How to update a sofa at home. How to update old furniture with your own hands How to update upholstered furniture at home

Sometimes people become attached not only to living beings, but also to the city, home and even furniture. After all, how sometimes you don’t want to throw away your favorite chair or ottoman, which brings you warmth, comfort and convenience. But what if the thing you love is outdated? Believe me, it's not as difficult as it seems at first glance. You just need to breathe into it new life, that is, update upholstered furniture. Of course, you can call specialists and pay a lot of money for the upholstery and reconstruction of furniture, but it will be easier and more interesting to do it yourself, putting all your original ideas into your favorite thing.

To get started, make a sketch of your plan, think about how your “new” furniture will look like. The decor style of the converted product must necessarily match the entire appearance of the room or room. Thus, by choosing the right textiles, you can easily and for little money update and give fashionable chic even to the most “decrepit” sofa or soft ottoman.

Style

By choosing the right design style, you can transform any outdated upholstered furniture beyond recognition:


Ways to update upholstered furniture

The first and easiest of the ways is to sew covers on the sofa, armchairs or chairs. Today it is quite a fashionable and popular option, in which the update of upholstered furniture occurs quickly enough and without special costs. Heavy velvet covers or light and cheerful "clothes" for furniture with all sorts of decorative elements in the form of assemblies, ruffles or bows, they will perfectly update your "worn" furniture. In addition, the covers are quite practical. After all, they can always be washed or replaced with new ones. Having bought desired material and tailoring the selected style, having previously processed all the edges with an overlock, the cover should be fixed with an elastic band so that it does not slip off the furniture.

The second way is to create an application that will be appropriate on both the new upholstery and the old fabric. With the help of it, you can hide the flaws that have formed or even give the furniture your own. special style. Applications can be sewn onto the upholstery fabric, glued, and also applied special paints for stencil fabric.


But the most common way is constriction. At the same time, the very shape of the old furniture will remain the same, but its appearance, using a fabric with a bright color, an unusual texture, can be radically changed. Getting started, you must first completely disassemble the old product.

Upholstering a sofa or easy chair

For stretching you will need:

  1. Foam rubber. It is used for the softness of the product.
  2. For separating upholstery and internal filler synthetic winterizer is used.
  3. The upholstery itself. For furniture that will often be used for its intended purpose, it is best to choose a dense and wear-resistant material.
  4. Working tools: enough sharp knife, ruler, scissors, construction tape measure and a special stapler with staples.

As mentioned earlier, the fabric for the waist should be very dense. It's beautiful here suitable synthetic leather, beautiful jacquard or tapestry. It is very important to correctly calculate right amount footage with a good and sufficient margin. If the upholstery material is patterned, then in order to combine all its details, it is necessary to increase the consumption of fabric by about 25%.


After you remove the old upholstery, do not rush to throw it away, because it can become a good pattern for a new cover. Laying out new fabric on the floor front side down, put the old one on it and straighten it well, removing all unnecessary and folds. When drawing a contour, be sure to learn what old material may be deformed during the operation of the product. When carefully cutting out a stencil of future upholstery with scissors, it is better to make a margin for more allowances. All excess tissue is removed already during the work.

The next stage is the replacement and laying of foam rubber on those parts that need to be updated. Then we put the synthetic winterizer and cover it with a new one on top upholstery material. After making sure that the upholstery takes the desired position, we fix it with a stapler. Staples need to be fastened every 2 cm, while carefully bending and watching the upholstery so that it does not wrinkle or move.

Pay due attention to the wooden elements of upholstered furniture, because they have also worn out over time and need proper restoration. Wooden openwork linings, armrests, legs and other solid elements are best re-varnished or painted (also under varnish), if it is appropriate in general style premises. wooden surface first carefully processed with sandpaper. Cracks should be eliminated with a special putty for wood, followed by surface treatment, but with fine sandpaper. After all the preparatory procedures, the tree is varnished in a suitable color.

According to this simple principle you can update any old furniture. Of course, in every case you need skill and experience, and in order to understand all the intricacies of the work, it is better to start with simple products, for example, from an ottoman or chair, and only then proceed to update more complex upholstered furniture.

In almost every modern residential interior there is upholstered furniture. Periodically carrying out repairs or changing the style of decoration, many replace old sofas and armchairs with new ones. But there are those who believe that it is more profitable and easier to restore old upholstered furniture, giving it a new and modern look.

