Ektorp chaise made slim and modern

Photo: IKEA.com

Materials: Ektorp chaise (no side arms), canvas painter's dropcloth (or 3 yards of another fabric), heavy duty staple gun & staples, 3 packets idye natural in "gunmetal grey", 1 cup non-iodized salt, 4 6" taper round wooden table legs (mine were from the Waddell company), 4 sets leg attachment plates & hardware (Waddell company again), danish oil/teak oil/walnut oil

Description: I removed the skirt from the frame of the chaise and found that I liked the shape, which reminded me of the Cielo chaise sold by CB2. To keep that outline as clean as possible, I just folded and stapled a nice natural fabric (actually 8 mm painter's canvas from the hardware store) directly over the frame.

I was able to use one of the hems on the cloth to cover the joint between the backrest and seat, leaving a nice neat detail without any need to sew.

I installed midcentury modern taper legs. They were a pale pine so I treated them with some danish oil to bring out character in the wood.

I dyed the cushion covers with easy dye made for the washing machine. After bleaching in hot water, I washed them with 3 packets of dye and a generous cup of non-iodized salt. Then I washed them one final time in cold water with some detergent, let them dry, and zipped them back on the cushions.

I found the rug at a flea market for $5. All told, this was a pretty major makeover (for my tiny apartment) that cost less than fifty dollars.

~ Theo S., Philadelphia, PA, USA