Short-Lived Career in Upholstery

Sometime in December I picked up this sad little bench for less than a song (read: free) and decided to do my best to bring it back to life. The previous owner had thrown some scrap fabric over the seat where some ferocious cat had ripped it apart. It was nasty and I had no clue where to start. But with my typical impulsive zeal and overconfidence I decided to dive in head first.

I did check out some upholstery books from the library and skimmed enough to know that I didn't want to try this alone. So I asked my sister in law, Jenn, if she would be willing to help me. She has some limited experience in reupholstery, which is more than I had, and she said yes. So in January we got to work.

I took pictures as we picked the bench apart so we would have a reference when we put it all back together with new support slats, foam and fabric. The reference pictures were a HUGE help. From start to finish we probably spent 10-12 hours total on the bench (spread over 3 days) and we learned a little something along the way. I couldn't have done it without Jenn--she was fantastic! And I'm really pleased with the result.

It's far from perfect and certainly not a professional job, but it'll work for my needs. I intend to use it as a prop for photography. It'll also serve as a little stool to help Ella get up onto our bed--after I scotch guard it. As time goes by I find I'm forgetting how much work it took...so maybe I'll try to rescue this little number, too:

Wish me luck!