Eastlake Rocking Chair Before and After And a Tip for Polishing Wood

A lady who I have done some work for in the past, contacted me this summer about a rocking chair she wished to be redone. 

 

This is what it looked like when she dropped it off for me. 

 

 As you can tell, the fabric had definitely seen better days.  Also, the whole top piece was broken off and needed to be reattached.  You maybe can't tell that from the picture. 

She left me with the responsibility of picking out some new fabric for it, but said she liked greens/earthy tones and wanted something that was maybe more traditional to suit the style of the chair. 

So, here it is all done up.  It was actually easier than I thought.  If you have ever recovered a dining chair seat, this is definitely a step up, but still easily accomplishable.  A good tip is to save the original fabric and use it for a pattern when cutting out your new pieces.  Luckily I didn't have to replace any of the padding.  

Now you can actually sit on it! 

My husband reattached the piece at the top for me, since it involved a drill and a dowel, and I've yet to learn how to use a drill. 

When she dropped it off the wood frame was a little dull and dirty and bit scratched up in places.   A natural fix for this (if the scratches aren't too horrible)  is to mix up some vegetable oil and lemon juice and to give it a good polishing with that.  I wipe it on, then take a clean paper towel and make sure to rub off any excess.  You'd actually be amazed at the difference this can make. 

 

 

 

This is an older rocking chair, so it's the perfect height for short people like me!