Office Chair Makeover

DIY Office Chair Makeover: From Trash to Treasure

Use, reuse, recycle, repurpose! These are more than just buzzwords—they are the secret to a beautiful, sustainable home. 

Today, I'm sharing how a "sad" office chair was given a brand-new life, keeping it out of the landfill and adding a unique, rustic touch to our workspace.

The Problem: A "Leather" Disaster

We've all owned one of those standard "leather" office chairs. You know the ones—the "leather" is actually a thin veneer that eventually starts peeling and cracking.

We have two of these chairs in our office. After seven years of faithful service, they still function perfectly, but one of them had become an absolute eyesore. It's a bit embarrassing to show the "before" picture, but this is the reality of well-loved furniture!

When my husband saw it, his first instinct was: "Just throw it in the trash." But I couldn't do it. I knew that with a little elbow grease and some creativity, I could save it. I hauled it down to the basement to start a DIY upholstery project.

Step 1: Disassembling the Seat

At first, I thought this would be a quick fix for just the seat. I flipped the chair upside-down to see what I was working with.

• Tools Needed: A standard screwdriver and an Allen wrench.

• The Process: I initially thought I only needed to remove five regular screws (yellow arrows), but I quickly realized the larger bolts (red arrows) had to be loosened as well to free the base.

Once the seat was detached, I stripped off the "ugly" peeling cover.

Step 2: Choosing a Unique Fabric

For the new look, I used a burlap coffee sack I scored on my last flea market trip. It's durable, eco-friendly, and has tons of character.

Using the old cover as a template, I cut the burlap to size. I added a fresh layer of padding to the seat for extra comfort before stapling the new burlap cover firmly into place.

Step 3: Tackling the Chair Back

Once the seat was finished, the original faux-leather back looked completely out of place next to the rustic burlap. It was time for a full makeover!

The backrest was a bit of a mystery. There were no visible screws holding the front panel to the plastic back. I tried prying it apart with no luck. When my husband came home, he took a look and realized, "It's held together by pressure."

He was right! It just required more strength than I had at the moment. The panels are connected at four specific pressure points. Once popped apart, the backrest was ready for its transformation.

Step 4: Adding Personal Flair

Since the burlap sack didn't have any more printed designs, I decided to get creative. I hand-painted two red lines and a number that holds special meaning to me.

Pro Tip: Don't strive for perfection! My red lines don't match the fabric perfectly, and the coffee sack still has some original stains, but those "imperfections" are what give the chair its soul.

The Big Reveal: A Sustainable Success

It makes me uneasy to think I almost threw this chair away. 

It's a powerful reminder: 

How many times do we discard items that simply need a little love and a makeover?

The chair looks incredible in its "new" room. It's functional, one-of-a-kind, and most importantly, it didn't end up in a dump.

This is how it looks in the "new" room:

Check out more projects tackled while updating this room:

Guest room reveal.
How the room looked before, right HERE.
The direction I want to give this room is HERE.
Painted Designs on the Floor, right HERE.
Diy Daybed from the spring box
Old Lamps transformed
Old Window Memo Board
Diy Round Mirror
Tripod Side Table
Table Makeover
Blackout curtains