Parker Knoll Armchair - Restoration & Reupholstery

In this video I restore the woodwork and reupholster a 1979 Parker Knoll armchair which I won on eBay for just £5. The old fabric was quite hideous, the foam depleted, and the woodwork worn and shabby. I used mustard coloured velvet fabric and black buttons to give the chair a new lease of life in our office.
Dressmakers Fabric Scissors and Thread Snip Set: geni.us/tEmfRM (Amazon UK) geni.us/bp0n (Amazon US)
#woodworking #reupholstery #restoration
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[@acestaexcavata2186]

A bit late I suppose, I’m not a reupholster, but I have been an apprentice for some time. It’s good for someone who isn’t a reupholster, but I have a few tips. The fabric is supposed to be pulled a bit tighter, to make the seat a bit less square. Sometimes you would cut off some of the foam at the corner, rounding it a bit but often it’s not necessary. Also having a layer with padding underneath the fabric is recommended. If the fabric isn’t very stretchy, or if it’s the first time you’re doing reupholstery. Pulling the fabric over the seat with a cheaper fabric at first is good help and makes it easier to make the fabric sit nice and tight. It’s also a bit of practice before doing the real thing. Using needles to pull down the fabric is a good idea, first put needles all around pulling it down, then pull it even further with the staples. Making sure the fabric is tight rounds true edges a little, makes the seat better to sit on, and makes it easier to avoid those small parts of loose fabric- wrinkly parts. For the corners. Pulling will help a lot, if you have pulled a cheaper fabric over once already that also helps. The one thing you should do some places is to make a small cut directly at the corner of the fabric, makes it easier to fold and staple down. Looking at how the fabric that was on the chair previously is always a help. Someone already mentioned getting a better tool for pulling staples, cutting pliers also work nicely, you’ll need them if you’re reupholstering something older. Those rubber straps are not nice and tight, I would have replaced those, but it’s not completely necessary. And I would assume you don’t have what you need to do that. The last suggestion I would have is to, I’m sorry English is not my first language- String? Is the only word I can think of. If you don’t want to sew the corners, I would recommend using (special type of string made for upholstery), on the corners to hide staples, sewing those on is common but wouldn’t require a pretty seam like sewing the fabric would, and if not you can just staple that type of string to the chair. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.

[@gonzaleznadia2]

I’ve been wanting to get a label printer for my small business for the longest time and finally pulled the trigger. I’m glad I did ! This machine is great kzbin.infoUgkxw55tQTywUAAOsbrlwxONZULry77sFF1Q and the blue/green color matches the rest of the accents in my office. My favorite part is how small the footprint is. It’s less than 1/4 the size of my regular printer.Set up was fairly easy. Seller will email you a link with video instructions Which I found to be more helpful than the written instructions. I use a Mac and had no issues. They even included an adaptor for USB to USB-c which is great because I’m always losing mine! I had a few issues getting the labels to print properly and wasted quite a few sheets. You need to play around with the settings to get everything adjusted just right. If you have the wrong settings, it’ll crop off the edges or feed through blank labels. These aren’t issues with the machine though, just user error.

[@briangoldberg4439]

not going to lie, i really love the original fabric.

[@user-ut7uc3xm5n]

Thanks so much for the great tutorial. It gave me the confidence to tackle the job myself and I am now the proud owner of 6 reupholstered dining chairs 😊

[@juliahartshorn2473]

Thanks for jumping in and tackling this project with KZbin - I too have a chair to reupholster, and I find the notion quite daunting.

[@kimaani11]

Great job! The last time I did anything remotely close to reupholstering something was the first and only thing I've ever sewn, which was a skirt I had to make for a sewing project in high school. I've now got 2 old timber arm chairs that I want reupholstered sooner rather than later, with little to no cash and less than zero experience. SO, (moral of my story lol) it's comforting to watch an inexperienced person also giving this type of profession a go. Thank you for the confidence boost to just give it a crack! 😊👍🏽

[@lisahodges8299]

Buckminster upholstery is a good channel to watch. I learned a lot. Birdy

[@livschauclarke4442]

Looking forward to trying this for my niece who inherited a similar armchair from her great-aunt!

