Why Reupholster When A Nip And Tuck Will Do

Why flat out reupholster your old, classic sofa when a nip and a tuck may be all it takes to give it a lift.

SERVICE ALERT | Although home décor and design are all about modernism right now, I’m still in love with the George Smith-inspired scroll arm sofa and chair I bought on sale at Conran’s in England when my now-teenaged son was small. One thing I appreciate about my pieces is the way their fabric has faded ever so softly over the years in that endearing English country house way. It made me sad to think about completely recovering them when two of the arms frayed, one each on the sofa and chair, but what else can you do when your living room starts to look more shabby than chic? I had pretty much resigned myself to an expensive upholstery redo when Susan Poling walked into my life.

How About A Little Sofa Surgery

Poling, recommended by Russell Baker of Bombast Furniture, opened her own boutique upholstery studio, Viva Voce (Latin for “word of mouth”), nine years ago, though she has been doing upholstery much longer than that. When I told her how much I loved my fabric and hated doing a complete overhaul when only two of the arms needed recovering, she suggested we use the back fabrics from both pieces to make new arm covers. This was a great idea, except for two things: 1. The fabric from the backs was just shy of enough material to do the arms; 2. Where were we going to find an appropriate replacement fabric for the backs?

Reupholstered Sofa Arm - Casey PhaisalakaniAs it turned out, both problems were solvable. Instead of doing two arms, Poling did all four, attaching an extra, barely detectable, piece of fabric near the back of each that reads like a design detail (see the photo above). As for the new back fabric, I found a slightly faded Sunbrella textile that’s close enough to the original to call it a match.

I love my refurbished old Berkshire sofa and chair, and I love that I saved a whack of money and got exactly what I wanted. Poling says reupholstering just my sofa would have cost $3,000 minimum.  When I factor in pick-up and delivery, the new Sunbrella fabric and Poling’s labour, this job—both sofa and chair—cost around $1,000. —C. Rule

Contact Susan Poling at Viva Voce, 604-313-8309

Photos: Ellipse sofa by Terrance Conran; reupholstery detail,   C. Phaisalakani

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