Decorate with pillows
The easiest and most inexpensive way to update a sofa is to complement it with elegant pillows.
For a single-color product, multi-colored pillowcases with various textures, sizes and prints are suitable: fur, knitted, with patterns, round and rectangular. For a sofa with ornaments, it is more appropriate to use single-color pillows that will muffle the activity of the upholstery without overloading it. You can make your own pillowcases by cleaning out your closet and reusing old clothes you don't wear.
Fabrics
Modern sofa covers are made from a wide variety of materials. The production uses natural and artificial textiles with high strength and resistance to deformation, as well as fading of the original color. Such accessories can be made from tapestry, Korean velor “chinchilla”, flock, leatherette. However, such textiles are not the only ones, so the choice of capes is endless.
All material options can be divided into:
- textile;
- fur;
- terry;
- knitted
Each of them has its own characteristics.
Fur blanket
A fur blanket is a luxurious, sophisticated accessory that transforms any upholstered furniture, gives it a premium look, adds additional volume and gets dirty more slowly compared to other analogues. The only drawback of such a bedspread is that it is difficult to care for (it cannot be washed, so you will have to dry clean it). But it can create the feeling of a soft blanket, because fur is always warm and cozy.
Terry blanket
This cape is often made from natural material, so it allows air to pass through well, does not cause an allergic skin reaction and is suitable for all family members, and especially for children. The bedspread can have different fiber treatments; its softness is not inferior to its fur counterpart, although it is not as durable. Often it is heavy (if the size of the canvas is large).
Furniture tapestry blanket
These types of capes are considered the most durable and practical. They are wear-resistant, have a variety of textures (from regular weaving to inserts of finishing fibers), and allow you to change the design of the sofa without deviating from the theme of the upholstery. Tapestry capes are easy to clean from dirt, dust, and food debris, and their color remains bright for a long time.
Textile capes
Accessories made of silk, satin and satin are among the most elegant. They are lightweight even with large dimensions, easy to maintain and have a relatively low cost. The disadvantage of textile options is rapid wear. Such models wear out faster than others, lose their original brightness of color, in addition, they do not protect the surface of the sofa from moisture, they tear, wrinkle and form snags faster. These capes require careful use.
Cover with a blanket
Even the most inexpensive sofa will look cozier and more attractive if you cover it with a thick blanket and throw a couple of pillows on top. For convenience, the product can be secured with threads or pins on the back and corners. It is important to choose a suitable fabric – one that is textured and heavy enough so that it does not slip when used.
A universal option is a contrasting one-color fabric without a pattern or to match the textiles of the room.
Add foam rubber
A sagging sofa has several disadvantages:
- unaesthetic, shabby appearance;
- inconvenience when using;
- reducing the cost of the overall appearance of the interior.
If you have removable covers, add high-hardness foam rubber (EL2240 or EL2842) to the main filling to make sitting on the sofa comfortable and the fabric on the cover stretched. This simple and inexpensive upgrade will help give your upholstered furniture a visual upgrade.
If the upholstery is solid, you will have to “tinker” with it, carefully unstitching the material, adding filler and re-fastening the fabric using threads and a furniture stapler.
Why reupholster a sofa?
The main reason for replacing upholstery is savings: it is much cheaper than buying new high-quality furniture. But we can’t argue that the fresh cladding will please the eye. With it, the interior will sparkle with new colors, and surprised guests will be sincerely interested in which designer catalog this new, completely unique sofa was found in.
Old sofa needs updating.
And only the owners of the house will know the secret. Reupholstering the sofa will also be useful in terms of hygiene. Upholstered furniture collects a huge amount of dust, which cannot be removed even with a powerful vacuum cleaner and household chemicals.
An old sofa will spoil the design of your room.
Therefore, it is worth changing the upholstery and decorative fabric periodically.
Paint
Surprisingly, upholstered furniture can be improved with paint: the main thing is to consult with a specialist in the store and choose the appropriate composition. There are latex upholstery paints that can be applied with a brush and special aerosols. If you strictly follow the instructions, the coating will not crack or get dirty.
If the cover is removable, it can be painted using textile paint, a washing machine and a bit of adventurism.
Sew a new cover
If you want to implement the idea with your own hands and at minimal cost, you will need skillful hands, several meters of upholstery fabric and a sewing machine. Soft tissues are easier to work with, but have more wear and tear.
