5 Chair Makeovers

Revamp and Reuse

Style Editor Heather Chadduck picked up two high-backed Queen Anne-style wing chairs at a yard sale for $25 each. "I couldn't pass up a pair of slender, stylish wingbacks," she says.

Signature Touch

To give them new life, she chose a versatile fabric that will match any room in her house. "I upholster everything in linen so that I don't have to commit to color," she says.

She found a pair of vintage grain sacks for the fronts of the chairs and coordinated a basic linen for the sides and back. Her signature monogram adds a personal touch.

Grain Sacks, $35 each
Available at Three Sheets, (205) 871-2337

Mission Cloth in Quail by Rogers & Goffigan, $164 per yard
Available at Circa Interiors & Antiques, (205) 868-9199

Tradition Meets Today

Designer Erynn Hedrick Hassinger recieved this Louis XV-style armchair from her in-laws. She loved the traditional lines of the chair, but wanted it to be a little more youthful and stylish.

Bold and Beautiful

To bring her chair into the 21st century, Erynn painted the frame blue and replaced the dated floral stripe with a black-and-white pattern, gaining a bold desk chair for her home office. "Now even paying bills feels glamorous," she says.

Versailles in Black (498), $65 per yard
Available at Diamond Foam & Fabric, (323) 931-8148

One of a Kind

Executive Editor Lindsay Bierman found this mid-century armchair at a local antiques store.

"I'd kill for a pair," he says. "So if anyone reading this has one to sell, please call me!"

Subtle Statement

Lindsay chose a subtle pattern that doesn't distract from the sleek lines of the chair.

"I chose a go-anywhere geometric pattern that looks like something I'd wear," he says.

Inverness in Camel, $19.98 per yard
Available atLewis & Sheron Textile Co.

Diamond in the Rough

Assistant Decorating Editor Anne Turner Carroll grabbed this channel-back chair from the basement of a friend who was moving.

"Hand-me-downs have great potential," she says. "Don't let ugly fabric fool you―old chairs can be a diamonds in the rough."

Update a Classic

On the redone chair, a bold floral fabric lends a modern look. To hold on to the chair's original character, Anne Turner added antique brass nailheads and restained the legs and arms.

Contessa in Multi by Quadrille Home Couture Collection, $192 per yard
Available at Pacific Design Services, (310) 360-6418

Fabulous Find

Production Manager Amy Lowe Mitchell paid $15 for this tufted barrel chair at a flea market.

"I wanted something fresh, but not too trendy," she says of choosing a new fabric for the chair. "My husband tried more than once to throw out this chair, but I knew it could be saved!"

Colorful Accents

The new timeless pattern has a bit of a punch to it. "I wanted it complement what we already have in the living room but not be matchy-matchy," Amy says.

To highlight the classic lines of her petite chair, she chose a green accent fabric for the covered buttons, piping, and kick pleat.

Chair fabric: 473-88, $34.95 per yard
Accent fabric: 484-36, $10.99 per yard
Both available at King Cotton Fabrics, (205) 322-5878