6 Questions to Ask Yourself When Reupholstering Furniture
The latest look of three! One of my favorite pieces, this chair has been reupholstered several times.
Oftentimes you will hear a designer say something has “good bones.” Generally, they are referring to a home with appropriately sized rooms and beautiful moulding. Good bones can also refer to furniture: beautiful pieces that deserve love, attention, and upkeep.
Twenty-three years ago, just after my husband and I purchased our first home, I was seven months pregnant and in a serious nesting phase. We needed to fill our new home, and our cobbled together hand-me-down furniture and Ikea stuff just wouldn’t do. So, we set out to purchase furnishings that would last.
I still have many of these pieces, including two chairs and an ottoman. In fact, they are among my favorites. As you can imagine, they have seen better days; they have withstood my children’s toddler years, their middle school knee hockey phase (if you know, you know!), and their teenage game playing days. One of the chairs became my beloved dog’s favorite and gave him sanctuary during his last days.
Because they have good bones, I have been able to reupholster them three times. In previous iterations, they have been a delightful sage green plaid and a colorful teal. Now, they are a stunning stone velvet from Jane Churchill. I love the mushroom-y color and the soft hand; it’s my favorite look….so far.
When designing a home for clients, I am all about making sure the furniture is just right for the homeowners, encouraging them to keep old favorites by giving them a new life. Does your spouse have a non-negotiable lounger? Do you have a sofa that is the ideal movie watching spot but has seen better days? If they have good bones, they, too, can be a candidate for reupholstering.
Not every piece of furniture is a contender, however. There are a few things you should ask yourself before deciding to keep or donate your most cherished piece:
Does the piece hold significant sentimental value?
Is it made well? Just like fast-fashion, fast furniture cannot be tailored. Look for hardwood or solid wood pieces (the aforementioned “good bones”). Don’t worry about seat cushions or outdated arms. Those can be fixed. Look instead at the actual frame.
Was it an expensive piece? Does the price tag of the furniture warrant a redo?
If you answered yes to the above questions, then you can move on to next steps.
Where in your home are you going to place it?
Does it need a small redesign to make it current? Work with your designer on this.
What type of fabric is needed and what do you love? For instance, will it be exposed to a lot of sunlight? Consider sun-tolerant textiles. An office? Look at clubby fabrics. Around kids? Think performance fabrics. Just make sure your choices are designed for upholstery.
In asking yourself the above questions, you’ll come up with the perfect gameplan for turning that old but loved piece of furniture into the pièce de résistance of any room.