How To Reupholster a Settee

The uniqueness of antique furniture can inspire the idea of giving it a second, reupholstered life. Whether you receive something passed down from a relative, or luck up on a find at a thrift store—when you have that inkling to revive it, listen. Reupholstering furniture can be a great weekend project, and the feeling of accomplishment is unmatched. Spoonflower Maker Wendy Conklin of Chair Whimsy shows us how she’s giving a settee a second life.

Wendy: Settees make great conversation pieces around the home. You can often find small ones that can be tucked into corners, placed along a feature wall, put at the end of a bed or used at a dining table for extra seating. If you are a beginner, starting with a small one will be much easier for you to learn.   

A settee is a small, cushioned chair—similar to a sofa—that sits on wooden legs and accommodates, usually, two people. Settees were popular through the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, you may see settees in powder rooms, sitting rooms and other decorative areas.  

A settee is a beautifully designed piece of furniture. With the right tender love and creativity, reupholstering one can be fun and provide an opportunity to bring your space together. If you want to get into upholstering, a small furniture piece like a settee is a good start.  

Let’s start with the materials you’ll need to reupholster a settee.

Old furniture is often very telling of its age, so removing materials all the way down to the frame is always best. 

Remove the fabric and all the insides by taking out the staples or tacks. Use your staple lifter and mallet. Position one tooth of the staple lifter under the tack or staple. 

Use your mallet to hammer the end of the staple lifter until you’ve lodged the staple lifter underneath the staple. Pull up as you hammer.  

Continue until you have a clean frame. It does take a little time and effort but think of it like pulling weeds. It’s mindless work and you’ll be glad you did it once it is complete. 

If you’re satisfied with your settee’s original color, continue to Part 3. 

Since I am using this Spoonflower floral fabric, I chose green so that the fabric would pop against the paint color.  

If you want to paint your furniture, now is the time to do it. My mantra is “The fabric always drives the paint color.”  

This is the part where you’ll be adding several layers onto the wood base to make it comfortable to sit on. First jute webbing, then burlap, then cotton, then foam, then Dacron. The steps below will walk you through all those layers, with photos too!

Start by laying the settee down on a table or set of sawhorses so that you can work over top of it. 

Position a couple of pieces of jute webbing strategically to help support the fabric. Staple in place and fold over the end pieces. 

After securing the jute webbing, staple a layer of burlap tightly within the settee’s top. Fold in the edges and staple so that none are hanging over the side. 

Lay paper across the top of your settee. Trace around the top—where we’ve placed the jute webbing and burlap—to make a template. This will help us prepare the right amount of foam for this area. 

Use your paper template to trace and cut out a piece of 1” medium-density foam. We’re not adding the foam just yet. It’s easier to trace out the template on the burlap rather than the cotton we’re adding in the next step. After cutting out your foam template, place it to the side. We’re coming back to it in step 9.

The next layer we’re adding to our settee top is cotton. This will go on top of the burlap. 

Grab your foam piece and place it on top of your cotton layer. 

Place a layer of Dacron on top of your form. Staple your Dacron in place, pushing the cotton and foam down firmly as you go. 

Now that your Dacron (and other insides) are secure, trim off the excess Dacron. 

Arrange the fabric to get the very best look. I always take my time with this step because it matters the most. Once you’ve decided on your ideal placement, staple the fabric tightly into place. Use scissors to cut away the excess fabric. 

This side is going to go a little quicker than the front, but still be as beautiful and secure!

Now that we’re working on the back of your settee, turn it so the backside is facing up. Make sure you’re working in a space where it can lay flat. 

Staple a layer of burlap tightly to the back. Fold back and staple the edges to keep things neat. 

Cover the back with a layer of Dacron and staple it into place. 

Position the fabric how you want it on the back and staple it into place. Cut off the excess fabric outside of the staple line.

These steps are going to look similar to reupholstering the top of the chair, so you’ve got this!  

Measure and cut strips of jute webbing that reach from the front to the back of the seat. Individually place each strip on the seat and staple one end. Pull tightly before stapling the other end. Fold back the edges and staple those down. 

Measure and cut strips of jute webbing that reach from the left to the right of the settee. Staple one end of these strips to the left side of the seat. Weave the horizontal strips through the vertical strips. Pull tightly on each strip as you staple them down on the right side, and fold back the edges. Now we have a solid base for our seat! 

Place a layer of burlap across the seat and staple. Next, fold back and staple the edges. 

Just like we made a template for the settee’s top, we’re going to do that for the seat. Lay your paper across the seat and make a template. Be sure to mark where the back supporting legs are. 

Trace your paper template onto the 2” medium-dense foam and cut it out. (Some people like to use an electric knife for this.) Set the foam to the side. We’ll come back to it after the next step. 

Pile the cotton evenly across the seat on top of your stapled burlap. Lay a nice, thick layer to make the seat more comfortable.  

Grab your 2” foam cutout and place it on top of the cotton. 

Cover your settee layers with Dacron and staple it into place.  Cut off the excess Dacron. 

Now for the most important part—attaching the fabric. We’re going to take our time on this step, starting with positioning.  Lay your fabric on top of your seat and position it to get your desired look.  

To keep things still as we work around the seat, place a few temporary staples to hold the fabric in front. 

With the design sides facing, make a V cut at the back of each side. Fold the fabric around the wood and tuck the V into pocket so it can’t be seen. 

Staple the back sides and fold the end edges underneath to get a straight line.  

Undo your temporary staples in front, we’re going to replace them with actual staples. Pull the fabric tightly and staple starting at the center and working your way to each edge. Stop before getting to the edge and leave it open. 

Staple the sides and come around to the front, pulling the fabric tightly. Place a couple of staples to hold it into place. We’re about to fold this corner over. 

Go back to the front and fold the corner. Staple it into place so that you have a nice, folded edge. Trim off the excess fabric. 

Time to add those final details to complete your reupholstered settee!

Flip your settee over so that the bottom is facing up. Cover the bottom with dust cover fabric. Fold the edges under and staple to get a nice line around the bottom. 

Let’s cover those hard-working staples with something more attractive.  Decide what trim you want to use to cover over the staple line.  

Glue (or hammer) the trim over the staple line on the seat, top and backside. Tuck the edges under and glue down so you have a nice finish.  

You’ll be surprised at where you can fit a small settee and the personality it will bring to a space.