Personal Anyone Ever Reupholster a Couch?

[jcsmilez]

I was given this amazing little couch. It was in my great grandmother Adele's room when she was a little girl, then my grandfather had it and put it in my moms room when she was growing up, now I've been blessed to receive it. My youngest is named Adele after my great grandmother, I would love to reupholster this and put it in her room. (Would love to find an old picture of grandma Adele on and frame it with caption "Adele's couch" but we'll see).

Anyway, it is in desperate need of reupholstering, all the velvet fabric and horse hair patting is just shot and I'm pretty sure little critters have had their way with it. I have never taken on reupholstering before so don't really know the first step of what I'm doing! Joannes Fabrics is having a sale this weekend of 50% off their clearance fabrics of which there seems to be many home decor types that will work. What kind of fabric should I look for that gives tribute to the original but also will be durable for a children's couch in a child's room? Any other suggestions for this process?

Pics below of the couch opened and closed and my kiddos, Evelyn and Adele, excited and in love at first sight!

 

[ShellBeach]

Oh, that's cute! I've reupholstered my kitchen and dining room chairs several times. Those are absolutley the easiest projects to do, because you unscrew the seat and it's a fairly easy shape. A staple gun is all that's needed.
I reupholstered a mid-century chaise once. It turned out pretty good, too.

My advice is put the brakes on your project as far as going to JoAnn's right now. They have home dec sales every month. Do a little research first.

There are some great upholstery books. Your library probably has some. This is my favorite, and it discussed the horsehair kind of furniture like your piece.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0711210926/?tag=pfamazon01-20
It has some fantastic inspirations & transformations in it, too. There are many,many other books out there if you don't care for that one.

If you're determined to just jump in, you can start by taking the old cover off and seeing how you would need to lay out your new fabric and cut it. Get an idea of the yardage you'd need. Take some sketches of how you need to put it back together, too!

As for what fabric will give tribute to the original and be OK for a kid's room, you could still get some kind of velvet and treat it with scotchgard. Avoid fabrics that have a lot of give, as they will start stretching out over time. Also avoid stripes & plaids as they are harder to match. Your piece would need matching on the base and the seat deck.

Another idea would be to do it in a heavy muslin/canvas, and make some kind of slipcover that can be thrown in the wash.

Have fun, and I'd love to see pictures of your finished product!

 

[chefjeanine]

Have no advice for you, just wanted to say that this is a wonderful piece of furniture! DO post pictures when you're done.

 

[jcsmilez]

Thanks! I'll definitely post pictures whenever I finish it.

 

[3RingChef]

Hi there! Congratulations on receiving such a special piece of furniture with such a rich family history. I can definitely understand your desire to reupholster it and make it a special piece for your daughter Adele's room. First off, I would recommend doing some research on reupholstering techniques and materials. There are plenty of tutorials and guides available online that can walk you through the process step by step. You may also want to consider consulting with a professional reupholsterer to get some advice and tips.As for the fabric, I would suggest looking for a durable and easy to clean material, especially since it will be in a child's room. Some good options could be a sturdy cotton or a polyester blend. You may also want to consider adding a protective coating or stain guard to the fabric to help it last longer.In terms of honoring the original fabric, you could try to find a similar color and texture, or even incorporate some elements of the original fabric into the new design. I love your idea of finding an old picture of Adele and framing it with the caption "Adele's couch" - that would add such a special touch to the piece.Best of luck with your reupholstering project! It's definitely a labor of love, but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. And your daughters look absolutely adorable on the couch - they must be so excited to have it in their room!