris.  Of course, I always try to keep the original pieces of fabric in good condition so that I can re-use them as templates for cutting my new fabric. Then I gave the chair a fresh coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint in “Old White”.

Ahhhh, don’t you just love the difference a simple, fresh coat of paint can make!  There’s one of the original fabric “templates” sitting under the chair!  After the new paint was set and dry, I begin cutting out the new fabric for the chair.  I chose a fabulous gray chenille fabric that I purchased from a local textile mill =)

Here’s a close up of the front of the chair after I applied the new fabric.  I used nail head trim stripping to secure the fabric to the chair, and then upholstery tacks on any spots that wouldn’t be seen.

I love using chenille fabric because it has somewhat of a warn, vintage feel, which is great for using on revived antique chairs.  Chenille’s like a fine wine in my opinion, it only gets better with age!

Here’s a peak at the back of the chair, stunning, isn’t it?!

And now, without further ado, here’s the final before & after transformation of the Louis XVI Chair!

Here’s the chair in it’s new home next to my chalk painted buffet…

I am in love with the final product!  This chair came out so much better than I could have imagined, and I saved hundreds by creating this myself!

What do you think of the Louis XVI chair transformation?

5 responses to “The Helpless Louis XVI Chair Rehab {before & after}

  1. Pingback: Louis XV gets a major overhaul [before & after] | Picklee

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