How to update an old sofa: an algorithm

For those who want to independently repair the sofa, you need to know from which constituent parts it usually consists. The details of any sofa are the seat, back, sidewalls, secondary elements (accessories, ottomans, pillows, etc.). The main elements are made up of wooden frame, soft filler, fabric or leather upholstery.

For those who wondered how to make a new one out of an old sofa, the instructions below will be useful. It covers the entire spectrum possible works on the restoration of the sofa, the information from its points can be applied in practice separately.

So, the algorithm for the complete reconstruction of the sofa:

  1. Complete disassembly of the product and its parts.

- removal of decorating and overhead elements

- unscrewing the sidewalls, legs, backrest, seat.

– dismantling of folding mechanisms and elements for fixing parts

- Removing the upholstery, removing the filler and shock-absorbing element

  1. Revision of the state of parts.

They check the strength of the frame, fasteners, the degree of wear of the shock absorber, the suitability of the filler. They throw out the unnecessary, draw up a project and a drawing of a modified sofa.

  1. Frame repair or modification.

If the parameters of the sofa change, the frame is disassembled, parts are changed, and reassembled. If the design remains unchanged, the damaged parts of the frame are replaced with new ones, the stability and reliability of the fasteners are checked.

  1. Seat and back restoration.

The parts are reupholstered (the algorithm for self-replacement of the filler and upholstery is described below). Evaluate the elasticity of shock-absorbing springs: if they are deformed, they are stretched and given correct position. The parts again covered with upholstery fabric are reinforced with fittings - rivets, buttons, etc., to prevent sagging and stretching of the fabric.

  1. Sidewall restoration.

A thin (20 mm) foam rubber or synthetic winterizer is superimposed on the prepared frame of the sidewalls and fixed with a construction stapler or glue. In this case, you can give the armrests the desired size and shape. The upholstery, pre-sewn in the form of a cover, is superimposed and fixed on top.

  1. Restoration of the back wall.

Make a new one if necessary back wall from plywood, they cover it with a fabric (it is possible - another, more practical and non-marking).

  1. Assembly of repaired parts.

It is produced in the reverse order of the one in which the sofa was dismantled.

  1. Installation of secondary parts - updated or purchased new (legs, decorations, removable cushions and pillows, etc.)

How to pull a sofa at home?

Upholstering a sofa, or replacing its soft parts, is the most convenient and popular way to give it a new look.

First of all, you need to choose the fabric and stuffing material. Modern market offers consumers a huge selection of upholstery fabrics different price and with different characteristics. You can always choose the one that suits you from an aesthetic point of view - there can be any color, pattern, texture. But the properties of the future upholstery must be chosen more carefully so that its appearance remains pristine for a long time. If your sofa will serve as a seating area in the living room, you will beautiful fabrics with a large proportion of natural fibers, the presence of pile. They are not too resistant to wear and dirt, but have a noble and expensive look. And if the sofa will serve as a daily sleeping place, will stand in the nursery or in the kitchen, it is better to choose non-staining and practical synthetic smooth fabrics. They wear out a little, get greasy, get dirty, they are easy to wash and dry.

When choosing a filler, pay attention to the quality of the material, on which the preservation of its elasticity under daily stress directly depends. It should be fairly firm to the touch and thick.

When the materials are prepared, and the upholstery and filler are removed, you can proceed to the actual constriction of the sofa. The sequence of actions in this case looks like this:

  1. Open.

- measure the length, width and height of the sofa detail. According to them, we cut out a piece of fabric, while leaving 5 cm from each edge (this will be an allowance for fixing the fabric on the part).

- straighten the fabric flat surface(before cutting, you can wash it to avoid further shrinkage)

- cut the workpiece with scissors, trying not to break the contour

- we try on the resulting workpiece to the part, and if it is cut correctly, we use it as a model for the manufacture of other similar workpieces.

  1. Fixation.

- we put the part on top of the straightened workpiece, bend the fabric (so that it does not “crumble”, fix it on the part with staples. We put the staples at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other parallel or perpendicular to the edge of the solid base.

- in the same way we attach the fabric to all the details of the sofa. Where the shape requires, you can fold the fabric more or less so that it fits snugly and evenly around the base.

  1. Filler insert.

Depending on the type of material to be filled, it is either placed under upholstery fabric in the process of fixing it to the part, or place it under it when it is almost completely attached to the sofa. The shock-absorbing structure is installed inside the seat before the constriction begins.

