The sofa takes center stage in the living room. The harmony and comfort of the room depends on its appearance. But what if the upholstery of the sofa has lost its attractiveness, worn out or torn? Or maybe, after the repair, the old sofa no longer fits into the new interior? Do not rush to run to the furniture store, because you can replace the upholstery of the sofa yourself. This will help not only to save on the purchase of new furniture, but also to show imagination and design inclinations. In this article, we will tell you how to choose a beautiful and practical fabric for upholstery, and a detailed master class will help you update an old sofa at a minimum cost.
Choose fabric
The choice of fabric is a responsible task. It is necessary to choose a material that is attractive, harmonizes with the interior, and is also durable, practical and easy to clean. If there are small children and animals in the house, the task becomes even more difficult. Spilled juice, cookie crumbs, chocolate, sharp claws are all risk factors for upholstery.
The most popular materials are: flock,chenille, jacquard, velor, tapestry and leather:
- Flock is a synthetic fabric with the addition of cotton. It has a pleasant velvet structure, is easy to clean, resistant to claws and UV. Perfect for a home with children and pets.
- Chenille is made from tightly twisted threads, so it is resistant to abrasion, does not absorb dirt and odors. The texture of the fabric is very pleasant, reminiscent of velor.
- Jacquard is a natural material and is suitable for people prone to allergies. It is made from cotton threads by complex weaving. The structure of the fabric is stiff and does not tolerate wet cleaning.
- Velor looks great in the interior, but requires special care. Despite the strong base, the pile wears out quickly, so this upholstery is not suitable for intensive use.
- Tapestry has a pronounced texture and high density. It has proven itself as a durable and wear-resistant upholstery, but the fabric fades quickly.
- Leather for upholstery use natural and artificial, the so-called eco-leather. It does not absorb odors and dirt, it is great to clean, but if there are animals in the house, leather is not the best solution.
Before you rush to the store for the selected fabric, you need to calculate its quantity. Ideally, the upholstery should be removed, laid out on a flat surface and measured. An easier way: take two lengths and two widths of the sofa. Get an approximate amount of material with a small margin. If the selected fabrichas a large pattern, you need to add another 1-1.5 meters to the result to fit.
The material should be taken with a margin, because it is not always possible to buy more, and from the surplus you can sew another sofa cushion or leave it in case of minor upholstery repairs.
Tools and materials
In order to reupholster a sofa at home, you will need the following tools and materials:
- Screwdrivers, wrenches and pliers. Needed in order to disassemble the sofa.
- Furniture staple remover. For these purposes, a flat screwdriver and pliers will do.
- A piece of fabric and thread. The threads must be thick and strong to withstand the tension of the fabric.
- Tailor's scissors, chalk or bar of soap, pins, needles for hand sewing. These tools will be needed when making the pattern.
- Steam iron.
- Sewing machine. The process of replacing the upholstery of the sofa will be accelerated by grinding parts on a typewriter, and not by hand.
- Furniture stapler and staples.
Step by step instructions
Replacing the upholstery of a sofa with your own hands is not difficult if you follow the instructions we have prepared. The old sofa will find a second life and will delight with beauty and convenience for a long time.
Dismantling the sofa
First of all, you need to completely disassemble the sofa and remove all accessories. So that during subsequent assembly there are no problems with finding the right screw, allparts can be folded into a jar.
Next, remove the old upholstery, carefully removing all staples. It is important not to damage the fabric: you will need it to cut the new upholstery. All seams are ripped and the threads are removed. Details are numbered and the direction of the drawing is marked with an arrow. Old upholstery is steamed and ironed.
Cutting the fabric
On a flat flat surface, the fabric chosen to replace the upholstery of the sofa is laid out. Ironed patterns of old upholstery are distributed on it, taking into account the direction of the pattern, and fixed with pins. Details are outlined along the contour with chalk or a piece of soap. Using tailor's scissors, cut out the details of the new upholstery and transfer the numbering to them.
The cut fabric is swept away and tried on on the sofa. Covers should sit with a little tension. If everything is in order, the parts are sewn on a sewing machine.
Upholstery and assembly
Ready-made covers are put on the sofa and, pulling the edges, fix it with a furniture stapler. In order for the cover to sit beautifully - without bubbles and folds, you need to stretch the fabric evenly. It is advisable to involve an assistant in the process, but you can do it on your own.
At the final stage, the sofa is assembled and the fittings are fixed. If necessary, the mechanisms can be lubricated with machine oil so that they do not creak.
A similar technology is used to replace the upholstery of a corner sofa.
Done! The sofa flaunts a new “outfit” and pleases the eye, and the owner can be proud of the work done.
In what situationsit is better to involve specialists
Judging by the reviews, when replacing the upholstery of a sofa, problems often arise that only specialists can solve:
- If the piece of furniture is very old, and in addition to the upholstery, the filler and springs need to be replaced.
- If the design of the sofa is quite complex, which can lead to problems during assembly at the final stage.
- If the upholstery of upholstered furniture has a complex cut. Without skills and experience in tailoring, it will be problematic to repeat covers.
- If the sofa is expensive enough, and there is a risk of spoiling it due to inexperience.
- If you plan to fit the interior with leather. Working with it requires certain skills and experience.
Replacing the upholstery of a sofa is a laborious process, but simple enough that you can do it yourself. Reupholstery will save you money and breathe new life into your old furniture. The updated sofa will fit perfectly into the interior and will serve faithfully for many years to come.
