Current trends are moving away from consumerism and toward reducing waste through reusing or refurbishing items again and again until they can no longer be used.
While many people throw out their old dining set rather than renewing it, most dining room furniture can be refurbished at least once before it must be replaced. It all depends on which materials are used in the dining set’s manufacture.
Yet nothing lasts forever, and it is important to know when you should replace your dining set. If you don’t replace it when necessary you risk it breaking down and causing injury.
Even though you might want to reuse dining chairs to reduce waste, reupholstering a dining chair is no cheaper than buying new chairs altogether. Still, if you want to reduce waste or just want a fun project, reupholstering your chairs can definitely be worth the cost and effort.
How to reupholster dining chairs
There are several different ways that you can reupholster dining chairs, including methods that require no actual sewing. You can get stretch seat covers that cover the old upholstery and make it look new, with no real work required. This is great if you don’t have time to actually strip and recover the seat.
Another option is to sew covers for your dining chairs so that the stained or worn upholstery is safely out of sight. Making your own seat covers can be fun while also giving you several options depending on season or occasion. You’ll also be able to easily strip them and launder them as you would any other linens.
Finally, you have the option to actually reupholster the dining chair. To do so, you’ll need to purchase fabric suitable for furniture, usually made of polyester or linen. You’ll also need a staple gun with large staples, or you can get tacks made specifically for attaching new fabric to old furniture. Either way, you should have a small hammer at the ready to ensure the new seat is secure.
Don’t forget to plan for the replacement of the padding of the seat as well. Polyester batting or memory foam can be purchased from your local craft store and cut down to size.
When to replace your dining chairs
The last thing anyone wants is for someone to sit down and the chair break causing injury. While dining room furniture can last a long time, it does eventually need to be replaced. Most dining chairs last a minimum of 5 years, with some chairs lasting up to 15 years with proper care.
Here are some signs that your dining chairs should be replaced.
- Discomfort when sitting through a long dinner party
- Rickety, uneven legs that do not allow all 4 legs to rest firmly on the floor
- Bent or warped chair frames
Wood chair frames can also split or splinter over time. You may not know that a wooden dining chair needs replacing until you get the old seat off for reupholstering. If you start seeing these signs of decay in your dining chairs you should check your dining table over carefully as well. You might need to replace the entire set.
In any case, you can browse available chairs when you go now: https://www.1stopbedrooms.com/dining/dining-sets to see popular dining furniture sets.
