new tricks for an old couch
Last weekend, I reupholstered my couch. The word 'reupholstered' sounds much more grandiose and complicated than what I did, since it involved no springs or staples or fancy reupholstery techniques. But still.
I bought my couch at a secondhand shop last year with the intention of recovering it. I really love the wooden frame, but the material was old and kind of gross. It was bunchy and loose and contained mysterious fibers. Each of the pillows also had velcro on one side, presumably so they would remain in place in the event of a living room tornado.
I've been keeping an eye out for material to recover my couch with for quite a while. Suffice it to say that the quantity of busy, floral and generally nasty patterns that people are expected to use on their couches is overwhelming. Why do fabric designers want people to have ugly couches? I eventually found a simple olive green fabric at Textile Clearance House - and true to the store's name, it was supercheap, only $3.50/metre! For the throw pillows, I used some fabric I had left over along with a patterned print that I love and bought on impulse while on holiday last September.
Here are the results... I'm happy with how it turned out. It feels much more inviting and fun. Plus my friends won't be allergic to the couch anymore!
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very nice!
Holy crap, so nice! How'd you do it? Did you make those pillow covers, too?
Thanks! For each seat-pillow, I basically just made a big tube with the fabric, then sewed rectangles into each end. I turned them right-side-out and stuffed the foam-form in through a side that I had left open, and then sewed up the hole by hand. I was planning to have zippers so the covers would be removable... but I didn't plan ahead so I put them in incorrectly. Gah! So I ripped them out and restarted with a simple-is-best philosophy. The throw pillows are just supereasy squares sewn inside out and stuffed with pillow forms.
S.
That is a seriously nice wooden frame.
Wow, Siobhan, it looks gorgeous! It's like on one of those shows where they remodel someone's room--you know, 'While you were out' or something like that. Amazing. :)
ah! awEEEE some! love the cushions! love 'em!!! if you ever go to get fabric... call me up. i'm up for like a fieldtrip. Dressew by anyt chance?!