Do you like designer furniture, but find that it’s out of your price range? If so, don’t worry – with this step-by-step tutorial, you can learn how to make a DIY chair inspired by a designer model. Lending a contemporary touch to any living room can be more affordable than you think.
The main benefit of designer furniture is that it is timeless. Its contemporary lines can be combined with other styles to create eclectic spaces. However, its price is often a downside. That’s why this tutorial is going to teach you how to make your own designer chairs your wallet will thank you for.
Tools and materials
You will need the following tools to create your designer furniture:
The materials we used were as following:
- Pine wood board, 200x500x18 mm
- 4 spruce strips, 1000x44x22 mm
- Lag screws
- Mounting adhesive
- Spray paint in satin white
- Varnish in oak
Cost, time and difficulty
The approximate cost of the materials is less than £50. Follow this link to access a basket with some of the materials you’ll need.
This is an ideal DIY project for handymen and women who have some experience doing DIY and who would like to start building their own furniture. For this project you will need around one day.
Diagram with measurements
All you need is a pine wood board and spruce strips to have the pieces that make up this modern chair
- Two rectangular boards and two triangular ones for the seat area. The triangular boards have been levelled with the back and seat boards respectively.
- Four wooden strips for the legs. The two front legs are at a 30º angle. They are also finished off with a small wooden piece at the top.
In the following image, you can see the measurements for each of the indicated components.
How to make a DIY designer chair, step by step
This DIY project is inspired by designer Pierre Stadelmann’s “Canadienne” chair. As you can see, our chair has some variations on the original, to give it a more personal touch.
Step 1: Cut the pieces
First, cut the pieces that will make up the seat, using the circular saw. For this, you will need the following pieces:
- A rectangle, 40 cm deep and 45 cm wide for the seat.
- Another rectangle, 39 cm high and 45 cm wide for the back.
- Two triangles (one on each side) for the armrests.
When you come to placing the side triangles, cut the corners to align them with the edges of the back and seat. To do this, mark the excess with a pencil and cut with the mitre saw.
Step 2: Assemble the seat
The next step involves assembling the seat. First, use lag screws to attach the back to the seat. Next, attach one triangular piece on each side with the screws.
Step 2: Cut the legs at angles
As with the side pieces for the seat, level the back legs with the sides of the chair. To do this, temporarily attach the leg with masking tape and use a pencil to mark the area to cut off with the mitre saw.
For the front legs, make a 30º cut at both ends, so that the longer edge of the leg measures 82 cm. Finally, cut a small piece to finish off the top of the front legs.
Step 2: Paint the chair
When you come to paint the chair, create a contrast effect between the seat and the legs. We painted the seat with white spray paint. For the legs, we chose an oak-coloured varnish that shows the wood grain.
Step 2: Attach the legs
Finally, attach the legs. First, apply mounting adhesive to the place where the legs will go, and fix in place with the nail gun. Do the same for the front legs and for the upper finishing touch.
Once you’ve followed these steps, all you need is a comfortable cushion and a place to put your chair. Brings a modern twist to any corner, right?
We hope you liked this project for making a DIY designer chair. You’ll be able to save heaps of cash by creating your own furniture. Alternatively, if you have some old chairs lying around why not read this article on how to have them looking like new in no time? This is the second article out of three on how to design your own workspace – check out the others below!
DIY Framed Picture Folding Desk – Furniture for Small Spaces
This article was written by: Bricoydeco and translated. Mari Luz authors the blog ‘Bricoydeco’, she is a DIY fanatic, lover of recycling and customising furniture. Her passion is giving a second chance to turn once forgotten things into unique pieces!