At my dacha, there was an armchair for a long time, since my grandmother's times. I have always liked it very much, and here I have matured a plan for its restoration. Moreover, in recent times"Vintage" is gaining more and more weight. Then I decided to take it home and update it.
So, for work we need:
- Stain (you can choose the color that suits you);
– Furniture varnish(we used a varnish in a balloon);
- Screwdriver;
- Upholstery material (we used curtain material);
- Foam rubber (to give the seats a softer and thicker cover);
- Construction stapler;
- Wooden shield;
- Wood glue;
- Drill;
- Vibration grinder.
1. First you need to disassemble the chair.
During our disassembly, it became clear that one part from the legs consists of chipboard and over time it dried out and began to crumble. This detail could not be restored. We decided to replace it with a wooden furniture board.
2. Now we need to sand all these details. This is the longest and most difficult process. Please be patient. We removed the varnish from the parts using a special iron drill attachment. And then, the train was cleaned with a machine until the natural color of the tree appeared.
3. Then we cut out the parts of the desired shape from the building board and cover all the other parts with stain.
We chose dark color... Now we wait 5-6 hours until the stain dries completely. After that, we cover them with furniture varnish.
We really wanted to preserve the effect of natural wood, so we did not seek a thick and shiny layer of varnish. The drying time of the varnish is approximately 22 hours to a day, it depends on the thickness of the coating.
4. After all the parts are dry, we begin to collect the legs. To do this, we needed to drill holes in new details in order to connect them with the rest of the details.
Then using furniture glue we connect all the parts to each other and leave for 3 hours in order for the glue to dry.
5. We proceed to the upholstery of the seat itself. Remove the old cover and take out all the nails and staples. We left the old foam rubber because it didn't deteriorate much.
Our goal is to make the chair more voluminous, so we cut out new foam and put it on top of the old one.
Cut the corners of the new foam rubber so that the edges are not very straight, but slightly rounded.
After that, we sew the old foam rubber to the new one so that it does not walk and move inside the chair.
6. Now you can cover the seat with the material. Our chair is not a complex geometric shape, so we successfully managed to cover it in one piece, without resorting to sewing. Gently pulling with help construction stapler we sew it to the frame of the chair.
Good day, wrestlers!
So I finally decided to put something on public display :)
In general, my repair takes a long and painful course, everything is done sooooooooooooooooooooooooo, so it is still far from bragging about repairs. So I'll start showing off with the restoration of an old Soviet chair.)
It came to me right after the New Year. At that time, my repairs were completely stalled, there was absolutely nothing to do, and my hands were itching to attach themselves to something from a sudden excess of free time. This wreck was given on ad for pickup and thanks, so ... why not?
In general, it was trash and waste. Honestly, in the photo in the ad it looked much better, but in fact it turned out to be a pile of rotten foam rubber, rusty nails, decomposed into dust of an incomprehensible thing and a more or less tolerable frame with through holes in the armrests (someone before me did not bother with repairs) ... Some of the details were lost somewhere long ago, which, in general, was not surprising - the poor fellow was almost 50 years old.
The first step, of course, is evisceration.
I naively believed that nothing would be worse than digging in rotten foam :) But no. The trickiest part is the frame restoration. Wash, sand, putty, sand, wash, putty, sand, wash ... and so on ad infinitum. Not tired yet. And in the end - paint :) Acrylic paint in a can, color "espresso satin".
It turned out to be easier with a soft spot. Lots of staples for a construction stapler and a little patience - and you're done.
She left the upholstery scheme the same as in the original: on the frame of the slings, on the slings tarpaulin, on the tarpaulin foam rubber, on the foam rubber synthetic winterizer, on the synthetic winterizer upholstery. Foam rubber on the back - 50 mm, on the seat - 100 mm. The backrest was made of a piece of some kind of plywood and by that moment was rather dead than alive, so I went to the trash heap, and a piece of PVC plastic 3 mm came in its place. thick.
