Adding Nail Head Trim to Upholstered Furniture

Here is a quick tutorial covering the steps on how to add nail head trim to an upholstered piece of furniture. When I added trim to this chair, while working on the Home Office Redesign, I didn't post step-by-step directions and have gotten several emails asking questions about this project. So here it is!

Begin by selecting an upholstered piece of furniture that could use a bit more style!

Next determine what lines of the chair (or sofa, ottoman, headboard, etc.) to accent with nail head trim, being careful to select an area that has a solid foundation beneath the fabric to secure the nails to.

Tip: A safe bet is to run the trim around the lower edge of the piece of furniture, though I chose to run the nails up the outer lines of the chair to really showcase the shape of this chair.

Then choose a style and size of nail head trim that will compliment the chair design and fabric.

Attach the nail head trim at the start of the line to be covered with trim. Position and secure the first nail by pushing it into the frame.

Continue placing the nail head trim along the line, positioning the nails at an equal distance from one another.

Use a tape measure as a guide to help position the nail head trim at even intervals. Place approximately 1/2–inch to 5/8–inch apart, from nail center to center, depending on the size of the nail head trim.

Tip: The nail head trim can be positioned to touch or with a space in-between, depending on the look you prefer.

Secure the nail head trim to the chair frame by lightly hammering the nails.

And that is all there is to it. Super easy with the only difficulty being the issue of getting the nails set evenly apart, but after positioning a few you'll start to get a feel for where they need to be placed. Also, occasionally the nails may not go in straight and get bent. Just pull the nail out and try again with a new nail.

I have my eye on another piece of furniture in the house that could really benefit from a little dressing up with nail head trim. I'm loving the look of these larger square nails I recently used on the DIY Canvas Art...wouldn't these look great added to something?