One More Channel Back: This time its MCM goes Classic

Time for a make over and this MCM goes Classic!

Here’s a slightly different twist on a channel back chair, but it’s definitely a channel back; A Mid-Century Modern one. And this MCM goes Classic!

This post will be short and sweet. I wanted to share this chair with you! It turned out beautiful. This is the 3rd installment of my adventures in learning how to reupholster a channel back chair. You can read about the first two chairs here and here. And this MCM goes Classic, I hope you’ll agree with me!

Channel Back Learnings

Now I’ve learned a thing or two on this channel back journey. Her are my thoughts:

• Channel backs aren’t hard, just precise
• Take your time stripping the channels off a chair and be sure to have a place to lay them out until your ready to tackle them
• Measure carefully, then check your measurements
• There is a bit of sewing in creating the channels, again precision counts
• There is a bit of stuffing, but wrap the channels in cushion-eze and make this an easy task
• The hardest part is wrangling them onto to the chair, but take it one channel at a time and you’ll have it looking good in no time
• A tucking tool may be your new best friend, its perfect for tucking cotton into the bottom of the channels once you get them tacked on to the chair

The Best Thing I Learned

Every chair is different and will present different perspectives on how to reupholster them. Each of the three channels backs were different. Although, the first two looked very similar, they presented different challenges to me. This chair, although a channel back was completely different in that the channels lined the entire inside back of the chair.

But here’s the thing. The process is the same.

• Measure
• Cut
• Sew
• Stuff
• Wrangle

So it’s pretty easy to adapt the process to completely different looking chairs. Adjust the measurements and the number of channels! Viola!! Learn the process then just adapt it to different chair styles! Now I am not a master yet, but I feel pretty confident that I can take on just about any channel back chair. I love that cause I think channel backs have so much creative potential!

This MCM goes Classic

Don’t you think this chair is simply classic? The fabric has just a touch of glimmer and a soft touch. There is a brass band around the top of the front legs that pair perfectly with the natural brass nail heads. The low barrel channel back definitely says mid-century design. It’s all together one beautiful chair.

My clients, Sandy and Van were so pleased with this transformation. The chair had belonged to Van’s mother. Redoing this chair was a complete tear down to the bare bones. The foundation was completely reworked with new webbing and retied springs. Now this MCM is ready for the next century!