I made a fun adult size chair from a little thrift store dresser!I started with this little dresser I got from the thrift store for $20. I was excited to find it because I’ve been wanting to make an adult size chair.It was in pretty good shape and solid wood. No internal support but that made it a little easier to take it apart and have easy access inside.I carefully unscrewed the top and removed the side trim and top drawer glides.I took the top board that I removed and cut the sides down so it would fit inside the dresser and serve as the back.I put the drawers back in to measure the seat height. I accidentally put the seat too low the first time and made it impossible to get the top drawer back in so I had to take the seat back off and raise it half an inch. I’m glad I took the time to check before moving on to the next step!I secured the back using pocket hole screws and glue.I attached the seat using pocket holes from the bottom around the sides and back.It’s starting to look like a chair!Next, I made the cushions. I started with the seat. Cushions can be expensive but I buy 3 inch foam from Home Depot for $20 and foam mattress pads from Walmart for $15. To make cushions, cut a piece of plywood to fit in the space. Cut foam the same size and fabric a few inches wider.Pull the fabric tight and start by stapling the corners.Next, I staple the centers. This takes a ton of staples.Then I just continue around, pulling it tight and stapling until all the fabric is secured and the front looks good!Here’s the fabric I chose. I like the pattern even though it’s more neutral. It brings some I interest to the finished piece.The cushion fits! I always do one cushion at a time to make sure they all fit together correctly. I made the back and side cushions the same way but used a couple of layers of mattress pad instead of the 3 inch foam. It’s a little tricky making the back because it’s not a perfect rectangle but it works.I made armrests using 1×4 boards. I rounded the fronts using my jigsaw.I scrubbed the handles clean and then spray painted them Hammered Dark Bronze. The original brass finish didn’t match the color scheme and was dirty and showed its age. Then handles are a bit dated but I stuck with the originals because they hang down and wont bump your legs.I sanded it down and then painted it Perfect Taupe. I painted the edges but didn’t worry about the areas that will be under the cushions.I removed the handles and drawer slides and painted the drawers as well. I didn’t paint the backs or bottoms. I attached the cushions using screws. There might be a better way to do it. The hard part for me is attaching the cushions securely while also making sure the screw doesnt go too deep and poke the person sitting down.I attached the armrests using screws and glue. I then painted over all the screws to make them less visible.Here’s the finished piece! I think it turned out pretty cute! I wish the seat was a little deeper so it would be a little more comfortable but I’m still pretty happy with how it turned out!
Quinnfiredesign 