Save Money on Decorating

You can change the look of your room by simply upholstering your old sofa or chair in a new (well-chosen) color. This change can radically transform your room – for the better.

Your sofa, chair or ottoman will look brand new, but, since upholstering your furniture can be quite expensive, how do you determine if your old furniture is worth the cost?
 

• Your piece of furniture is basically strong. The condition of the upholstery won’t tell you how strong the framework of the piece is. If the frame is not warped or cracked, it’s probably a good candidate for a facelift.

• You absolutely LOVE it and can’t bear to think of getting rid of it. The size and shape may be exactly right for the area you want it. If the frame is in fair condition, you’ll want to upholster it.

• You find a chair at a yard sale and it is unique and charming. Older furniture can be more interesting than some of the furniture you can find today. If it has that uniqueness, it’s probably worth recovering.

Now that you’ve decided to keep a particular piece of furniture there's a couple of things to keep in mind when having it reupholstered:

• Your upholstery fabric should be specifically for furniture upholstery. If you reupholster yourself, you can find these fabrics in most fabric shops. Upholstery fabric is usually 54 inches wide and is more durable than lighter fabrics. Choose tightly woven fabric and fabric that isn’t too bulky.

• It’s especially important to make sure your printed fabric is in scale with your furniture – not too large for a tiny side chair. Also, be sure you allow enough yardage for matching the print patterns.

Upholstering your furniture is a great way of saving money. You don't have to spend on a brand new piece of furniture. There are expenses involved, of course, but good quality, new furniture would normally be much more expensive.