May 26, 2011

Thrifted Thoughts: Four Seater Sofa

I just about started drooling when I saw this oversized vintage sofa in a local thrift store. The shape was to-die-for and the wood frame was in near-perfect condition.

There’s no question about it: The retro yellow & brown fabric would have to go!

I’m a total sucker for the combination of black, white & wood, not to mention bold patterns full of new elements to discover each time you look at it. So, when I came across this fabric from Bantie (which embodies all of the above characteristics), I fell in love… hard!

The simple colour palette calms the graphic, busy pattern. Lay it against that traditional wood frame and you’ve got a match made in heaven.

This makeover idea is definitely not for the faint of heart.

If you find a bold fabric, like this, but would prefer to use it in a smaller dose, remember that you always have the option of using more than one fabric to reupholster a single piece.

Upholstering the majority of the sofa in a solid black or white fabric and reserving the punchy pattern for use only on the seat cushions would be a great way to enjoy the best of both worlds.

What do you think? Could you handle a statement piece this bold?

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April 21, 2011

Thrifted Thoughts: Gamer-friendly Sofa

Do you have a man in your life that’s anything like mine, a gamer?

If you do, you know that finding the optimal seating for video gaming is tricky.

Everything seems to be too high, too low, too upright, or too reclined. Your seating has to be the right height to thump it out on the drums while playing Rockband, but also a place where you can sit back and get comfy for hours of Call Of Duty.

Not being a gamer myself, I don’t really get the appeal, but I know one thing for sure: When I saw this 3-piece chair/sofa combo, I knew it would fit the bill perfectly.

At $50 a piece, each of these separate chairs can be used on their own or lined up to form a sofa. They are the perfect place to sink into, but also provide a high seat edge for perching on to rock the drums.

The way I see it, you have 3 options here.

  1. DIY Slipcover
  2. Professional reupholstery
  3. Leave them as-is and layer multiple throw blankets over top to create a more casual look.

I personally dig the big, fat, brown corduroy fabric that presently covers them. It’s soft, cozy and perfect for a rec room. Introducing a throw blanket like this with warm, caramels, soft blues & greys along with crisp creams would let the retro vibe flow while, at the same time, modernizing the look to avoid creating a time warp.

So, what do you think?

Would this solution please both you and the gamer in your life? Tell me in the comments!

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April 14, 2011

Thrifted Thoughts: Clean Line Sofa

Professional reupholstery affords you so many options in terms of redesign.

You can take a piece of furniture right back to its frame and add & subtract features & details as you like.

Take for instance this sofa… Looking rather dated, isn’t it? No problem. For $30 at the thrift store, it’s worth a second look.

It already has a lot going for it. Being a nice long, three-seater sofa that isn’t too deep, it’s perfect for today’s all too common long, narrow rooms. It’s also got those thin, gently curved arms, which will look fab once made over.

The quickest way to modernize this sofa would be to lose the skirt at the bottom, which makes it look tired and dated.

Next, reupholster the rest of the sofa in new fabric. For a really fresh, classic look, I’m thinking it’s got to be light to mid-grey, solid velvet with an accent of cream coloured, velvet piping to bring a little playfulness into the mix.

Keeping things neutral allows you to accent the sofa with graphic, colourful pillows. These can be interchanged to work with the changing seasons and your ever-evolving decorating style.

How about one last detail to take this sofa from bad to rad? You got it!

Remove the original legs and replace them with ones that demand attention. Just like jewelry for furniture, Habit has a number of different options that will up the sophistication-factor big time.

What do you think? Have I convinced you to give a tired sofa, like this, a second look?

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