[@TheBonbonny]

in about to do this myself . so glad I found this

[@FranciscoDuarte]

I really appreciate the fact that you keep accurate tabs on costs and time, it is something I am slowly working into my work flow, I can easily lose track of time when I'm zoned out working on projects especially personal ones. I think it helps keep the value of the the project as an important factor of the end result.

[@diescaba1]

Very nice 👌

[@TNgrandee3]

Nice chair! I am sure a bandsaw is a more precise tool to cut foam with but I have used an electric carving knife that was popular several years ago. I love watching you reclaim furniture.

[@gryffindork9563]

Looks fantastic it’s great you can make something old look good again! 💚💚💚

[@chrisharrison6532]

Nice job again great for someone who is not an upholsterer

[@awantamta]

Great job for someone who doesn't upholster chairs.

[@ianvicedomini2648]

Very nice indeed mate. You've given it a new lease of life.

[@user-oy4gf6ck5u]

I think you made an excellent job in reupholstery i really liked the black buttons in contrast with the fabric , as far as concern the restoration the colour of the chair is very beautiful !!!!!!

[@pwilliams6405]

Thumbs up for having a go , dig the timber. The fabric nearly there but not quite but again well for having a go

[@womandela7225]

Call me crazy but I liked the old fabric! 😜 I want to learn how to upholster. I could write my own ticket then!

[@markgoode4109]

The finished job looks great. Thanks for sharing. Best wishes

[@LadyGecko]

Looks nice.

[@ronnieahman6958]

I think you made a nice job. The chair looks really nice.

[@Bill.L.Carroll]

Nice refurb, mate. 👍🏽 Not too shabby at all. 👌🏽

[@csabakallo2384]

I loved it . Your video really helped me in couple of questions. Thank you

[@nathalie5064]

Love the result ^^ Well done ! I love to watch the restorations videos ^^

[@gb3776]

Great job...you gave me good ideas. Now I can do my own chair. Found these chairs years ago. I know they were well made chairs but I hated the fabric. Now I am really happy I kept them. It will be my project this week. Thanks a bunch.

[@Kkuts37]

Looks really nice!

[@chrisperry7963]

Nicely done Keith!

[@qwerket]

I did not know that you listen to Danny Brown. That's cool!

[@twwanderer]

Looking good, not to my taste in colour but your upholstery skills are definately stepping up. Anyone else want to put a smily face on it underneath the two black button eyes, or is that just me?

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I don't get to choose colours 😂 the boss does! I do like it though 👍

[@IshikaShanai]

No, it's not just you. I too want to draw a smile under the two black button eyes to make a the chair have a smiley face. xD.

[@bobbonham4823]

Looks good!

[@Unlovable]

Hey Keith, it might be a good investment to buy a tack lifter, this is a combination between a flat screwdriver and a crowbar. It is specifically designed to be used when reupholstering. I have a few myself and I also use them for a lot of other things. They are really nice to have around, and they are not that expensive

[@RagnBoneBrown]

thank you - just bought one 😀

[@MsBubu26]

Well explained thank you!

[@TheBowdy666]

Looks great

[@erictheviking672]

Not a massive fan of the colour either but it's a great job and anyway, it's for your house not mine! Gives us all confidence to have a crack at something and I love how you give a new lease of life to good quality furniture through your skill and patience. Keep them coming and thanks.

[@neilf4128]

It may have been a while since i noticed or since you've done so... But i seriously value how you say how long it takes and approximate cost of projects. Im amazed at your speed and want to reach that point in my woodworking as well.

[@Yet1moreUtuber]

These are the videos I like.

[@141953]

you did a great job

[@howdoyoudoityourself]

He has become beautiful and enjoys it when you look at the birds.

[@jakematic]

You may not be a professional ulpholsterer but it looks pretty darn good, and way less expensive to do yourself. Corners are my nemesis... can't ever seem to get them right.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

thank you! for corners, in a 90 degree corner, I always fold it first at 45 degrees, secure it, and make two more folds, one on each side of the first fold if that makes sense. Seems to work for me, but not sure if that's what the pros do!