And the cat. Well, as without her.) Without a cat, nothing happens in this house at all - it's surprising that she only got into one photo, because she participated in absolutely everything.
In general, this is where it all ended. It remains only to put everything back together and set up the marafet - fix the buttons, hem the corners with a secret seam, paint over the fasteners on the legs in the color of the legs. The inserts on the armrests did not reach me in complete set, so they were replaced with nuts.
Well, something like this:)
Chairs and armchairs are more heavily used than many other furnishings. As a result, they wear out faster and stronger. And what can we say about old samples!
Chair upholstery scheme
The most vulnerable in their design, as a rule, are the load-bearing parts. They fail faster than other elements. Today, do-it-yourself chair restoration at a high-quality level, thanks to the availability of excellent tools and materials, is available even to a beginner.
But in order to either partially repair the chair, or completely restore it, you do not need to call a carpenter. You just need to know some technological features this process.
Materials and tools needed to remodel an old chair
To tighten the chair you will need: a screwdriver, self-tapping screws, a stapler, staples and a screwdriver.
For the convenience of the master and excellent quality work will need the following:
- upholstery fabric;
- foam rubber;
- wooden (plywood) shield;
- furniture varnish;
- stain;
- wood glue;
- electric drill;
- vibration grinding machine;
- stapler;
- pliers;
- nippers;
- screwdrivers;
- spanners.
Partial restoration of the chair
It often happens that it is not necessary to completely restore the chair. For example, if his fabric or leather upholstery is well preserved, but the legs are very loose, then a major update of such an item is not required - it is enough to take care of the legs.
Consider the most common breakdowns component parts armchairs, restoration of which will give a second life to the whole product.
Legs attachment diagram.
The first case: the legs are very loose. The easiest restoration option is to glue the legs in their original places. The main disadvantage of this option - the fragility of the operation of the glued legs. To eliminate it, it is recommended, in addition to gluing the legs to the horizontal bar, additionally connect the parts to be fastened, for example, with dowels.
To do this, the entire unit being repaired must be disassembled slowly. It is advisable to replace the spike. In this case, the joints are covered with fresh wood glue, the spike is inserted into seat... For a tight bond, the joint is tightened with a clamp.
After that, 2-3 holes are drilled in the leg, where the pins are driven in. These accessories, which are also covered with glue, must be made of wood. hard rocks and be slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the through holes. Holes are drilled on the seat body corresponding to the location of the pins on the legs. The legs are connected to the rest of the chair, the parts to be fastened tightly together and left in this position until the glue dries.
Fastening stages upholstery fabric to the chair frame.
Second case: the seat belts are stretched too far. Because of this, an impressive "pit" is formed in the seat. Another defect will have the same effect - the falling out of nails that hold the straps in the seat shell. If the whole thing is in the fastening of the belts, it must be restored by filling in new nails. If the reason lies in the stretched old belts, then you cannot do without replacing them with new ones.
Tighten the belts when installing new belts. This can be done using wooden block... In this case, one end of the belt is attached to the seat frame, while the other end is well pulled with a bar, clamping the belt between the bar and the chair frame. Keeping the belt taut, it is nailed to the base.
This must be done so that after that there is a free segment of the belt with a length of 30-40 mm. It is folded over and nailed for greater security. Spaces of up to 100 mm are left between the tensioned seat belts.
Complete restoration of an old chair: the order of work
If a very old chair has been standing in the room for a long time, without giving "signs of life", this is not a reason to throw it away.
Of course, in many cases it is better to buy new item, but often the owner really does not want to part with the old thing.
Chair-bed frame.
After all, it can be very beautiful, stylish, and finally turn out to be a real historical relic of the whole family. The monetary savings factor should not be discounted either.
In this case, you should try to restore the chair with your own hands. Begins complete restoration, of course, from the dismantling of furniture. To do this, removing the coarse calico from the bottom of the seat, unscrew the nuts hidden under it. Removing the corresponding fastening elements, dismantle the armrests.
