I saw this piano stool at a Recycle Shop near us (see their Facebook page: ) and I couldn’t pass it up. It looked exactly like the one my mum had at our family piano when I was growing up, so I went to work on it.
It was in very bad shape with this tacky green vinyl seat, loads of scratches and broken hinges and chain. You can see at the back here where the hinge has scraped the back every time the seat is opened and falls back down against the stool. It also had a crack where a hinge had split the wood along the back, which I was hoping I could repair successfully.
BEFORE:
Here is the base after a good sanding which removed most of the scratches, but it still has a little character. I repaired the split across the back which you can see on right side of the stool in this pic, with some wood glue, clamping it together overnight. I use Selleys Aquadhere Super durable Woodworking glue which when used correctly, tends to foam out a little from the crack but is able to be sanded and you are also able to screw into it.
This pic was also taken after a coat or two of shellac (french polish – using rubbing technique) which I recently learnt to do via some great youtube videos on “how to”.
This pic was also taken after a coat or two of shellac (french polish – using rubbing technique) which I recently learnt to do via some great youtube videos on “how to”.
Then I went to work on the seat, removing all the staples and upholstery, cleaning it up and choosing a fabric. I left the padding there and just placed the new fabric on top, stapling the edges, then finish the edges with a decorative trim using a hot glue gun. I found the fabric and trim at Spotlight. The upholstery fabric is called “Paris”. I made sure the Eiffel Tower was centred on the stool.
I bought new hinges and chain link (to hold seat in upright position and stop from falling back when opened).
AFTER: And here’s the finished result.
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2 Comments
Ash
October 8, 2014 at 5:34 pmThis is a wonderful stool makeover! The wood looks fabulous now and the fabric is so great. I’ve been looking for similar upholstery fabric and can’t find it anywhere 🙁 I am in the UK. Do you know if the store you bought it from would nail to the UK?
admin
October 8, 2014 at 7:48 pmHi Ash, I bought this fabric at Spotlight in Australia, so you could contact them on their website and inquire about it. I am not sure if they still stock it as this was done a couple of years ago.