[@LonghornWorkshop]

Good job mate..

[@popazz1]

Parker-Knoll, G-Plan, Ercol etc, all great quality furniture made to last. Okay, the design./style may not be to everyone's taste but it's criminal to see suh furniture ending up as fire wood or in landfill. You made a pretty neat job with this chair.

[@monnysillva7038]

Excelente amazing👏👏👏👏

[@user-tr9wu7pb9l]

👍👍👍

[@johntheloft]

Keith - I enjoyed that.

[@terencecharlesworth1499]

Nice job again Keith all the best for Xmas and the new year

[@frankslittleworkshop]

Nicely done Keith 😁👍. Looks like the kind of project I would like to have a go at 🙂. I bet Dylan can't wait to get his claws in to that one 🤣😂. Thanks for the vid. And a very Happy Christmas to you and yours 🎅👍.

[@eddiemcmurray579]

Just a word of warning, it can be dangerous to cut foam on a bandsaw if using a course blade. It can catch the foam pulling it downwards taking your hand with it towards the blade. Especially at the end of the cut and when cutting small pieces of foam. I am an upholsterer with a bandsaw and would never use my bandsaw for cutting foam. I use a Bosch gsg 300 foam cutter it’s an expensive tool for someone to use occasionally. For years I used an electric meat carving knife it was cheap and cheerful and got the the job done. 👍

[@Bad_Gnasher]

I work at a College in Cambridge and you wouldn't believe the amount of furniture like this which gets thrown away.

[@jonnyt8056]

Hi Keith, hit beaumont fabrics up next time you do a project like this, pretty sure they can help out not just with fabric but some advice on the upholstery side of things as well. It's my go to place for stuff like this for projects, maybe tap them up for freebies for a plug?

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Nice work on the armchair Keith! Thanks for sharing the video with us' and Merry Christmas! 🎄🎁💖👌👍😎JP

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Happy Christmas!

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Thank you Keith! I hope you have a great Christmas! :)

[@michaelevans1658]

Parker Knoll used to be up the road from me in Chipping Norton Oxfordshire.

[@TerGar1000]

I *think* you're supposed to go ahead and cover the back, and then sew in the buttons before you finish the back section. That way, the front is in tension before you pull the fabric with the buttons. Nice job though

[@RagnBoneBrown]

that makes sense! thank you

[@MrGnom99]

That is absolutely correct. you complete upholstering and only then do the buttons or any other tension points on the seat or on the backend.

[@jigsey.]

Great looking project.... any videos of these Birds coming and going :-)

[@ianr.1225]

Am I the only one who expected "It does need one more thing" to be the lead-in for a shot of Dylan sleeping on the chair?

[@mebilge]

english isn’t my first language so first when you were mentioning the material prices with pounds I don’t know why but I was thinking they were the weights lol

[@jasminfergus3864]

This is so helpful for an upcoming project! The fabric quality looks nice - can you share the eBay shop please? Thanks in advance

[@luciaantalkova3254]

Hello Keith, may I ask you what is the tool or where can I buy a tool which you enging a wood perfectly, please? Thank you, nice job!

[@Saladzingers]

Nice job. What stain did you use? Looks like it was thicker than e.g. Rustins? I have a few projects I’d like a thicker stain for, but don’t want the protection in e.g. Ronseal “stains” (which are also finishes!)

[@christinesathananthan381]

hi where did you buy the foam from as I cant se the link on your amazon page. And also how think was it?

[@TattooedAussieChick]

It looks pretty good. My OCD brain couldn’t live with all the wrinkles. That’s why I’ll never attempt anything like this. I’d never get it perfect enough to satisfy my brain unfortunately.

