Yes: Vintage dinette chairs can be reupholstered successfully. The seats of Laurie’s chair were in fine shape, but the original backs had seen better days. She found pink and gray marine-grade vinyl online and then, someone locally who reupholstered them for just a very reasonable price — including supplying and adding the upholstery tacks. 
Laurie writes:
Hi,I actually took the chairs — just the backs — to a fabric upholsteror in Rochester, N.Y. She did them for just $25 chair!!! They came out BEAUTIFUL! I ordered the material online myself and saved even more… It is marine grade vinyl and matched PERFECTLY!Sincerely,Laurie
Hey, $25 per chair sounds like a fantastic price to me.
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I also have several stories on where to buy retro style vinyl and even real Naugahyde — these are all filed in my category –>Remodeling Basics / Furniture.
Categoriesfurniture
I’d like to know where in Rochester, NY you took the chairs to also. I have chairs just like these that I want to have done!
Thanks!
Chrome side chair upholstered, how do I remove the back? No screws visible, only a seam opening between the upholstered back. Can’t find anything to get it apart. Help,,, loise
Wondering about where to find new edging. I have a table from 1949 and I am needing replacement 3/4 inch edging. Any suggestions??
I’m also looking to either recover the seats myself or order replacement seats and backs. 🙂 Suggestions?
Hey Danelle,
Get to know our navigation – up in the blue above. We have resources for all of these items. Also – use the Search box, it works well, too!
I have had some luck in navigating the site, but am wondering if you have any suggestions of companies that I can order new seats and backs for my chairs?
No, I don’t think I have ever seen this come up before. You could try our advertiser, Heffron’s A Moment in Time Retro Design — they might be able to help — good luck. Tell Tammy that Pam sent you!
Hi I have some chairs I’m looking to have done. I live in Rochester. Where can I contact u? What’s the name of your place?
I recently bought a dinette kitchen formica set from 50s. It’s yellow cracked ice seat & grey cracked ice for upper back. It has upholstery studs that run around the back side & a very unusual needle pinpoint of grapes & leaves in the naugahyde itself. However, there’s some tears & small rips in the seats & the backs & one chair has a rip in the front. But the needlepoint artwork is in great condition. I talked to a few upholstery people & they Saud there’s no way to salvage the art work. Any thoughts? Ideas? Somebody please help me out here.
Hi Pam, I am trying to reupholster some chairs very similar to those featured in your article above. Unfortunately, the link to the video does not seem to be working? Do you have another video our DIY source you could recommend?
Hi Julie, I don’t…
How do you know how much vinyl to order? I have 4 similar 50s kitchenette chairs. I need to redo backs (grey ice) and seats (yellow ice).
Hi Ck, I don’t know the answer to this. Perhaps the company you are buying from can provide some assistance in calculating the yardage that you will need. Good luck!