To Reupholster or Not Reupholster?

Yes, that is the million dollar question.  People say this to me all the time:  “I have this old sofa that belonged to my [mother, grandmother, etc.] and I was thinking of reupholstering it.  What do you think?”

www.brownerbrown.wordpress.com

Well, here’s what I know.  Reupholstering is a labour intensive process which can be expensive so there are a few things you should consider before deciding whether to reupholster a piece of furniture:

  • How old is the piece?  If it’s a family heirloom or an antique, it may be worth it to have it reupholstered.
  • How well is it constructed?  Is it sturdy or rickety, is it made of hardwood or softwood, is it screwed and glued or just nailed together?  Repairing the frame will add to the cost, and if it was a poorly made, cheap sofa to begin with, it is not worth it to reupholster it.
  • If it has exposed wood, what kind of shape is it in?  Again, repairing or re-staining the wood will increase the cost.
  • Does the piece have interesting design features (carved wood, interesting shape or details)?

If the piece is a treasured family heirloom, that has great sentimental value, and it’s well made and in good physical condition, it’s probably worth it but there are still some more things to think about:

  • The average sofa takes at least 15 yards of fabric.  A good quality upholstery fabric usually starts at about $60 per yard so the fabric alone will cost you $900.00 before the actual labour to do the reupholstery.
  • An older sofa, even if it is well made and in good condition, will likely need some new foam, padding, or springs so that will also add to the labour cost.

(Source:  www.consignmentcanada.com)

Now I know you’ve probably heard designers on TV or in magazines talk about buying fabric for $15 a yard and reupholstering a garage sale find for next to nothing.  When I talk about reupholstering a piece of furniture, I’m mainly talking about a sofa or an armchair and there is a difference between recovering a cushion and completely reupholstering.  Reupholstery almost always involves replacing foam and repairing or replacing springs.  Unless you are really talented, full scale upholstery is best left to the professionals, but it’s pretty easy to recover a small ottoman or a chair with an inexpensive piece of fabric and a little effort.

Here’s an example of a good quality chair that was updated by the very talented DIY’er and Blogger, Kate, of Centsational Girl.  (For the full story of how she transformed this chair, and other great projects, you can visit her site at:  www.centsationalgirl.com.)

(Source:  www.centsationalgirl.com)

Very often reupholstery will cost you about what a new sofa or chair would cost because with new padding, etc., you are essentially getting a new piece of furniture, so it’s important to weigh out all the pros and cons before going ahead.

If you need help deciding when to reupholster and when to buy new, please contact Embellished Interiors for a consultation.

 

 

 

Tuscan Patio Part II

Well, as promised here is how I brought a bit of the Italian countryside home after being inspired by a trip to Tuscany.

First came the structural stuff.  When we moved into the house (over eight years ago) the backyard had a plain deck off the kitchen and nothing but a concrete slab off the family room. It was pretty B-O-R-I-N-G so we changed the railing on the deck to something more traditional in keeping with the style of the house, then we enlarged the patio footprint and installed stone tiles in a diagonal pattern with a border.  Finally, we built a glass pergola over the patio so that it felt more enclosed and could be used all through the Spring/Summer months rain or shine.  (Sorry I don’t have a “before” photo taken prior to the structural work because it was pre-digital and those photos aren’t quite as organized as I’d like them to be.)

A few years later, we purchased some new patio furniture (we waited until the Fall and got it on sale) and in keeping with our desire for Tuscan style we decided to go for a bright colour with the cushions.

So, this is what we started with:

(Patio Before )

Next we purchased a really solid old pine coffee table from the Salvation Army Thrift Store.We reinforced the centre of the table and began the process of transforming it.

1)  First we put on two coats of primer:

2)  Next we put on three coats of black paint

3)  Then came the fun part — laying in and grouting tumbled marble tile:

We’re almost done, just a few special touches…

 

Next we placed the patio furniture, planted some planters, and “voila” all that’s left to do is pour a glass of wine and pretend we are in Italy:

If you would like help creating an outdoor space that makes you feel like you are in Italy (or wherever your imagination can take you), please call Embellished Interiors for a consultation.

 

 

 

 

 

Tuscan Patio Part I

Five years ago my husband, our two boys and I headed off on a European vacation.  We toured around London and Paris, and spent a week in Tuscany.  Sounds wonderful, right?  Well, it was… except for our accommodation.  We stayed in a so-called Tuscan Farmhouse but really it was more like a barn and there were a few too many bugs for my liking.  Aside from that, however, we had a great time exploring the area.  The scenery is beautiful and yes, the sunflowers really do turn their heads to the sun.

