How to Reupholster an Antique Armchair

Use a screwdriver to carefully remove the screws holding the seat onto the frame of the chair. Remove the seat, turn it upside down, and use a standard staple remover to take out the staples holding the existing foam padding and fabric in place.

Discard the old fabric and closely examine the foam padding. If it's in good condition, you can reuse it; alternatively replace it with a new piece if it's not in a suitable condition.

Choose a new upholstery fabric. The color you select will depend on the existing decor in your home, and any pattern featured on the fabric should complement the style of the chair. Natural fabrics such as linen and silk are more suited to a chair that is mainly for appearance, rather than heavy use as these fabrics must be professionally cleaned. Synthetic fabrics such as acetate and microfiber are more suited to a chair that will be used regularly as they are durable and resistant to wear.

Place the fabric face down on a flat surface. Turn the chair seat upside down and position it carefully in the center of the fabric. Draw around the seat with a piece of chalk. Cut the fabric out, adding approximately 2 inches to the chalk line, so that you have a 2-inch border around the chalk outline. If the chair has arms and a back that interfere with positioning the seat on the fabric, use a piece of tracing paper placed over the seat of the chair to create a template.

Position the foam on the chair seat and staple it carefully to the edges of the chair, placing a staple approximately every 2 inches.

Reposition the chair seat on the fabric, and wrap the fabric around the seat. Ensure the fabric is pulled tight, and staple in place, placing a staple every 2 inches all around the chair seat.

Add extra embellishment by using a hot glue gun to attach piping around the edge of the chair seat.

Carefully remove the fabric on the back of the chair with a staple remover. Create a template by laying the old fabric on top of the new fabric on a flat surface. Draw around the old fabric with a piece of chalk. Cut out the new piece of fabric.

Position the fabric in place over any existing foam and staple in place around the edges as you did with the seat. Ensure the edges of the fabric line up with the edges of the foam or frame. For a neat and tidy finish, cover the staples around the edge of the fabric with piping applied with a hot glue gun.