Upcycled vintage desk and chair

[Upcycler01]

 

This project was one of my first upcycling projects. The desk had a removable leather bound insert that had been damaged by the previous owner. I repainted the desk in a locally made chalk paint and I replaced the leather top with beautiful wallpaper that I decoupaged onto the top. I also taught myself how to reupholster and painted/reupholstered a French balloon chair to match my desk. 

 

[Akanksha]

That's a beautiful transformation, @Upcycler01, congratulations! It's hard to tell this is one of your first attempts at upcycling.

What were your biggest learnings from this project? Any advice for our members who are at the start of their upcycling journey? 

Many thanks for sharing this project, and looking forward to seeing what you tackle next.

Akanksha

[Upcycler01]

Thank you, it’s still one of my most favourite pieces. 
I learnt a lot from this project with my biggest piece of advice is to just get in and have a go. I have always learnt the most from the project I actually muck up. Upholstery is tricky, at first, so take your time with it and buy extra fabric in case you make a mistake with it. I also find an electric staple gun is a lot easier to use (worth the money if you plan to upholster a few chairs) also a staple remover is a must. Above all- have fun, it’s really addictive too. it’s amazing what paint can do to a piece of furniture! 

[Ned1]

@Upcycler01 

This looks amazing. Could I ask if you found the electric staple gun powerful enough for the balloon chair? I have several that I want to reupholster, but I’ve been told I need a pneumatic staple gun with air compressor. I’d prefer electric if it will work. Thanks!

[EricL]

Hi @Ned1

I totally agree, it is an amazing transformation. Let me tag @Upcycler01 to make sure they are aware of your kind words and question. If you are after an electric staple, I suggest having a look at the Ryobi 18V ONE+ Cordless Stapler Tool Only R18ST50-0. It's compact and lightweight and has a drive force indicator for adjusting the staple depth. It has an excellent runtime and drives over 5,000 staples on a 4.0Ah battery. It's part of the One+ Ryobi battery system and uses standard T50 staples. 

It sounds like you're planning a bit of an upholstery project. Please make sure to post an update, I'm sure our members would be keen to see what you're working on.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Upcycler01]

Hi Ned1, I used the ryobi electric staple gun and I find it definitely does the job. I originally had just a handheld one and that worked fine but I just found my wrist got sore using it and you need to apply pressure to get it to work. The electric one is a lot easier to use & I find much quicker. 

[Ned1]

Fabulous, thank you!