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Tag Archive | "Upholstery"

Making it Work

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

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When I saw this embroidered kilim on Craigslist I thought it might be a great option for upholstering my new daybed. At the seller's house I was disappointed to discover that the suzani was quite a bit darker than it looked in the CL ad. But I was taken with it -- something about the earthy palette, colourful, if subdued -- so I brought it home with me. I immediately discovered that the piece sucks the light out of the room, yet still I am smitten. So, determined to make it work, I pulled out a large, Vietnamese silk painting that's been languishing in a closet and got down to work using Photoshop to test a few new wall colour options . . .

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So Long, Louis

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

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I loved my Louis XV sofa, I really did. But it was more a reflection of my former partner’s taste than my own. Sure, I had a hand in choosing it but I always saw it as a beautiful bridge, one that spanned his taste for English country and my preference for a cleaner, more modern line. The Louis’s curves and cabriole legs appealed to him and its unadorned back and single bench cushion appealed to me — it was a lovely compromise. But now that I’m on my own there’s no need to bend, I can make my space a true reflection of my taste, at least to the extent that my budget permits. And earlier this month Craigslist presented me with an opportunity to change things up courtesy of the mid-century daybed/sofa.

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Upholstery Day Two: Putting It Together

Friday, June 17, 2011

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The best thing about taking a course like this is that all the tools are provided, which means you can give them a try without committing to expensive equipment purchases. Manual staple guns will suffice for a dining room chair with a full-seat wooden support, but if strapping is involved, you really need a compressor-powered gun to drive the staples into the frame. For me, facing the gun for the first time summoned memories of high school wood shop but in this case I was actually anxious to use the tool rather than flee the building screaming. The gun is loud and powerful but nothing at all to fear. Andrea recommended weaving the straps for further resilience so that's what I did.

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Upholstery Day One: The Prep

Thursday, June 16, 2011

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After removing the nasty seat cushions of my $20 garage sale chair, my next task was to remedy the wear and damage to the original wood finish. RE:Style Studio owner Andrea Ford introduced me to the Black & Decker Mouse sander, which did a fine job of removing the old factory finish. Eventually. It took me all morning of our first day to get the chair to the point where I could start the spray lacquering. The process just confirmed my preference for stripping over sanding; a chemical stripper can do in minutes what takes hours to accomplish with a sander, even a Mouse.

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RE:Style Success Story

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

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It's not like I was expecting a crappy result but honestly, I never imagined my first reupholstery project would turn out so incredibly well! The happy ending is entirely thanks to my coach, Andrea Ford of Toronto's RE:Style Studio: I spent Saturday and Sunday at Andrea's west end workshop where she walked me and a fellow named Jay through our first projects. Jay was ambitious taking on no less a behemoth than a La-Z-Boy recliner. I was much more modest in my attempt to rehab a T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings side chair with removable seat and back; I also redid the seat of another chair, which looks easy but like the back of the Gibbings has a significant curve to it, which presents a challenge to a rank beginner like me.

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