The arms got a little faded sitting outside for the month-long "natural" deep cleaning (i.e. getting rained on and exposed to bacteria-killing UV light!), but refinishing them will be no problem. We also need to get a board to bolt the seats down to...they are a little wobbly, but the springs in the seat make them surprisingly cozy. Hopefully the new upholstery will relax a little with time because I think I pulled the fabric too tight on the backs. It was a learning process, so I wasn't too picky.
I liked the original red, but with our transitory lifestyle, it is difficult to know what color scheme we are going to have to work with at our next residence (fingers crossed for sooner rather than later, and permanent rather then temporary).
Below are some oh-so satisfying before shots.
The backs of the theater seats were tolerable, but the seat part...I guess it didn't help that I suspected a mouse had made a nest in one. The neat thing is seeing all the natural fiber padding! An indication that they are quite old...I should check what the fabric is made from.
I wish I had a film strip of all the people who sat in these seats over the course of their life span at the Pershing Theater in El Paso, Texas.
The images show removal of the old fabric from the seat, and the bottom image is of the backs finished.
I will post before and after when they are finished.
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Old seats removed for re-upholstery by unscrewing at the backs, and old popcorn, grime, gum ,and other crud removed from the chairs with a secret and unpleasant chemical: oven cleaner. Not sure if it was a healthy solution, but it worked!