There are many instructions on the Internet (video tutorials, master classes, books, etc.) that describe in great detail how to remake old sofa. You can use them to find out all the subtleties.

Updating an old sofa will allow any owner to make it practically new thing with the least amount of money and labor involved. A repaired and re-upholstered sofa can long years be convenient and beautiful place for relax.

Upholstered furniture occupies not the last place in our life. However, over time, even the most high-quality and expensive sofa ceases to fit into overall design rooms, becomes less attractive and loses its original view. Many see only one way out of this situation - to replace the old sofa with a new one - and the problem is solved. But don't rush. Why spend big money on new sofa if you can restore the old one and make it look even better than before?

When choosing a new material for the upholstery of the sofa, it must be remembered that it must harmoniously fit into the design of the surrounding interior.

In order to update the sofa, you can use the services of professionals who will do their job efficiently and quickly, but this can also be expensive. You can take a chance and try to update your favorite furniture yourself. At the same time, you should be prepared to face some difficulties, since this is not an easy task.

Back to index

Sofa upholstery

To begin with, it is worth noting that the technology that is used for do-it-yourself sofa upholstery is far from the one used by professionals. At first glance, it may seem that this is unrealistic, but if you have at least some special skills, then the result will not be worse. If you are far from this, then it is better not to start, because when hauling an old sofa, the following difficulties may arise:

  1. Some furniture designs quite difficult to disassemble on your own.
  2. Creating a pattern for a sofa that has complex geometric shapes.
  3. When reupholstering a sofa that is more than 7 years old, restoration may be required not only for the upholstery, but also for the frame of the structure.
  4. The cost of the sofa is too high. If this is your first experience, it is better not to take risks, but to overpay a little and use the services of masters.
  5. At expensive material(it can be leather or its substitute) it is better to use the services of experienced craftsmen.

These and other difficulties may arise for a beginner. If this does not scare you, then you can go directly to work. Do-it-yourself sofa upholstery should be carried out in several stages:

  1. Separate elements need to be removed from the sofa - pillows, poufs, sidewalls, and so on.
  2. Remove old upholstery.
  3. Make a pattern for a new cover.
  4. Upholster all parts of the sofa.
  5. Assemble the entire structure.

Back to index

In order to sew a new cover for a sofa (chair), you need to correctly measure.

For those who first got the idea to update the sofa with their own hands, experts recommend:

Try not to use complex patterns and a combination of several materials in your work.

If you are inexperienced, try to start by dragging a simpler object - a chair or stool, using inexpensive material.

During the hauling, use photo and video shooting. Record each step, this will help you to carry out the correct assembly in the future.

Stock up on the following tool you can't do without:

  • flat screwdriver;
  • hex keys;
  • side cutters and wire cutters;
  • construction stapler;
  • scissors, chalk or marker;
  • sewing machine and thread.

Pillows can be decorated with decorative buttons, which are best ordered at a clothing repair shop. Don't forget to bring a small piece of cloth with you.

When choosing a fabric, pay attention not so much to its aesthetic appearance as to the level of its strength. You should not give preference to coarse fabrics and synthetics, which can stretch and, as a result, only disappoint you. The color should be chosen taking into account the design of the room where the sofa will stand.

There are several tips for choosing fabric for sofa upholstery:

  • the fabric should not shed and smell unpleasant;
  • she must have a strong pile;
  • when choosing a fabric with a thick pile, pay attention to its direction when cutting;
  • a small pattern will help reduce fabric consumption, and large geometric figures- vice versa;
  • a combination of companion fabrics will make your sofa bright and original.

A thorough renovation of the room during the renovation will be incomplete if you do not take care of its furnishings. You can, of course, buy a completely new image of the premises new headset. But is it worth it to categorically refuse an old chest of drawers or a grandmother's canape, if they are dear to you and can still serve faithfully?

From an old sofa you can make a stylish, bright designer thing, you need to paint the base and drag the soft part.

However, this will require some effort on your own. Surely you will immediately have to decide how to update the sofa with your own hands, since this thing is one of the most common pieces of furniture for any home. Therefore, it is quite natural if the reincarnation of a somewhat outdated interior on new way it starts with the sofa.

Materials and tools necessary for work

The following materials, tools and fixtures, which it is advisable to stock up in advance, will help to update the sofa qualitatively and quickly:

For furniture upholstery you will need: a drill, a screwdriver, a ruler, a knife, scissors, a hammer, a stapler, furniture nails.

