Vintage Ice Cream Parlor Chair Makeover

I found a wrought iron ice cream parlor chair at a thrift store for only $5! The paint was peeling off and the seat cushion needed to be replaced. Here’s what I did to give it an inexpensive makeover.

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This ice cream parlor chair makeover was definitely needed! I was happy to find it for only $5, though. It has some great details.

My daughter was in need of a new chair for her vanity table since the one we made before got broken. You can see that one here: DIY No Sew Bench Seat Cushion Using a Bed Pillow Upcycle. No one ever fessed up, but I suspect there was some horseplay involved!

This was a very quick, easy, and inexpensive ice cream parlor chair makeover. My daughter liked the gold color so we decided to repaint it a very similar color.

Materials Needed

180 grit sandpaper

Tack cloth or denatured alcohol and rag

Spray Paint (I used Rustoleum Sunlit Brass)

Small flat screwdriver

Upholstery tacks

Hammer

Fabric

Scissors

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How To Makeover a Vintage Ice Cream Parlor Chair

First, I removed the seat. This was super easy because the wooden seat circle just sits inside the chair base and wasn’t screwed in.

Next, I gave the metal chair base a quick sanding to knock down the very bumpy places of paint or missing paint. Then I wiped it the frame down with denatured alcohol to clean it. The texture of the paint didn't bother me.

Then the whole chair base got three light coats of Rustoleum paint in Sunlit Brass. I would describe the color champagne gold. It’s a softer gold color.

While the paint was drying on the chair frame, I started on the seat cushion. After I removed the fruity fabric, there was gold fabric underneath. It looked like this wasn’t the first time this chair was recovered. I removed all of the little tacks that held the fabric on with a small flat screw driver. I saved them and reused them for the new fabric.

I used some white faux fur fabric for the new seat. I left the original quilted fabric on for some extra padding.

I set the seat on the upside down faux fur fabric and cut roughly around it. Then I just started folding the fabric up and over the seat. I used the same tacks and a hammer to attach the fabric. I worked my way around the seat, hammering in a tack every couple of inches.

After I had the fabric attached all the way around the seat, I trimmed off the excess fabric. It was a little lopsided, but it’s the bottom and won’t be seen. This has to be the most forgiving upholstery fabric ever! 

By this time the chair paint was dry, so I reset the seat into place, fluffed the faux fur, and it was done!

Here it is in place with the vanity. I love the soft gold ice cream parlor chair with the black vanity and mirror.

So that's my little vintage ice cream parlor chair makeover project! Thanks so much for checking it out! Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!