The not-so-modern couch that is Mid-Century is a hand-me-down that the household was happy to part with. It’s showing more than a bit of wear, and it really drags your exuberant decor. However, the cost of re-upholstery is as much as purchasing a new couch, and the point of this gift wasn’t nostalgia. You can’t live with this, and you can’t live without it, so roll up your sleeves and get to work. A subdued, closely woven fabric, like charcoal wool or grain sacking, will highlight — and upgrade — the lines of this couch.
Wield a mean screwdriver and start eliminating the principles. Plan to spend some time at it — there is going to be a lot of staples. Take every piece of fabric off, Since you work, label it and record the order in which it was removed by you. If you can’t salvage it, do the exact same for the cushioning. Save zippers from cushions that are removable.
Tackle the vulnerable legs and frame while you have the couch. Strip, sand, re-stain and lacquer, any wood that is , or paint. Clean up and repaint chrome that is scratched. Allow the frame upgrade to dry before reassembling the couch.
Lay the upholstery fabric face-up on a dropcloth and place the previous bits on it, also face-up, adjusting them to adapt stripes from the grain sacking or any pattern or visible direction at the weave. Pin the upholstery to the new fabric and cut bits , leaving a border around every piece.
Confirm your notes and set the couch starting with the piece you eliminated and working backwards to the first. Staple any padding that is fresh . Then staple the outer fabric, pulling before tacking it down each bit tight. Maintain the line of principles close to the border of the fabric. Trim the excess fabric close to the principles, as you finish each section.
Check constantly as you work to make sure your stripes or pattern line up and the fabric lays smoothly. It will help to have a friend available even though you can manage it.
Sew couch cushion and cut out covers using fabric cut on the bias. Recycle the zippers in the previous cushions and plump up cushions with fill when you are able to reuse the old stuffing.
Tack a deep border of twisted knee, at the exact same colour as the upholstery, around the base edge of the couch. This step is completely optional, but it was a popular look during the first portion of this period that is classic, from 1930 through the’50s approximately. Fringe is a kicky and clever homage to the age that created your sofa. The fringe may be eliminated when you want an even more couch profile if it tacks securely.