Disassembly is followed by the removal of the old, worn-out upholstery. If it can still be useful for something, it should be done carefully, gradually removing the staples with pliers. But often the fabric is simply ripped off. In any case, remember that under the old upholstery, most likely, a lot of dust and debris has accumulated.
Next, an inspection of all internal wooden parts is carried out. Cracks should be impregnated with wood glue, and the defective part itself should be fastened with staples. If the part is not subject to restoration, it is replaced with a new one, using the blanks of the same properties and dimensions. Also (if necessary) from wooden board curly elements that have become completely unusable are cut out according to the appropriate sizes and shapes.
The varnish is removed from all the old elements of the chair, sanding them with a drill with a special attachment. Finishing sanding is done with a sander. Wooden parts are stained. After it has dried for 5-6 hours, these parts are varnished. After that, let the varnish dry for 24 hours. And only then can the wooden frame of the product be assembled.
Assembly is done using metal fasteners, wooden dowels and glue for wood. The entire assembly must be allowed to stand until the glue is completely dry.
It is better to use a wear-resistant fabric for the chair's constriction.
When we completely restore an old chair, more often than not, we also have to renew the soft filling. Whether it is necessary to change the foam rubber or it can be restored can only be judged after careful examination.
If you have to lay a new filler, then you first need to determine the thickness of the old one and add 2-3 cm to its real thickness (about how much the foam rubber sags with frequent pressure on it). Then a new soft component is cut in the same shape and size as the old filler. Moreover, its density should be at least 22-25. If the density is lower, then it can be increased by placing a layer of spunbond (coarse calico) between the layer of new foam rubber and the old foam rubber.
New foam filler or filler from another suitable material glued to wooden base seat or fastened with brackets around its perimeter.
On the final stage the repair is carried out upholstery of the chair with fabric. This requires old upholstery, previously carefully removed from the chair, rip into individual elements... Having placed these fragments on the prepared fabric, new flaps are cut.
Gradually, applying separate pieces of fabric to the corresponding parts of the chair, adjacent fabric fragments are sewn to them. It should always be remembered that furniture upholstery is done with a good stretch.
The corners of the chair are clogged last. The fabric is attached to wooden frame using staples nailed at intervals of 2-3 cm from each other.
If the master has a desire to radically change the design of the restored chair, then the patterns for the new upholstery cannot be made from the old one. Measurements for cutting will have to be done already in place after laying the new filler.
It is necessary that the quality and density of the new upholstery is combined with the quality and density of the filling. So, if the filler is too soft, the rigid and not very elastic fabric can burst due to excessive tension.
When choosing a stapler for renovation works for furniture, preference should be given to mechanisms with the most powerful spring.
The restoration of an old armchair is a reason not only to revive a half-forgotten product, but also a chance to change the style of the entire room setting. So don't be afraid to experiment.
Furniture company 366 Concept brought back forgotten Soviet armchairs to the market
During Soviet times, this chair was in almost every living room of a Polish family. It was designed in 1962 by Joseph Chirowski and has been in production for 30 years. The designers of 366 Concept really wanted to revive the forgotten symbol of their childhood in the hope that it will find new market demand.
The once popular Soviet armchair gets a second chance and opens up to the whole of Europe, whereas before, only Poland was its market. 366 Concept obtained the exclusive rights to manufacture the seats, which were sold in the amount of 500,000 from 1960 to 1980.
In addition to classic design a version for children, a rocking chair, a double chair and an enlarged version of the classic model were developed. The furniture brand has also developed a variation on the base model, the bunny chair, whose legs are turned in such a way that they form the shape of bunny ears.
All armchairs are manufactured in Poland and sold throughout Europe, 90% of deliveries are made outside the country. The company believes that the chair has become popular thanks in large part to its compact size. Young people in Paris and London live in small apartments and do not have the opportunity to deliver a big sofa so they are looking for something small but comfortable at the same time. The size of the original chair with wooden armrests was one of its key parameters - 72 cm high and 62 cm wide. The reason for this is not design, but the needs of the market, because Poland was a rather poor country with small apartments. Therefore, a chair was designed that uses a minimum of materials, nothing more.
