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Reupholster or slipcover for new look
A great way to revitalize a room is by reupholstering
or slipcovering the furniture. Rather than buy new
pieces, recovering existing items can give your home
a new look and extend the life of your furniture.
Is your furniture a good candidate for reupholstery?
A good upholsterer can actually reconstruct the frame,
springs and cushions on an old sofa or chair. A reupholstered
piece of furniture can be as good or even better than
new. However, the cost can be quite high, especially
if an expensive fabric is chosen. If the piece is of
very good quality, then reupholstering makes sense
economically, as it can be less expensive than buying
a comparable new piece. On the other hand, if the piece
was of lesser quality to begin with, from a financial
point of view it is probably better for you to purchase
something new instead.
Slipcovers are a great choice when you want flexibility.
Some people like to change the look of their furniture
with the seasons. Light, cheerful colors are good for
spring and summer, while dark, rich fabrics are appropriate
in fall and winter. Other people love being able to
remove the slipcovers for cleaning. Slipcovers are
very practical for families with young children and
pets for this reason. Don't shy away from white and
natural fabrics-- they fit into a variety of design
styles and they can be bleached. Tailored, well-made
slipcovers can look almost like upholstery and can
extend the life of the upholstery underneath. Like
reupholstery, custom-made slipcovers can be pricey,
but are designed to last for many years.
Several of my design projects lately have included
recovering existing pieces of furniture. I love doing
custom reupholstery because it gives my clients and
me the opportunity to select the perfect fabric for
the room. Most furniture stores have limited upholstery
choices. But there are so many fabrics available, that
just about any style and color can be accommodated
when recovering furniture.
One client is reupholstering a large ottoman in her
living room. We selected a gorgeous embroidered floral
pattern in the colors aquamarine, chocolate brown and
cream. The refurbished ottoman will coordinate beautifully
with her teal blue sofa, cream-colored chairs and dark
wood tables.
Another client decided to re-upholster two chairs
that she and her husband love. The chairs are the perfect
size for the room, have a cute shape, and are well
made and comfortable. It would be difficult to find
comparable chairs at an affordable price. Re-upholstering
them was the perfect solution. We chose a lovely fabric
in an amber color with cream embroidered dots.
A third client decided to have a custom slipcover
made for her sofa. She wanted a new look for the sofa,
but wanted the option of reverting back to its original
look. For this client, a slipcover was a great choice.
We chose a yellow, blue and white striped fabric to
complement her decor. Underneath is the original oatmeal
colored fabric waiting to reappear at a moment's notice.
This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper
Group papers on Sept. 16, 2006.
Go
back to the list of decorating columns.
All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna
Jacoby.
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