[@sandman2651]

Great job so many things these days get thrown out when a little tlc is all thats needed,there is a channel on y/tube called CHESTER he makes furniture and shows how its made, worth a look for tips

[@OldManTony]

Nice job Keith! Just a thought, couldn’t you use the old fabric as a pattern for the new fabric? Also you really should use a fireproof wadding to bring it up to modern standard, although you don’t need to for your own use

[@RagnBoneBrown]

yeah, could do that, I'd already thrown the old fabric away as I didn't want to look at it again haha

[@igoraxelmalthethomassen637]

Hi, do you know the size of the foam?

[@jodirauth8847]

You saved a great chair and did a great job

[@Nowaytootsie]

Can you share the Ebay seller you got your foam from?

[@christ16800]

Does MDF need pilot holes?

[@ninasharma237]

Great! Please can you share the link for where you bought the foam and fabric from?

[@RagnBoneBrown]

No sorry, they were just on eBay at the time

[@patrewn]

I have a similar chair. Would you interested in upholtering it for me? What would you charge?

[@1973thebigd]

cool mr brown ive got a chaise long to do

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Niiice 👍

[@niva8043]

How does Dylan like the new fabric?

[@o.g.bwoodwork]

Love it mate! How do you find out what wood it is? I’m still getting to grips with identification of wood.

[@Unlovable]

Beech is one of the easiest to recognize. If you have seen it a few times you will know exactly what is looks like

[@o.g.bwoodwork]

hannibal smith thank you.

[@RagnBoneBrown]

@@o.g.bwoodwork the online wood database is a good place to start. After you use a few different types of wood, you quickly begin to learn their characteristics - colour, grain patterns, workability, even smells!

[@o.g.bwoodwork]

Rag 'n' Bone Brown cheers Keith, that’s much appreciated. So far I’ve only worked with pine and oak, but as you say, when I work with more woods I should start to differentiate them easier. Thanks.

[@riaz1555]

Nice work man, did you really want all those tacks? I feel less is more in this case...

[@RagnBoneBrown]

The tack is sold as a strip. Most of the heads are not real tacks. It's commonly used on chair upholstery, and I think it looks good

[@riaz1555]

@@RagnBoneBrown I see, I get you now. Still looks nice

[@Mattydeee93]

Where about did you order the velvet from?

[@RagnBoneBrown]

eBay (I said in the video)

[@TheSoloAsylum]

50lbs of money is like half a million dollars...seems a little steep.

[@harrigoldsmith8280]

Would it have been better to put the buttons on last?

[@RagnBoneBrown]

The back needs to go on last to hide where the buttons are secured

[@greigmcculley4730]

Yes, if you finish inside back completely then buttons before outside back goes on the fabric will be under more tension.

[@jasonknowles3030]

The credits at the end scroll Too fast !

[@threeque]

Your thread snip clip shows the snips set up wrong. But you know that now don't you!

[@EmmaSegasture]

Score

[@dannyrozados]

Were are u based

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Norfolk, UK

[@MrBez007]

I nearly gave you a thumbs down for not reupholstering with the same material your shorts are made of !

[@RagnBoneBrown]

If only I could buy it per metre!

[@rickhall8119]

Looked better before

[@kristofkuklis9239]

0000

[@denm5191]

Безрукий какой -то, ужасно оббил

[@DosProntoBrewing]

Buy stuff local! EBay is not always the answer..

[@RagnBoneBrown]

I'll buy things where I want to buy things

[@DosProntoBrewing]

Wow. Ok. But local stores is closing....

[@RagnBoneBrown]

Local stores are a 30 minute drive from home, that's an hour and a half of my time traveling, plus fuel costs to look for a piece of fabric that is probably more expensive and may not even be stocked

[@saveUyghurs]

It looked nicer before

[@babyboo8570]

Sorry I suppose this is totally none sense.Your r literally covering the most precious part

[@looeehg2490]

Advert 1 minute in and 4 minutes in is frustrating, would have subbed otherwise. telling you so you know as a creator not to be toxic

[@RagnBoneBrown]

KZbin sets where the ads go by default, not me. Telling you so you're not such an @sshole to people making content for you to consume for free.

[@MrDRock-rc2tz]

This is anti clean rap....

[@RagnBoneBrown]

where the green at?

[@MrDRock-rc2tz]

Lol Love Danny Brown!