I find a beautiful antique dining set, but the fabric on the chairs is very dirty and stained. I'd like to redo them but I've never reupholstered anything before, I'm not sure what tools I would need or where to start. Thank you in advance!

I understand how to reupholster the seat part. That screws off and is easy. But how am I suppose to remove the backing part? I’ve tried and it seems glued on or something. Anyone have advice? There are zero videos on YouTube on how to deal with this type of backing on a Scandinavian dining chair.

I made an effort to remove some of the material on the backing to see what was holding it in place (that’s what you see in the pictures). I can’t find any screws or anything. I tried prying it loose with a screwdriver. It feels like it’s glued on real tight.

https://imgur.com/a/lymlyio/

Update

I removed the padding from the top of chair and there’s no obvious way to remove the wood backing. I tried prying it away with screwdriver but it’s stuck on good. Should I just call it a day and bring in the professionals?

https://imgur.com/a/AZHMlee/

Update: Here are some pix https://imgur.com/a/WwI62lZ It’s a thomasville set and I’m disappointed that the seats are mdf.

I’m off to Lowe’s to buy some plywood and a jigsaw! Like I said I only have basic tools and I thought a jigsaw would be expensive but they’re very reasonable. I already have the foam, batting and upholstery fabric.

It’ll have to wait until next weekend to actually tackle but I’ll have everything I need.

Thanks again. I’ll post some more pix when I’m done (now that I’ve figured it out).

I want to recover my dining room chairs but they are also a little saggy. The base of chair seats have mdf with a hole cut out and heavy mesh across the hole.

Once I took off the fabric, the mdf is bent and starting to split at four points around the hole. I’m on mobile and can’t seem to post pictures.

I looked online but can’t seem to find any help that addresses this.

Do I need to get new mdf pieces for each of the chairs? Or should it be plywood? Do I have to cut a hole in them? Should I put a piece of wood across the bottom to shore it up or is this just a temporary fix?

I have nothing but super basic tools. I’d appreciate some advice on this.

Thanks for all the explanations and helpful tips. My quick weekend project has turned into more than I expected but feel more confident in tackling this.

Here are some pix https://imgur.com/a/WwI62lZ