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Re-covering Your Apartment Furniture
If your existing chair or couch isn’t making you happy anymore, one possible alternative to look into is replacing not the whole furniture piece, but the cover or upholstery. Here are some tips if you want to re-cover (and thereby recover) your furniture.
Slipcovers for furniture
If a piece of furniture is fine, but the cover is showing some wear and tear, consider getting a new slipcover. Some furniture even comes pre-designed to take on new slipcovers, such as IKEA’s Ecktorp series of chairs and couches.
Before you buy a slip cover, measure the piece of furniture carefully. Some chairs and couches conform to standard sizes and you’ll find a wealth of slipcovers, in different colors and fabrics, available. Others might be trickier to cover. Surefit, which sells slipcovers online, has a measuring guide and slipcover styling tips for tucking in excess fabric and keeping your slipcover nice. Another option is to get a custom fit slipcover, either by sewing it yourself or ordering from a custom manufacturer.
Reupholstering furniture
What if a chair might be in bad shape, but the frame or styling so nice that you want to keep it? Now it’s time to think about a full-fledged reupholstering: not simply covering the chair but removing and re-padding cushions.
Do your research before you decide whether to try and reupholster the chair yourself, or take it to a professional. Jack Carr, an upholsterer, has written a furniture upholstery primer explaining the different parts of upholstery, including webbing (what the springs rest on) springs, and filling. DIY Network also has plenty of resources, such as this guide to reupholstering a barstool. If you decide to use a professional, call first and ask if you can see some previous work done before handing your chair over.
Make it work
Let’s say the chair and the cover are both in good condition, but the cover doesn’t match the rest of your decor. A very simple solution is to tie the existing cover to other elements of the room by use of a throw pillow or an afghan.
Can’t find the right pillow? Designing one to match is relatively simple, whether you buy the fabric and sew it yourself or design it online for someone else to make. If you have sewing skills, Upholster.com will walk you through creating a throw pillow; if you want to buy it, check out Web sites that let you design your own throw pillow such as Inmod or Jonathan Adler. The online craft bazaar Etsy also offers a range of pillows; you may find a craftsperson who is willing to use your choice of fabric.
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How much will you budget for your apartment move?
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- More than $500 (30%, 14 Votes)
- $100 to $300 (24%, 11 Votes)
- Under $100 (13%, 6 Votes)
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