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If you’ve been reading our website and know a little about Bridge Upholstery and Drapery, you know that our shop is in the basement of People Centric Consulting Group. Our shop is the perfect location for us and we are so thankful to have such a great space in downtown Springfield, MO. So, when our friend, Don Harkey, from People Centric, asked us about reupholstering his favorite La-Z-Boy recliners, we jumped at the chance!
History of the Recliners
Here is a photo of one of the recliners before our custom upholstery project.
These chairs have been in Don’s family for years. They went to college with him. His wife rocked their newborn babies in them. They have a lot of sentimental value. Although they had reached the end of their orange upholstered lives, these chairs still have a lot going for them.
These chairs are a great size – they’re not as overstuffed and large as current recliner models. They easily accommodate Don’s height, but don’t take up all of the living room real estate in the process. In addition to their perfect size, the chairs are also well built. They have great frames and all of the mechanical parts still work. The only structural problem was one broken sinuous spring as you can see in the photo below of the upside down seat.
Reupholstery
Removing the Orange Fabric and Rebuilding
We began by stripping off all of the dusty orange upholstery and disintegrating foam and then we went to work rebuilding these amazing recliners. We installed a new sinuous spring, new foam, new dacron and new gray chenille fabric as you can see on the footrest below.
As a side note, you may also notice, in the photo above, our copy of the Spruce Guide to Upholstery. This is a great reference for do-it-yourselfers and professionals alike.
The Arms
By far, the most challenging aspect of these chairs was the padded arms.
It was a constant challenge keeping them aligned properly and evenly stapled to the frame. We redid them a few times to get them right. We have learned that if something doesn’t look good, we have to stop and redo it immediately. That was the case with the chair arms – we had to get them right before moving on to the seat and back.
The chairs finally began to take shape. Once we finished the arms, they progressed quickly. The seats and back were assembled easily by comparison.
The Finished Product
Before we show a photo of the two finished chairs, let’s review.
Before
The Front of the Chair Before…
The Back of the Chair Before…
And After
The Front of the Chair…
The Back of the Chair…
The Two Finished Chairs
Don is so happy to have these chairs reupholstered. They match his current style and are a great fit in his home and in his office.
So, is Reupholstery right for you and your furniture?
Do you have a beloved piece of furniture that you’d like to restore? Before you jump to the decision to reupholster, ask yourself a few questions. Is this a well-made piece of furniture? Does it have great sentimental value? Does its size make it the perfect fit for your home and your space? Are you willing to invest money to upgrade this piece of furniture to fit your design needs now? If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then Contact Us at Bridge Upholstery and Drapery. We’d love to help.
