when i moved into my 2-bedroom condo last year, i knew i needed to keep the configuration simple yet still needed to accomplish the aesthetic i was aiming for. think pottery barn meets williams-sonoma home meets restoration hardware meets ballard designs but on a home goods budget. thank goodness i had pinterest and was able to create my own virtual design board- some with the actual items and others are look-alikes.
even though i have 2 side chairs and a sofa, i knew i still needed more seating for when i have people over. i fell in love with stools from ballard designs and found inspiration for my diy project- pair o' stools.
my mom had these 2 antique stools from my yaya's house that were in horrible shape and weren't being used. with my addiction to pinterest came my new perspective on all things that might just need a little TLC. so i saw potential and took them off her hands. one stool had a lovely 70s print and the other had a faux suede - totally went with my decor. not. so here's the finished product:
so while i don't have the before pics of any specific steps to re-upholster the stools, i can give you a few helpful tips when it comes to re-upholstering anything. keep in mind each upholstery project will be different due to the construction of the piece of furniture, but here are some things to keep in mind:
- think outside of the box for fabric. there are plenty of places online or in-person to find what you're looking for, whether it's on etsy.com, amazon.com, joann fabrics, or a local retailer. but when i couldn't find anything i wanted in the price range i needed, i sought out an unlikely source: target's curtain section. yes, my stools were reupholstered for a total cost of $14 for 1 curtain panel. i am a genius.
- be gentle taking off the original fabric. this is your pattern for cutting your new fabric to size. and always, always, always cut an extra inch at the minimum. you can fold it under before you staple it into place and alleviate the headache of sewing anything.
- keep whatever materials you can from the original construction. i managed to salvage the nailhead trim and foam that was on there from my yaya's which again saved me a boatload of money. that stuff is not cheap.
- invest in or borrow the right tools. i luckily inherited a staple gun from my great aunt and uncle's big move, so that was a huge help in securing the fabric to the frame. but removing the nailhead trim and the staples from the original fabric was a hassle until i came across a tack remover at my local joann's. it was a lifesaver for only $6.
- don't be too hard on yourself if it isn't perfect. this isn't your full time job. you aren't a professional decorator (as much as you'd like to be one). your name isn't martha stewart. so why do you expect the project to come out as such? this was a hard one for me to learn- and i still am. but your friends and family will be so impressed at your accomplishment, they will not notice the flaws that you've had time to pick up on. so enjoy it and feel proud!
there are tons of sites online to help with different levels of difficulty with upholstery projects, but one image that was extremely helpful was the following. use it as a guide and get going!
xoxo Lauren
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| {1} actual sofa i purchased from hamilton sofa gallery on sale for $499 {2} similar to 2 RL lamps but in brass i got on sale at home goods $79 each {3} similar ottoman i got on sale for craiglist for $75 {4} 2 ballard designs chairs i got on sale for $299 each {5} green ballard designs garden seat i got on sale for $90 {6} 2 side tables i got from overstock.com for $59 each |
my mom had these 2 antique stools from my yaya's house that were in horrible shape and weren't being used. with my addiction to pinterest came my new perspective on all things that might just need a little TLC. so i saw potential and took them off her hands. one stool had a lovely 70s print and the other had a faux suede - totally went with my decor. not. so here's the finished product:
- think outside of the box for fabric. there are plenty of places online or in-person to find what you're looking for, whether it's on etsy.com, amazon.com, joann fabrics, or a local retailer. but when i couldn't find anything i wanted in the price range i needed, i sought out an unlikely source: target's curtain section. yes, my stools were reupholstered for a total cost of $14 for 1 curtain panel. i am a genius.
- be gentle taking off the original fabric. this is your pattern for cutting your new fabric to size. and always, always, always cut an extra inch at the minimum. you can fold it under before you staple it into place and alleviate the headache of sewing anything.
- keep whatever materials you can from the original construction. i managed to salvage the nailhead trim and foam that was on there from my yaya's which again saved me a boatload of money. that stuff is not cheap.
- invest in or borrow the right tools. i luckily inherited a staple gun from my great aunt and uncle's big move, so that was a huge help in securing the fabric to the frame. but removing the nailhead trim and the staples from the original fabric was a hassle until i came across a tack remover at my local joann's. it was a lifesaver for only $6.
- don't be too hard on yourself if it isn't perfect. this isn't your full time job. you aren't a professional decorator (as much as you'd like to be one). your name isn't martha stewart. so why do you expect the project to come out as such? this was a hard one for me to learn- and i still am. but your friends and family will be so impressed at your accomplishment, they will not notice the flaws that you've had time to pick up on. so enjoy it and feel proud!
there are tons of sites online to help with different levels of difficulty with upholstery projects, but one image that was extremely helpful was the following. use it as a guide and get going!
xoxo Lauren
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