Renewed Vintage Chairs

How to transform a pair of plain vintage kitchen chairs: get rid of the dull, damaged backs and seats and replace them with custom-made ones!

I have used several reclaimed pine boards of the same thickness, cut into more proportional shapes (bigger seats were a must!) and joined with dowels for a strong bond; also rounding their edges and adding stenciled numbers and a stripe in a light teal colour that matches the vintage Formica table you can see here. And there it is: a warm, comfier and much more interesting result!

Measures: total height 84cm, seat height 45.5cm, seat 36 x 36cm approx.

THE MAKING OF: Here on the right, the chairs in their former, dull state.



Below: Using the discarded seat of another vintage chair as a template, I only had to tweak the outline a little bit to get a better proportion for these chairs.
(Note the difference of tone between the two pieces of pine board used to make the seat. That would get even later on, after a good sanding). On the right, marking the shape for the backs in other reclaimed pine boards.

Cutting the different pieces, and drilling the holes for the dowels that would help join the two pieces of board of the seats.

Rounding the edges of both the seats and backs

Painting the numbers and stripes -I used a self-made teal colour.

Varnishing, polishing and, finally, mounting it all back together.