You don’t have to spend $425 to get one of these!

Check your local flea market or used furniture stores first. I bought this chair for $20 at the Raleigh flea market. It was one of those days when the planets aligned. I went in search of a retro-style chair similar to one I had previously purchased (also a flea market find - $40). Well, this chair was the first item I stumbled upon. It was old, stained and you could tell the foam inside was a bit stiff, but the bones of the chair were absolutely perfect. 

Re-upholstery was inevitable with this particular chair, but that won’t always be the case with used furniture. If you find a cool piece, try removing any stains with a gentle fabric cleaner like Woolite. For tougher areas (oil, rust, blood), spot clean with Shout or Resolve, but USE IT SPARINGLY as you don’t want to damage the foam. You’ll be pleased to find that you can breathe life back into an old piece of furniture with a little love, warm water and soap.

I did like the original upholstery of this chair, but unfortunately, most of the stains were quite stubborn and hardened. So plan B was to search out a local upholsterer and some cool fabric. Now, re-upholstery can be expensive, so if you choose to go that route, its important to do your research and ask around. I also recommend paying close attention to the quality of the work. My chosen upholsterer came highly recommended by the nice ladies at a local fabric shop. And sure enough I was pleased when upon entering their studio, the upholsterers were reworking some amazing antique barbershop chairs with red vinyl, a task that requires ridiculous amounts of precision fabric work.

It took a couple weeks, some fresh foam, choice fabric and newly covered buttons, but now I have a gorgeous chair to complete my living room.