One of my favourite places in Tuscany was San Gimignano, a small, medieval walled city in the province of Siena, Italy:

(Source:  Traveljapanblog.com)

 

(Source:  Pinterest.com)

As you walk along the streets of these small towns, it’s hard not to be impressed by the history.  After all, San Gimignano was founded by the Etruscans in the 3rd Century BC!  While we were there, I fell in love with the hand painted pottery — dishes, vases and especially the ceramic table tops — but at nearly $3,000.00 for just the the table top (not including the base or shipping) sadly I had to leave that souvenir in Italy.

 

(Source: www.leoncini-italy.com)

I sure enjoyed window shopping though and brought home a few small ceramics as a reminder of this beautiful place.

(Source:  www.flickr.com)

One thing I decided, even though I wasn’t able to bring home a table top, was that I wanted to bring a taste of the Italian countryside to my backyard patio in North Vancouver, and with a few simple touches, that is what I did.  Stay tuned (in my next post) for a look at how I brought Tuscany home.

Can You Mix High and Low?

Style at Home Magazine has a feature article each month called “High or Low…Can you Tell the Difference?” and I love testing myself to see if I can determine which one is which.  Often, I get it right, and the way I can tell is by looking at the finishing details on the furniture, or the look of the fabrics.  I’m able to do this because my design training (and my personality) has taught me to look for those details, but many people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.   Here is an example of an elegant dining room from the magazine:

The photo on the left is the high cost room.  Can you spot the differences? For me, the dead give-away is the side chair because it has more detail on the legs (the one on the left has detail on the back legs whereas the one shown in the photo below has plain back legs).  The other tip-off is that there have been two different fabrics used on the chair (one on the seat and one on the outside back).  Also, the fabric on the left looks like a silk damask, whereas the one below looks like a plainer less expensive fabric has been used.  (Note:  when you use two different fabrics on one chair it will always increase the cost of the upholstery!)

 

 

When I’m decorating I really like to combine both high and low products. In this high/low example, I actually prefer the less expensive, smaller scale and less ornate chairs, and I don’t think you can tell that the accessories are less expensive, either.  (Except for that little red candle in the photo to the right.   I would have used another smaller glass hurricane to make a better grouping rather than use this red candle which is too small and doesn’t relate to anything else!)

It’s important, however, that you don’t try to save money at the cost of comfort or longevity, especially if the products will be used on a daily basis. You won’t be happy if your less expensive chairs are terribly uncomfortable, so it’s good to know when to spend and when to save.

Here’s an example of some inexpensive accessories placed on an expensive coffee table in a living room I recently designed:

Room Design by Lesley Arnould, Embellished Interiors

Photo by Trevor Brady

The table will be in this living room for a long time to come, but the accessories can be changed out as the need or desire arises because they didn’t cost a lot.

If you would like help deciding when to save and when to splurge, call Embellished Interiors for a consultation.

 

Decorating Advice From Julia Child?

Although I’m not a real “foodie” I do like to cook, and have always admired Julia Child’s joie de vivre.  Recently, I came across the following quote from Julia in her book, “My Life in France” and I think her advice could easily apply to decorating.  She said:

” This is my invariable advice to people:  Learn how to cook — try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun!”

Here’s how I would apply Julia’s advice to decorating:

Learn How To Decorate — Do your research, tear ideas out of magazines, think about what you like (and don’t like), figure out what colours appeal to you, find a qualified Interior Decorator to help you get started.

(Source:  Fitzandfrolic.com)

Try New Things — find a piece (artwork, a favourite fabric, furniture, carpet) that inspires you and use that as your jumping off point.  This carpet in a room designed by Daniel Sachs, would have great starting point for this room design:

(Source:  House Beautiful Magazine)

Learn From Your Mistakes — We’ve all made a mistakes when decorating.  You know — those ‘what was I thinking’ pieces that fit with absolutely nothing you have, and ended up in the garage, or the colour that looked so uplifting on the small paint chip and screamed “I Am Yellow — Look At Me” on the wall?!!  Figure out what went wrong and move on.

(Source:  Google Images)

Be Fearless — Sometimes you just have to ‘go for it’ and make a leap a faith — or maybe just trust your decorator! 🙂

Have Fun — Decorating should be fun.  After all, your home should be the place you feel most comfortable.  If you aren’t having fun decorating it, what’s the point?

(Source:  Dailyphotowall.net)

So…Bon Decor, everyone, and if you need some help taking the decorating plunge, call Embellished Interiors for a consultation.

 


We had the privilege of having Lesley decorate our new house. Lesley met with us , took the information about what our vision was and came up with amazing ideas. She was always professional and it was a pleasure to work with her.
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