Custom Made Wood Screen with Upholstered Panels

These wood and fabric "screens" add a touch of whimsy to our designer house retreat. The pictures below follow our progress from start to finish. You can see the completed project on display at the Brevard Designer Showhouse from July 9th -24.





Decide on the size and shape of your screens and where the fabric panels will be placed. We chose 3' wood frame with raised panel inserts and made the frame 1'/2" thick for scale.

Stain and finish the wood and let it dry completely. We used Minwax English chestnut to blend with the chair stain.

Place boards under the fabric to decide where to cut the fabric to get the desired visual effect.

To upholster, cut the plywood to appropriate size. The next step is to cut the padding, lying the plywood backer on top of the foam batting. Allow an additional two to three inches of extra batting on each side so it can be wrapped around the backerboard.

Fold the fabric and batting over the backer and staple in place. Start with a few staples in the center of two opposite sides, then a few on top and bottom, working your way out from the center and alternating sides from top to bottom. Any excess batting amd material can then be trimmed away using a sharp utility knife . Upholstery shops normally add lining to the back side for a finished look.

The final step is to install the upholstered panel. Staples can be added for additional support for the backer. The panel can then be pressed into place. The only thing left to do is stand back and admire the results of your work.