Project Goal
The goal of this project was to restore a disheveled folding stool that was gifted to me by my late great grandmother. I wanted to both honor her memory and create a unique piece of furniture that matched my tastes.
Mood Board
A darker and more elegant theme was chosen in order to match well with preexisting furniture. Black, gold, and dark reds and greens being the staples of the chosen color pallet.
Wooden Frame Restoration
The legs of the stool were badly beaten up, so it was imperative that they were patched up. However, patching the legs would result in unsightly “light spots” where wood filler was used, and I did not have access to matching stain to hide them. Besides that point, the previous stain on the wooden frame of the stool was faded and warped in areas, so a new coat of stain was in order.
Upholstered Seat Restoration
The upholstery fabric was another beast entirely. It too was a bit sunbleached. Overall, this fabric didn’t meet the vision for the final product and would have to be removed. The padding on the seat would also have to be replaced as it was very flattened and no longer comfortable. The first layer of upholstery fabric (left) was hand-woven and the second layer of fabric (right) was the stool's original fabric from the 1970s.
Sketching & Measurement Process
Sanding & Staining Process
Upholstery Process
Instead of creating only one seat plate, I created two with the fabric shown below. I also created a double-sided pillow with each side matching with each seat plate. The striped fabric gave the stool a smart look and the black velvet fabric gave a more luxurious look.
Final Product Images
