Upholstery Selection – Getting Outside the Box

When you love a piece of furniture, you have a difficult decision to make as that piece ages. Do you discard it and try to find a replacement that you will love just as much, or do you look for ways to keep the piece by “re-doing” it. Certainly, an old wooden piece, such as a desk or a table, can be sanded and refinished or painted, transforming it into a great “new” piece, with minimal effort and price. When it comes to upholstered furniture, however, a renovation may entail quite a bit more. If the piece itself is in need of repair, it may need reinforcement in springs, new cushion interiors, etc. If you can do this on your own, that is certainly more reasonable in terms of cost, but, if not, it makes sense to involve skilled tradesmen to accomplish this part of the “renaissance.” There will ultimately be, however, the decision to make regarding new upholstery, and it is important that you take your time before making a selection with which you will be living for years. Like all decisions, there should be a process, and, in this case, it should be as follows:

1. Take a long, hard look at the room in which the piece of furniture is placed. Will you be looking to replace other things in the room in the near future – rugs, drapes, or other upholstered pieces? If not, then you want to look at colors and patterns that will be staying, because your new upholstered chair will need to complement or provide a stunning contrast to what now exists. If other things will soon be replaced, then you must develop a color scheme and overall style before you choose a material for the re-upholstery.
2. Once you are clear in your mind about colors, complements, contrasts, and styles, you are ready to consider an upholstery fabric. The easy choice is, of course, a solid fabric, perhaps patterned, that will “fit in” with the rest of the current or soon-to-be-renovated room. If you are a bit on the conservative and traditional side, this choice is safe, for it allows you to then select drapes and/or rugs that are striped, checked, etc. and that will include the color that you have selected for the upholstered piece.
3. If, on the other hand, you are more adventurous, and a bit of a risk-taker, a solid color may not be your most pleasing choice. You may be someone who likes the idea of stripes and checks and geometric prints all together, so long as the colors are complementary. If you are such a person, you will need to do a bit more research. Such research may include visiting furniture stores that have such room arrangements, studying decorating plans in magazines or on the Internet, or, consulting an interior decorator. Getting outside of the traditional “box” can be fun and exciting, and you should certainly try it! If you don’t consider your many options, moreover, you may end up with decisions that you regret later on.