To cover a round bar stool, cut a circle of fabric about 10cm wider than the seat all the way round, centre it over the pad, then pull and staple the fabric to the underside of the seat board working in opposite pairs. If the seat unscrews from the frame, remove it first. Almost every round stool follows this pattern, whether you are refreshing tired upholstery or fitting a loose slip cover.<\/p>\n
There are two routes to consider. Reupholstering gives a permanent, tailored finish and is the better option for a stool you intend to keep. A slip cover or stretch cover takes minutes and suits rentals, temporary changes or seats you want to protect.<\/p>\n
For a proper recover, gather upholstery fabric, a staple gun with 8mm to 10mm staples, sharp scissors, a screwdriver, a tape measure and a flat head screwdriver or staple remover for the old material. A pair of upholstery pliers helps with thick fabric but a firm grip will do.<\/p>\n
Choose fabric with a little give. Cotton mixes, chenille, textured weaves and faux leather all behave well on a curve because they ease into the shape. Very stiff or heavily patterned fabrics fight you at the edges, and a strong geometric print will distort as it wraps. Allow around half a metre per stool for a standard seat, more if you are matching a pattern.<\/p>\n
Turn the stool upside down and look for screws holding the seat pad to the frame or the gas lift plate. Undo them, keep the fixings in a pot, and set the frame aside. Working with a loose pad on a table is far easier than wrestling a whole stool.<\/p>\n
Measure across the widest point of the pad, then add twice the depth of the pad plus 5cm for the staple margin. For a 35cm seat with a 6cm cushion, that gives a circle of roughly 57cm. Mark the circle on the back of your fabric using a pencil tied to string as a compass, then cut it out.<\/p>\n
You can often leave the existing cover in place if it is clean, flat and not split. This adds a layer of padding and saves time. Remove it if the foam beneath is crumbling, if the old fabric is damp or stained, or if a dark colour would show through a pale new fabric.<\/p>\n
If you do strip it, prise out the old staples with a flat screwdriver and pliers. Keep the old cover intact because it makes an excellent template for the new one.<\/p>\n
Lay the fabric face down, centre the pad on top of it, and check the pattern is straight before you fix anything. Pull the fabric up at the twelve o’clock position and fire one staple. Move to six o’clock, pull firmly and staple. Then three o’clock and nine o’clock. Those four staples set the tension.<\/p>\n
From there, work around the circle filling in between the existing staples, always alternating to the opposite side. Space them roughly 3cm apart. As you go, the surplus fabric will gather into small pleats. Ease each pleat flat with your thumb and fan it evenly rather than letting large folds build in one place. Even, small pleats are the mark of a neat job on a round seat.<\/p>\n
Trim the excess to about 2cm from the staple line once you are done. Refit the seat to the frame and check the pleats sit within the base so they are hidden from view.<\/p>\n
Stretch covers pull over the seat like a swim cap and hold with an elasticated hem or a drawstring. To make one, cut a circle 15cm wider than the seat, hem the edge with a channel, thread elastic through and knot it. Pull the cover on and adjust the gather so it sits level.<\/p>\n
Covers wash easily, which makes them useful for children’s seating or a light coloured stool in a busy kitchen. They will never look as crisp as stapled upholstery, and they can creep out of position when people swivel, so consider a couple of hidden ties under the seat.<\/p>\n
If the seat has flattened, this is the moment to fix it. Cut new foam to the same circle as the seat board using a bread knife or an electric carving knife for a clean edge. A 5cm to 8cm thickness in medium density suits most stools.<\/p>\n
Wrap the foam in a layer of polyester wadding before the top fabric. Wadding softens the edge, stops the foam gripping the fabric and gives the finished seat a smoother line. It is a small extra step that lifts the result considerably.<\/p>\n
Round seats are often the strongest colour in a kitchen because there are several of them in a row. A muted tone connects the stools to the rest of the scheme, while a deeper shade turns them into a deliberate feature. Look at the finish of your cabinetry and flooring first, then decide whether the stools should recede or stand out.<\/p>\n
Durability matters at a breakfast bar. Look for a rub test figure on the fabric where one is quoted, and favour tighter weaves that resist snagging. If a recover starts to feel like more work than it is worth, our range of fabric bar stools UK sale<\/a> arrives finished and ready to use. For seats that need wiping rather than washing, the leather bar stools UK<\/a> option is more forgiving with children.<\/p>\n Stapling all the way around in one direction is the usual error, because tension builds unevenly and the fabric ends up pulled off centre. Always work in opposite pairs. Overstretching is the second mistake: firm tension is enough, and excessive pulling will distort a weave and mark the foam edge.<\/p>\n Do not staple over the gas lift plate holes or the frame fixing points. Feel for them through the fabric and leave them clear, otherwise refitting the seat becomes a job in itself.<\/p>\n Recovering makes sense when the frame is solid, the mechanism works smoothly and only the fabric has aged. It is a satisfying afternoon’s work and keeps a good stool in service.<\/p>\n Replace the stool when the frame is loose at the joints, the gas lift no longer holds its height or the seat board itself has split. No amount of fabric hides a wobble. If you are at that point, the collection at Furniture in Fashion<\/a> covers timber, metal and adjustable frames, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.<\/p>\n Some round stools have seats bonded or welded to the frame, which rules out the usual approach of working on a loose pad. You can still recover these, it simply takes more patience. Turn the stool upside down on a padded surface to protect the frame, then staple into the underside of the seat board working around the frame fixings.<\/p>\n The awkward areas are where the legs or column meet the seat. Cut a small slit in the fabric towards each obstruction, fold the raw edge under and tuck it neatly around the joint before stapling either side. Take your time on these cuts, because a slit that runs too far cannot be undone.<\/p>\n Where the underside is completely inaccessible, a fitted slip cover with a drawstring is the sensible answer. It looks tidier than a struggle with staples in a space too tight to reach.<\/p>\n A few small details separate a competent recover from one that looks professional. Cut a circle of black cambric or lining fabric slightly smaller than the seat base and staple it over the raw edges underneath. It hides the staple line and pleats entirely, which matters on a stool where people see the base as they walk past.<\/p>\n Consider a fabric protector spray on light colours, applied outdoors and left to dry fully before use. It buys you time to blot a spill before it becomes a stain. If the stools are used daily by children, a darker or patterned fabric will simply age better than a pale plain weave, however tempting the pale one looks in the shop.<\/p>\nCommon Mistakes to Avoid<\/h3>\n
When to Recover and When to Replace<\/h3>\n
Covering a Fixed Seat You Cannot Remove<\/h3>\n
Finishing Touches That Lift the Result<\/h3>\n