To recover a bar stool with a back, remove the seat and backrest panels from the frame, strip the old fabric while keeping it as a template, cut new fabric with a generous margin, then staple it in place working from the centre of each side outwards. The backrest is the part that needs most care, because it is usually covered on both faces and the rear panel is what makes the finish look neat.<\/p>\n
It is a manageable weekend job for anyone comfortable with a screwdriver and a staple gun. The difference between a tidy result and an obvious home attempt comes down to preparation rather than skill.<\/p>\n
Gather everything first. Stopping halfway to find a tool is how corners end up rushed.<\/p>\n
You will need a screwdriver or drill, a staple gun with 8mm to 10mm staples, sharp fabric scissors, a staple remover or flat head screwdriver, pliers, and a marker pen. For materials, allow upholstery weight fabric, replacement foam if the old padding is compressed, and a layer of polyester wadding to soften the edges.<\/p>\n
Calculate fabric quantity by measuring the seat and back panels, adding 8cm to 10cm on every side for wrapping, then adding a little extra for pattern matching if the fabric has a repeat. For a standard stool with a back, one metre is often enough, though two stools rarely fit within the same metre once wrapping allowances are included.<\/p>\n
Choose a hard wearing upholstery fabric rather than a dress weight material. Kitchen seating gets constant friction, and a lightweight fabric will thin at the front edge within a year.<\/p>\n
Turn the stool upside down on a protected surface. Photograph the underside before removing anything, because reassembly is much easier with a reference image.<\/p>\n
Most seats are held by four screws through a metal plate or timber batten. Remove them and lift the seat pad away. Backrest panels vary more: some unscrew from behind, some slot into brackets on the frame, and some are bolted through the upright supports.<\/p>\n
Keep the screws in a labelled pot. Stool fixings are often specific lengths, and mixing them up can mean a screw that protrudes through the seat or one that no longer bites.<\/p>\n
If the frame is metal and shows any corrosion at the fixing points, deal with that before recovering. There is no sense putting new fabric on a stool with a rusting base, and our guidance on treating metal frames applies equally to the finishes used on modern wooden bar stools UK<\/a> designs with metal footrests.<\/p>\n Work slowly here. The old cover is your best pattern.<\/p>\n Lever out the staples with a staple remover, working around the perimeter. Pliers help with staples that break. Removing every staple matters, because a leftover staple creates a bump under the new fabric that shows through immediately.<\/p>\n Lift the fabric off in one piece if you can, then flatten it out and mark which panel it came from and which edge faced the front. Note how the corners were folded, particularly on the backrest, where the fold pattern determines whether the finished shape looks crisp.<\/p>\n Inspect the foam underneath. If it springs back when pressed, keep it. If it stays compressed, or if the front edge has crumbled, replace it. New foam of 4cm to 5cm suits most stool seats, cut slightly larger than the board so it compresses at the edges and gives a rounded profile.<\/p>\n Lay the new fabric face down and place the old cover on top as a template. Trace around it, then add 2cm to 3cm beyond the traced line as insurance. Fabric can be trimmed, but it cannot be stretched back.<\/p>\n Check the grain direction and any pattern before cutting. On a set of stools, the pattern should run the same way on every seat, and any motif should sit centrally. Mark the centre point of each edge with a small notch, which makes alignment straightforward when stapling.<\/p>\n Cut the wadding to the size of the foam plus enough to wrap over the edges. Wadding smooths the transition from foam to board and stops the foam outline showing through thin fabric.<\/p>\n Place the fabric face down, the wadding on top, then the foam, then the seat board. Everything is assembled upside down.<\/p>\n Start at the centre of the back edge. Pull the fabric over the board with moderate tension and fire one staple. Move to the centre of the front edge, pull firmly and staple. Repeat at the centre of each side. These four staples set the tension for the whole panel, so check the fabric looks even on the front face before continuing.<\/p>\n Work outwards from each centre staple towards the corners, placing staples 3cm to 4cm apart and alternating between opposite sides to keep the tension balanced. Keep checking the front face as you go.<\/p>\n Corners need the most attention. On a rounded seat, ease the fullness into small even pleats rather than one large fold. On a square seat, fold one side over flat, then bring the adjacent side across it and staple through both layers, creating a mitred corner. Trim the excess bulk after stapling, not before.<\/p>\n The backrest is where most home projects lose their neatness, because it is visible from both sides.<\/p>\n Cover the front face first using the same centre outwards method. Wrap the fabric around to the rear and staple it there, keeping the staple line as straight and close to the edge as possible.<\/p>\n Then cover the rear face. Cut a panel slightly smaller than the back, fold the raw edges under by around 1cm, and press or tack the fold so it holds. Attach this panel over the staple line, either with a staple gun close to the folded edge or with a fabric adhesive for a cleaner look. This second panel hides all the untidy work and is what separates a professional looking finish from a visibly homemade one.<\/p>\n If the backrest has a curve, make small relief cuts in the fabric margin so it can follow the shape without puckering. Cut towards the edge but never as far as the staple line.<\/p>\n Refit the backrest first if it bolts through the frame, then the seat. Use the photographs taken at the start and the original screws in their original positions.<\/p>\n Tighten screws firmly but stop before they bite into the fabric. Overtightening puckers the new cover around each fixing point.<\/p>\n Sit on the stool and check for movement. A stool that rocks after reassembly usually has one screw seated in a different hole depth than before. Loosen all fixings, settle the seat square, then retighten evenly.<\/p>\n Recovering makes sense when the frame is sound and the stool suits your kitchen. It is less sensible when the gas lift has failed, the swivel mechanism grinds, or the frame joints are loose. Fabric is the cheapest part of a stool, and new fabric on a failing frame does not last.<\/p>\n Also weigh the cost honestly. Good upholstery fabric, foam and wadding for four stools can approach the price of a new set, particularly during a sale. If you would rather start fresh, our range of bar stools UK sale<\/a> covers most heights and finishes, and the same reasoning applies to matching seating in the modern bar furniture UK sale<\/a> selection.<\/p>\nStripping the Old Fabric<\/h3>\n
Cutting the New Fabric<\/h3>\n
Recovering the Seat Pad<\/h3>\n
Recovering the Backrest<\/h3>\n
Reassembly and Finishing<\/h3>\n
When Recovering Is Not Worth It<\/h3>\n