When calculating fabric consumption, be sure to take shrinkage into account. You can take a simpler route by ordering a ready-made case from trusted manufacturers.
Universal covers made of stretchy synthetic fabric, which are easy to find on Internet services, rarely look attractive, so they are only suitable as a temporary option. Give preference to wear-resistant and dense fabric to make the sofa look more expensive and last longer.
Accent wall
Add an accent wall to the room to create contrast with the fabric of the sofa. This is a quick way that will transform the appearance of your sofa. If your sofa is dark, go in the opposite direction and paint the walls in light colors to make the sofa stand out.
For example, an emerald green velvet sofa will stand out against a light beige or bluish gray background. Beige linen upholstery can create a distinctive look when paired with charcoal gray or navy blue walls.
Change components
Place the sofa on legs or replace the old (usually chrome) legs with new wooden ones. You can also paint the legs in a bright or more muted color, sew covers for individual pillows - for example, just on the seat - or add armrests to a laconic product.
Some sofas have a petticoat and do not fit into the modern style - you can remove it, turning the structure into a lighter-looking model. Or vice versa - add decorative elements in the form of buttons, simulating a carriage tie on the back.
Content update
The filling requires more frequent replacement compared to other parts of the sofa. This is especially true for outdated materials.
What you can do yourself
First you need to disassemble the sofa and check the springs. Dismantling is done in the following sequence:
- Overhead parts and decorative elements are removed from the sofa.
- Next, unscrew the sides, backs, seat and legs, and also remove the sliding elements and fastening mechanisms. If parts are damaged, they must be repaired or replaced. The fixing elements should be put in a separate place so that they do not get lost.
- The upholstery is removed using an anti-stapler or a flat screwdriver. It is better to save it to use as patterns in the future.
- Inspection of springs. With use, they weaken and wear out. These mechanisms cannot be repaired, so most often new parts are installed.
- Cleaning the surface from dirt.
- Checking the condition of the filler, which is most often foam rubber.
Materials
A variety of materials are used as filler, such as foam rubber, cotton wool, synthetic fluff, PPA and others. They are used both separately and in combination with each other. For example, polyurethane foam is most suitable for a seat, and synthetic fluff for pillows. A layer of batting and coconut coir is often placed on the spring part, and then covered with a layer of padding polyester on top. When choosing a filler, you should pay special attention to its brand. Typically, the manufacturer indicates the density and hardness index. They determine the final cost of the material and its characteristics.
Instructions
The filler also needs to be cut to size. Next, it is laid on the base of each part and fixed using a construction stapler. Due to the additional layer, you can add volume to the back and armrest. But this point needs to be thought through at the stage of making the pattern. If you lay the filler in several layers, then you will need much more material for the upholstery. In the case when the seat is made on the basis of a spring, thick fabric is first placed on it and fixed. Next, all parts of the filler are covered with canvas or other fabric to protect it from dirt and to obtain a more even surface.
Tips and tricks
It is quite difficult to update a sofa yourself for the first time. Therefore, it is recommended to watch various master classes and training materials. You can take photographs at each stage of furniture disassembly. This will help in the future to repeat the arrangement of parts and mechanisms during assembly. It is also better to make special marks on the parts so that you know from which side they were removed.
ATTENTION! Before starting the repair of upholstered furniture, it is necessary to determine, if possible, what kind of work will need to be done and weigh your strengths in this matter. Also, in order not to lose your sofa for several days, you should prepare the required tools and materials in advance.
Thus, you can update the sofa with your own hands in various available ways. In stores you can find all the special devices and do not have to resort to the services of specialized companies. We hope that this article will be useful and help give your favorite upholstered furniture a second life.
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Completely restore
Such work will require not only enthusiasm, but also investment of money and effort. To thoroughly update a sofa, you should disassemble it, sand the wooden parts or replace damaged chipboard. The filler needs to be replaced, the moving mechanisms need to be lubricated or new ones installed. The wood must be coated with a protective compound (oil, wax or paint).
To sew new upholstery, we recommend removing the old one and, using it as a template, cutting out new components. With due patience and accuracy, the result will definitely please you.
There are many ways to transform a boring or damaged sofa: use your imagination to create a completely new piece of furniture without much investment.