  • flat and Phillips screwdrivers;
  • a set of locksmith keys;
  • pliers;
  • side cutters;
  • wire cutters;
  • mounting stapler;
  • hammer for shoemaking;
  • sewing machine;
  • scissors;
  • marker (chalk);
  • needles and threads;
  • furniture nails.

Back to index

Preparatory operations: disassembly, checking springs, pattern

For implementation full cycle restoration of the old sofa should first be disassembled. Moreover, it is necessary to carry out disassembly in a certain order in order to perform work with high quality. In many cases, this will not be difficult to do, since manufacturers most often make cabinet sofas, which greatly facilitates repair and restoration operations.

Pillows, backs, ottomans and other overhead elements on it are removed from the specified item. Then, with a screwdriver and side cutters (pliers), remove the old upholstery. This should be done very carefully, since worn-out fabric can tear from careless movement, and it will later be needed intact.

After "bare" inner space it is necessary to check the integrity and performance of the wooden frame, springs and filler. Cracked or rotten frame bars are replaced with new ones. Also, metal springs are replaced without repair (if, of course, they are present in the sofa) in case of severe wear, weakness or cracks.

When restoring upholstered furniture, it is desirable to change the filler, regardless of its appearance. The fact is that foam rubber, which is most often used as a material for the specified sofa component, is a very short-lived raw material.

Since in last years industry has developed many different modern materials for sphere furniture production, it is recommended to take one of these materials instead of foam rubber, such as latex or polyurethane foam. For our case, these polymers are valuable in that they are designed for a long service life and perfectly “keep” a given shape. At the same time on the auxiliary upholstery internal elements frame, hidden from the human eye, dense and cheap matter (burlap, cotton fabric, etc.) will go.

Now you can start designing the pattern for the new upholstery. As a kind of pattern for it, the fabric of the old upholstery is used. It is for this reason that when removing it from the frame, it should be treated with particular care.

It is better to mark the removed upholstery where it was, and using it to carve out a new one.

It is strongly recommended that all removed upholstery fragments be marked exactly where they were located on the sofa and carefully laid out on the floor. This will make it easier to determine the total volume new fabric, which will have to be bought for the waist.

After the fabric is purchased, new blanks are made from the old patches. Subsequently, they will need to be sewn, keeping the pattern and paying attention to the quality of the lines.

Back to index

Hauling old furniture: procedure

To update means to re-upload it.

This term denotes complete replacement outdated fabric "cover" with a new coating in compliance with all technological nuances, which were used in the initial assembly of the sofa.

By the way, experts advise doing this periodically every 5-10 years. Approximately for such a period, the fabric and frame wear out a lot, and the owner of the specified item begins another rearrangement in his apartment. And if he does not get the feeling that the sofa is morally obsolete, then a new zigzag of fashion will force a person to take up updating his furnishings.

To update the framework use wooden bars the same size, they are nailed in several places.

The hauling process begins with the installation of new rigid frame elements - bars and springs. To replace damaged wooden elements new bars must be cut in strict accordance with the dimensions of the old ones. During installation, metal fasteners are used and furniture glue. It is better to select suitable springs without special skills with the help of specialists.

The cut new fabric fragments along the edges must first be stitched on sewing machine. After that, they are placed in the places where their former "twins" were previously located. Then they are nailed to the frame furniture nails or with a stapler, all the while bending the edges of the fabric inward so that rough, ugly seams do not form. At the same time, the fabric should be constantly stretched.

According to another version of the constriction, original covers should be sewn from fabric blanks, corresponding in shape and size to the upholstery of the seats and the back of the sofa. When the covers are ready, they are simply put on the indicated designs and sewn up. In conclusion, the individual removable parts of the sofa are assembled in the reverse order of disassembly. Refurbished or new decorative linings, pillows are attached to the updated furniture.

Everyone can revive old furniture. All you need is a creative mood, a great desire, free time and an obsession with an idea. For inspiration, here are 10 of the most best ideas to update boring and unremarkable items.

Idea number 1. Add colors

The easiest and most popular way to update furniture with your own hands is to paint or paint it. This method looks especially advantageous on wooden products.

Required to work old chair or locker acrylic paint, sandpaper or Sander, primer, brush, roller or spray, adhesive tape.

The algorithm of actions is simple:

  • Secure the area around with polyethylene film or newspapers;
  • Prepare the surface of the furniture with sandpaper or grinder;
  • Apply a primer, the role of which can be performed by ordinary white paint or putty;
  • To create a pattern, glue some part of the painted surface with adhesive tape, and cover the rest with a contrasting shade;
  • You can paint the chairs with a miniature brush with a floral ornament, landscape or still life;
  • Fix the result with varnish.

