Mission Chair: Reversible Reveal

The sneak peak for this project was 3 weeks ago. I finally put the finishing touches on this Mission style chair. To check out its sad story, check out the blog post, Chairpalooza.

Before it was in pretty rough shape, but the bones of it were still in great condition.

After, it turned out pretty fantastic. Grey-dog agrees.
So, how did I get from the sad chair to this gem?

First, the bottom cover was removed to reveal the original wire base.
The springs and wires were still tight and springy.

Next, I used a mahogany gel stain and stained the entire chair.

I had two ideas for the upholstery for the cushions. At this point, I wasn't sure which direction to go. The grey is quite modern, and would go very well with the now richer wood colour; but, the plaid was classic, and would work well with the chair style.

Not able to make up my mind, I turned my attention to staining the new wood plugs to match, and filled the existing screw holes.

Worried about the state of my bamboo floors, I went ahead and added felt to the bottom of the chair legs before going any further on the project.

Next, I stapled a new base cover into place at the bottom of the chair. Turning the chair over, I wrapped the rest of the upholstery up and over the wire and stapled it on all sides. The fabric is folded around the sides to keep it clean and give it more strength.

When using used foam, it sometimes warps. Using an electric knife, You can easily make it square again.

In the end, I opted to do a reversible cushion. One side is plaid, and all other sides are the fantastic grey colour.

 As you can see, it gives me lots of styling ideas and I can change it on a whim.

Right now, I am feeling the grey most.

Finally, since the Mission chair is now taking a spot that has long been occupied by my first project, I had to find a new place for the ottoman.

Millie thinks it is A-okay!