RECOVERING YOUR FURNITURE

One way to update your home is to change the look of your furniture, replacing worn or outdated fabrics and coordinating unmatched pieces for a cohesive look. This can involve adding slipcovers or reupholstering chairs and sofas.

Arlene’s professional workrooms make recovering your furniture an easy project to complete. All you have to do is come in and pick your fabric and we’ll take care of the rest. Our workmanship is guaranteed and we'll even pick-up and deliver your piece when it's done.

BUT HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHETHER TO RECOVER A PIECE?
There are two reasons why you may want to recover your furniture: the emotional and the practical. The emotion rationale comes from your personal attachment to the piece. Do you really love it? Is it an unusually shape? Does it have some meaning to you, having inherited it or received it as a gift? Whatever the reason, your attachment matters and you should consider recovering to extend the life of the piece so you can continue to enjoy it. The practical rational is all about the quality of the frame. Simply put, if it has a good frame then it`s worth recovering. Since you can`t usually see the frame with all the padding and fabric, I`ve got a few tips to help test the quality:

• Check the weight: a good quality frame will be made from solid hardwood and springs so it should have a substantial weight to it
• Check the structure: wiggle the arms and back to determine if it`s solid or loosely constructed
• Check the legs: flip the piece over so you can see if the legs are part of the frame, which is another sign of quality work

Once you`ve made the decision to recover your furniture, you can choose between slipcovers and reupholstery.

SLIPCOVERS
Slipcovers are perfect for families and pet owners, and especially for allergy sufferers, as they are made to be easily removed and washed. And Arlene’s slipcovers are perfectly fitted to the furniture piece so you will have a tailored, finished look – not the crumpled, bulky look you get with off-the-shelf products.

REUPHOLSTERY
Reupholstery is a great opportunity to build up cushioning or make any necessary repairs to your furniture. Springs, stuffing and fabric can be replaced and wood can be refinished. This is a good option for pieces with unusual shapes as the new fabric is tightly fitted and mounted to the frame.

SELECTING FABRICS
Selecting your fabric involves both your personality and the character of the furniture. You want to be comfortable with your colour, pattern and texture choice but you also want to make sure the fabric suits the piece. A big, bulky sofa wouldn’t suit a dainty print and a small antique can be overwhelmed by a large print.

There are also practical considerations of the type of use the furniture will receive in your home that will influence your fabric choice. Will the fabric be used on furniture that will experience high traffic and heavy use or will it be used infrequently? For light- to medium-use your options are wide open including cottons, cotton blends and even silk. But when more durability is required you should consider chenille, velvet and faux suede.

WE'RE HERE TO HELP
Visit Arlene's at our Vancouver, Burnaby or Langley locations for a product demonstration. Or you can have one of our in-home consultants come to you! Give us a call at (604) 291-6922.