Before: Light blue stripe and natural stain legs
After: Black and white ticking with black painted legs
Before: Green velvet and natural stain legs
After: Dove gray velvet and white painted legs
Before: Red and yellow print
After: Cream velvet
A much better fit with my neutral bedding!
Marc Holmes of All Around Upholstery is my 'go-to-guy' when it comes to furniture. The business was passed down to him through the family. He is a stickler for perfection and even picks up/ delivers for free!
Some of my Crafty readers have emailed me questions about upholstery. So, here are few tips for you are who new to the recovering game.
Where to purchase fabric?
If you live in DFW, there are lots of choices. And thanks to the internet, these places are available to everyone- even if you don't live in Texas :)
Here are a few of my favorite places for fabric:
- Childress
-Cutting Corners
-Best Fabrics
-Pottery Barn
-Ballards
-Interior Alternative
Is it cost effective to recover vs. buy new?
Yes! Shop Craigslist, local garage sales, antique stores, Goodwill etc. for furntiure. Most pieces can be purchased for under $50. My 'side of the road' wingback chair cost $250 to recover. I found a good price on fabric, $11 a yard x 6 yards. So the total cost of the chair was $316. For custom furniture, this is unbeatable.
What fabric should I choose?
Look at the other pieces in your home. If you have a lot of solid colors furniture, add some pattern with an accent chair. Geometric prints, stripes or even florals can be a great way to add layers to your home. And since you are creating a custom piece of furniture, feel free to have a little fun. Create something you couldn't find at the department store.
If large prints scare you, you can add a little drama with a pop of color on the cording. Or consider covering the back of the cushion in a different print than the rest of the chair. I have a friend who did the seat of her wingback in leopard print. Depending on her accent pillows or mood, she could flip the cushion over for a new look.
With that being said, I would recommend looking through catalogs, blogs, and magazines before you buy your fabric. Whenever you are going to spend $300 on a project, you want to make sure that it won't look dated in a year.
A Few More Things...
-Don't forget about the details! Nailhead trim, painted legs, a skirt, tufting, and buttons all add a more custom look to your furniture. These add the finishing touch to your pieces and can usually be done for around $25-$75.
Oh and a word of warning: When Marc dropped the chairs off, my 20 month-old happily sat on the dove-gray chair while I paid for the work and chatted for a few minutes. During that time, she managed to scribble on my newly covered chair with a bright orange crayon. What?! I know. Thankfully, it was a washable crayon. So if you haven't already, replace all art supplies with washable ones- you never know when an orange crayon will strike!
Have a great week:)
