Meet Victoria. She was brought to me by a wonderful fellow blogger who had decided she was in desperate need of a makeover. When I first saw this chair, all I could do was picture her in some formal Victorian living room. Isn't she just gorgeous?

Gorgeous as she is, the fabric is the original circa 1920-something. She has a wobbly arm and desperately needs a new look so she can be enjoyed in this young cabinet designer's home office.

So let's get started.

Using my six-inch diagonal pliers, I removed every single upholstery tack, making sure to take note of the order in which each piece came off. For this chair: Trim, back, front, arms, seat.

Be gentle when removing the fabric. You want to save each piece to measure your new fabric.

Take pictures along the way. I am always sure to get pictures where each piece comes together. Trust me, you will thank me later.

Come back next week: Victoria is getting a pedicure!

Sarah Finks is a local mom and blogger who lovingly restores furniture in her spare time. Feel free to email her at threeboys.home@gmail.com or check out her blog at threeboys-home.blogspot.com for more furniture makeovers.