DIY part II [reupholster bergere chairs]

Check out my inspiration post and part I (stripping and prep work) before we move on to the good stuff: upholstery!

As I've said earlier, we were lucky to have good bones and a simple set of chairs for this project. No tufting, no separate cushions, no tricky shapes or unwieldy size. This was especially helpful as we approached reupholstery, since it was a straightforward cut and staple operation.

Don't forget that you can use the original upholstery piece to trace, but the back of the chair was such a simple shape I didn't worry much. The steps are easy, pull the fabric tight and staple as you go. A good starting place is to staple a cross: a trio at the top, bottom, and each side. Continue to work in this way to ensure your pattern is perfect and the fabric has equal tension all around.

I found it helpful to have D push down the padding so the upholstery would be as taut as possible. The real focus is keeping the pattern in line. I used the spray adhesive mentioned in my last post for some added security. 

Make sure things are how you want them before you trim off the excess fabric beyond your staples, but then you're good to go. Eventually you'll want to cut the fabric close enough to cover with trim, but there's no turning back from there, so be careful.

Last note: staple like a madwoman. They don't need to be overlapping, but the entire perimeter should be secured. If you're pulling the fabric tight enough, any area that isn't stapled down will have less tension and can create ripples. Ripples are no good.