This chair was begging for a rehab, I found her on Craigslist for $85. Reupholstery can be affordable; if you source inexpensive fabric and prep the furniture yourself you can save a lot.

This vintage french chair needed some major TLC. I think a few creatures had some fun tearing it to shreds. The original fabric looked beautiful but she desperately needs a upholstery job ASAP.

Getting a piece of furniture reupholstered is a bit expensive but if you get a great deal on the piece and source cheap fabric, sometimes it’s totally worth it. To get the wood on this chair painted and distressed was way over my budget. I stripped away most of the fabric, painted the wood trim white and distressed the wood with a sponge sander. Seal the paint with a waxed based stain and drop it off at your local upholstery shop. In the end I saved about $200!

The total cost including upholstery was $285, can’t beat that for a custom chair redesigned by yours truly. Take a look at these wonderful before/after photos and stay tuned for more DIY posts!