These minimalist pieces of furniture are made from natural ash that is at least 7 years old. The company complements wooden base dirt-repellent fabric reminiscent of retro materials - tweed and corduroy. The fabric is presented in different colors, the main of which are: gray, olive, orange and blue.
Summer is such a time that your hands are itching to alter something, repaint, screw it on. And if you also like this process, and if you are in love with this business, then in general there is no price for such a pastime!
I have not done any master classes for a long time, all because I personally have not altered anything for myself this year. And at the dacha everything is ahead. There a Soviet table, a pre-war table, a TV stand ... a sofa, armchairs ... ohh ... there will be enough work for a hundred years ahead :). And today I'm talking about a cool transformation of an old Soviet chair from my colleague and friend of the designer Elena Andrianova.
The desire to update the interior sometimes comes suddenly. For some people it is realized by going to the salon of new furniture, while for others by going to the store of paints and varnishes. It's just that sometimes we think that the old chair has already served its time and its place, in best case in the attic of the country house, and in the worst in the garbage. Everyone is tired of it and does not fit into your DREAM HOUSE.
Interior designer Elena Andrianova from Stavropol proves that even in the most modern interior you can enter the "good old" chair - you just need to give it a NEW LIFE!
We meet and welcome a cool rework of a Soviet armchair from designer Elena Andrianova.
Elena Andrianova
“Making and remodeling furniture is my passion from my distant childhood. First for the dolls, now for myself. I got this pair of chairs from my grandmother. They were part of a large Yugoslavian typeface of the mid-70s of the last century, but they were in very decent condition. Their shape won my heart and I made the decision to carefully restore them, rather than completely redo them. I returned to the chairs beautiful colour"Dark walnut", changed the fabric and now they decorate the living room of my house. "
The native frame of the armchairs was made of beech, tinted under "dark walnut" and covered with a semi-glossy transparent varnish, which was eventually lost on the armrests and slightly elsewhere.
Pillows in non-removable covers, slightly sagged. The chair was in good condition, all connections were strong, nothing wobbled, did not dangle, did not creak. Therefore, I decided not to disassemble it, but to restore it assembled.
I only sanded where it was necessary due to the loss or deterioration of the old varnish layer. All sanding was done "by hand" sandpaper varying degrees granularity. After sanding, I carefully removed all the dust from the chair with a damp cloth and let it dry.
The varnish was applied to the alkyd Unica Super (Tikkurila), semi-gloss, tinted in color 3443. This varnish lay very well on old varnish, without preliminary sanding and priming. I applied 4 to 7 coats of new varnish on the sanded areas to achieve the desired color. On well-preserved areas of the old coating of the chair frame, I applied 2 layers of varnish. I used varnish exactly according to the instructions
To make the pillow a little thicker, I used 2cm foam rubber, fixing it with silicone glue on the old pillow in several places. In terms of ergonomics, the thickness of the pillows should not be increased very much. Then she tightly fitted it with a padding polyester cover on the lining fabric.
“Furniture from the 60s and 70s is at the peak of its popularity today. Why? Probably everything is simple. How can you not like natural wood, light forms, laconic design, ergonomics and practicality? This furniture, so compact and comfortable, you can't help but fall in love with it! Elena Andrianova "
I needed a smooth sliding surface of the pillows, because I wanted to make the decorative cover removable and it had to be easy to remove and put on.
And to make it easier to pull a tight synthetic winterizer cover over the foam pillow, it is necessary that between these two materials clinging to each other there is a layer of cellophane (I took a regular bag and cut the bottom).
After the synthetic winterizer cover is put on, the cellophane layer is removed (just pulled the bag by the handles).
The result is "tight" pillows. Decorative covers are made of upholstery fabric Genova matting by Panorama Decor - jacquard with a braided production of two threads of different colors. Color genova-12. Heavyweight fabric with high coefficient abrasion resistance.
This is the kind of work that has been done that brought back the life of a beautiful piece of furniture!
