In case you are looking for a dining chair with a Scandinavian flair, look no further! Gharpedia, through its blog ‘Fun time activity – DIY Scandinavian dining chair’ outlines the steps involved in revamping a junk chair into a Scandinavian one.
Scandinavian Dining Chair
Naz, an architect, says in her blog, “15 Most Popular Scandinavian Dining Chairs and Style Insights (2022)”, that Scandinavian dining chairs, also known as Danish chairs, were popular in the western world starting in the 1920s. They got their name because that’s where many of them were initially crafted and where their designers are from.
In this project, we will transform a well-proportioned wooden dining chair with a tall rounded back and a drop-in seat into a Scandi dining chair. We choose Scandinavian-style dining chairs because they are simple, rustic and provide good comfort. Select an old chair with an elegant shape, but make sure it is not overly decorative.
If your chair has a nice back and legs but a plain wooden seat, make a tie-on cushion insteadof reupholstering the seat. A popular treatment for dining chairs in Sweden is to make small skirted cushions with frilled edges. Before you renovate the chair, strip away any old paint or varnish by hand or have it dipped professionally. Let it dry before repainting.
Things Required For DIY Scandinavian Dining Chair
For Chair
- A candle.
- A chair with a padded seat – either drop-in or fixed.
- Matt white paint.
- Paintbrush or small foam roller and tray.
- Sandpaper.
For Upholstery
- Lining fabric.
- Scissors.
- Staple gun.
- Striped or checked woven fabric (heavier than school dress gingham).
Renovating A Chair – The Step-By-Step Process
Renovating a wooden chair is a very satisfying makeover project. The clean-up, painting, and upholstery are all enjoyable, and the result is remarkable. Make sure you remove all traces of the old varnish and make repairs before you repaint.
1. Rub the edges of the chair back and any raised pattern on the wood, the curve of the legs, and the seat corners with the candle. This is called waxing. A light stroke of the candle is just good.
2. Apply two coats of white paint, allowing the correct drying time between and after.
3. Rub the waxed areas with sandpaper. The paint should fall off quickly, so the bare wood shows through in places. It is important not to overdo this effect, as it can lead to natural wear and tear.
Upholstering The Seat – The Step-By-Step Process
This is the simplest of all upholstery tasks. All you need is a pair of scissors, a stapler and a spare half hour. Discard any tatty old upholstery, but if the padding and cover are intact, simply place the new one over the old one.
1. Lay the seat face down on the lining fabric and cut out the shape, adding an extra five cm on all sides to allow for the seat depth and turning (folding) beneath. Cut out the checked cloth with the same measurements using the cut-out lining.
2. Lay the fabric face down on a flat surface with the seat on top. Pull it all the way around to the back of the seat and staple it halfway up one side.
Pull tight and staple the opposite side. Do the same with the other two opposite sides. Fold the corners over and staple them flat.
Now pleat the fabric on each side of the corners and staple that down. Add several more staples along each side to secure the new cover. Drop the seat back into the frame.
Voila! Tour DIY Scandinavian-style dining chair is now ready to elicit admiration from onlookers.
For more fun activities and transformation projects, check out the links below.
DIY Chair Makeover Ideas: Transform Your Old Chairs!
Essential Furniture Makeover Ideas – Do It Yourself
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.