It is recommended to experiment with shades. For example, paint the legs in pastel colors and the table top or stool seat in intense red or blue. An interesting solution will be a combination of several colors next to a sharp or gradient transition.

The rack, painted on the outside, will look modern blue color, and inside any other shade, and for each compartment or section, its own shade is selected.

Painting can also update a dull mirror or glass. For kitchen surfaces stained-glass windows are more suitable, for living rooms - floral patterns, and in children's rooms it is better to depict cartoon characters.

Idea number 2. Seal scuffs

depreciation kitchen sets, tables, cabinets and other furniture made of wood or chipboard can be hidden behind paper and wallpaper, updating their design for a long time. Mainly used self-adhesive film all kinds of textures.

Before you start work, you need to take into account a few points: thoroughly wash the surfaces, accurately measure the amount of material, do not forget to experiment with a combination of shades and fix the result with varnish.

Idea number 3. Change upholstery

You can hide the effects of time not only on hard surfaces, but also on soft armchairs and sofas. There are hundreds of photos with furniture renovation ideas original solutions, most of which are simple replacement outer upholstery.

There is an incredible amount of all kinds of textures, prints and shades that allow you to turn an inconspicuous sofa into a real interior decoration. Such a replacement is a great opportunity replay the interior of the room.

Idea number 4. Make jewelry

beads, light bulbs, wine corks, wire, rope - all this in skillful hands and with the help of glue and scissors can be turned into a modern and original decoration, which is easy to update old furniture.

Having made a simple garland on the old wooden shelf or by making a panel on the closet door, you can "distract" attention to the decoration, give the furniture charm and luxury.

Idea number 5. Illuminate the space

Lighting can work wonders, especially when properly selected. With the help of built-in light bulbs, hanging lampshades or sticky lanterns, the furniture will start to play with new colors, especially if you choose more non-standard shades instead of the usual white or yellow light.

It is important to play with new sources of light, for example, using painting to make the sun or flowers out of them. You can also use mirrors to enhance the lighting effect.

Idea number 6. Use additional materials

You can add "zest" not only bright colors, but also volumetric elements. So, old chest of drawers or wardrobe it can be interesting to update if you frame sections of old furniture around the perimeter with carved moldings, elegant skirting boards or the most ordinary slats.

The abundance of options, textures and shades will help to realize any desires, especially when combining this item with idea No. 1.

Idea number 7. Increase functionality

Often, updating furniture means increasing its practicality, durability and functionality. For example, an old sofa with broken legs is best moved to a do-it-yourself platform made in the form of a rack or cabinet. A new place to relax will become even more luxurious if the empty shelves are filled with cute trinkets, bright magazines.

Even if a massive closet has become completely unusable, you should not say goodbye to the lockers at the same time. Paint them bright contrasting colors By placing them on top of each other and fixing the structure with self-tapping screws, you will get a bright modern rack.

Idea number 8. Apply Stencils

It doesn’t matter whether you buy a ready-made one or make a stencil yourself, the main thing is to initially decide on the final result: print, texture, image, inscription. Paint through stencil drawing must be applied pointwise, with a sponge or cloth.

Especially since ready stencil, lace tulle, can be found in every home.

Idea number 9. Assemble the mosaic

A broken cup or plate can become the basis for a mosaic pattern on the surface of a table or the back of a cabinet. The final drawing must be applied to the product with chalk or a felt-tip pen, after which the prepared fragments should be laid out on the tile adhesive.

Be sure to leave gaps that will be filled with cement mortar.

Idea number 10. Add accents

In many cases, new is well-forgotten old, so do not rush to get rid of a boring chair because of a couple of scratches and scuffs. Take a closer look at the furniture: often you just need to add a couple bright pillows on a sofa or openwork handles on a chest of drawers.

For garden benches instead of “armrests”, rope trimmings are used, and openwork lattices or bed nets serve as backs. AT kitchen areas it is recommended to focus on work areas, countertops using an intricate ornament or intense color.

It is better to always experiment and not be afraid to combine, because only in this way can a complex effect be achieved.

View photos of updated old furniture - great way warm up the desire to change something for the better. Self-reworking worn surfaces or boring products will be a good discharge, a manifestation of creativity and saving money on the purchase of new things.