6 Stunning Ugly-Chair Makeovers

With help from an upholsterer, we tossed the dated striped velvet and got rid of the tufting to give this club chair a smooth back. For the new fabric, we picked a loopy gray-and-white cotton—a fun contrast to the chair’s square shape. Fabric: Brushstrokes cotton upholstery fabric in gray/ivory, $30 per yard, westelm.com

It’s not just the citron starburst fabric that turned this chair around: Check out the new T-shaped back cushion and the tailored skirt that begins right below the seat cushion. They both add up to an unrecognizable “after”! Fabric: Jonathan Adler for Kravet Super Nova linen fabric in spring, $69.50 per yard, insidefabric.com

Our old seat cushion was pancake-thin, so we had a new 2 1/2-inch-thick cushion made from foam wrapped in batting. Two complementary coral fabrics and painted snowy white legs look modern. Now the chair is proud as a peacock! Chair fabric: Feathers cotton fabric in bittersweet/slub, $12 per yard, premierprintsinc.com; Cushion fabric: Fynn cotton fabric in bittersweet, $11 per yard, premierprintsinc.com; Paint: Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams

For this wheeled number, the ripped vinyl was ripped off and replaced with a bold-patterned cotton. The upholsterer fluffed it up with extra batting, and we polished the chrome base with a soft, damp cloth. Now it’s ready to roll. Fabric: HGTV HOME Turtle Shell cotton home decor fabric in lapis, $35 per yard, joann.com