How Do You Reupholster a Bar Stool?

To reupholster a bar stool, unscrew the seat pad from the frame, strip the old fabric and staples, replace the foam if it has flattened, then stretch new fabric over the pad and staple it to the underside before refitting. On a simple round or square drop in seat the whole job takes under an hour and needs only a screwdriver, a staple gun, scissors and about half a metre of upholstery fabric per stool.

Most bar stools are unusually good candidates for this. The seat is small, the shape is simple and it detaches from the frame, which means you are working on a flat pad on a table rather than wrestling with a large fixed piece of furniture.

What You Will Need

The tool list is short. A cross head screwdriver or cordless driver removes the seat. A staple gun, either manual or electric, fixes the new fabric, using 8mm to 10mm staples. Sharp fabric scissors, a flat head screwdriver or pliers for lifting old staples, and a marker pen complete the set.

For materials, allow half a metre of upholstery weight fabric per stool for a standard round seat, adding more for a large or square pad. Choose fabric rated for upholstery rather than curtaining, since seat surfaces take constant abrasion. New foam is optional but worth it if the existing pad has gone thin: 5cm high density foam suits most bar stools. A layer of polyester wadding over the foam softens edges and gives a cleaner finish.

Step One: Remove the Seat

Turn the stool upside down onto a soft surface so the frame is not scratched. You will normally find four screws through a metal plate or timber batten into the underside of the seat pad. Undo them and keep them together in a small pot: they are rarely a standard size and replacing them is a nuisance.

On gas lift stools the seat usually detaches from a mounting plate on the mechanism in exactly the same way, so the lift column stays untouched. Before you separate the parts, take a photograph of the assembly. It is the quickest reference when refitting.

Step Two: Strip the Old Cover

Working around the underside, lift each staple with a flat head screwdriver and pull it out with pliers. It is tedious but worth doing thoroughly, since leftover staples create bumps under the new fabric.

Before you throw the old cover away, lay it flat and use it as a template. It already carries the correct shape and seam allowance, which saves measuring. If the old fabric is torn beyond use, measure the pad instead and add 6cm to 8cm on every side to wrap under.

Inspect the base board while it is exposed. If the plywood is split or the corners are crumbling, cut a new base from 12mm plywood using the old one as a pattern. It is a five minute job that adds years to the stool.

Step Three: Deal With the Foam

Press the existing foam with your thumb. If it springs back, keep it. If it stays compressed or feels crumbly, replace it. Old foam is the most common reason a reupholstered stool still feels uncomfortable.

Cut new foam to the exact size of the base board using a sharp bread knife or an electric carving knife, which gives a cleaner edge than scissors. Spray adhesive holds it in place while you work. Add a layer of polyester wadding over the top, wrapping slightly down the sides, to round off the hard foam edge and stop the fabric bridging awkwardly at the rim.

Step Four: Fit the New Fabric

Lay the fabric face down, place the pad centrally on top, foam side down, and check any pattern is square before you start. This is the moment to get alignment right, since a stripe that runs off centre will be obvious on a round seat.

Staple the centre of one side first, then the centre of the opposite side, pulling firmly to create even tension. Do the same on the remaining two sides. You now have four anchor points and a taut surface. Work outwards from those points in alternating directions, placing staples every 3cm to 4cm and keeping the tension consistent rather than tight in places.

Curves need small pleats rather than folds. Gather the excess into several shallow evenly spaced tucks instead of one large fold, and press each flat before stapling. On square pads, fold the corners like wrapping a parcel: pull the corner point in first, then fold each side over it.

Trim the excess fabric to about 2cm from the staple line so nothing catches when the seat goes back on.

Step Five: Refit and Check

Reposition the pad on the frame, aligning it with the photograph you took. Start all screws by hand before tightening any of them, since driving one fully first can pull the pad out of square. Tighten in a diagonal sequence.

Set the stool upright and sit on it. Check the pad does not rock, that no fabric is trapped under the mounting plate and that the seat sits level with the others in your set.

Choosing Fabric That Lasts

Bar stool seats take heavier wear than dining chairs, because people slide on and off rather than sitting down and standing up. Fabric choice matters more than it does elsewhere.

Velvet and heavy weaves wear well and hide marks. Faux leather wipes clean in seconds, which counts where children eat at the counter, though it can feel cold in winter. Loose weave linens look handsome but snag on buttons and rivets. If the stool sits in a kitchen, a fabric with a tight weave and a stain resistant finish is the practical choice.

Colour behaves differently on a small seat than on a large sofa. A strong shade that would overwhelm a three seater reads as a considered accent on four small pads, which is why reupholstering stools is a common way to bring a new tone into a kitchen without changing anything structural.

When Reupholstering Is Not Worth It

There are limits. If the gas lift mechanism has failed, the frame is bent or the welds are cracked, new fabric solves nothing. Similarly, if the stool height was never right for your counter, recovering it preserves the wrong dimension.

In those situations replacement is the better route, and it is worth measuring properly before choosing. Our modern bar stools UK sale range lists seat heights individually, and the gas lift bar stools UK options cover both counter and bar heights in one design where your worktop sits at an unusual height.

A Note on Matching the Rest of the Room

If you are recovering stools to refresh a kitchen, consider how the new fabric relates to the seating in the adjoining space. In open plan rooms, picking up a tone already present in your modern fabric dining chairs UK sale or a nearby armchair ties the two areas together without needing them to match exactly.

Small projects like this are often the most satisfying way to update a room. For everything from stools to whole seating sets, the full range is at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much fabric do I need to reupholster one bar stool?
About half a metre of upholstery weight fabric for a standard round seat pad, allowing 6cm to 8cm of wrap on every side. Larger or square pads need slightly more.

Can I reupholster a gas lift bar stool?
Yes. The seat pad unscrews from the mounting plate on the lift mechanism just as it would from a fixed frame, so the gas lift itself is not disturbed.

Should I replace the foam as well?
Replace it if it stays compressed when pressed or feels crumbly. Tired foam is the main reason a freshly covered stool still feels uncomfortable.

Do I need to remove the old fabric first?
It is much better to remove it. Covering over old fabric adds bulk, hides damaged foam and makes it hard to get even tension on the new cover.

Which fabrics suit kitchen bar stools best?
Tight weaves, velvet and faux leather all wear well. Avoid loose weave linens where buttons and rivets could snag the surface.