How To Repair & Restore Your Sofa
Whether it's a rip that needs repairing, a stain that needs removing or some reupholstery, our favourite sofas will always need some TLC every few years. Rather than swapping it out for a new one, there are some restoration and repairs that can be done. Read on to see what you can do with yours.
How to reupholster a sofa using different materials & colours - Gorgeous sofa in the home of Synne Skjulstad. Image taken from Extraordinary Interiors In Colour By Jane Rockett & Lucy St George, Published By Ryland Peters & Small, Photography By Catherine Gratwicke.
Reupholstery
Not something everyone gets excited about, reupholstery can feel like a huge job. Fear not as there are basic steps and straight forward elements to doing this. It will be enjoyable and extremely rewarding. Read on to see how to reupholster a sofa. Read on for our quick guide on how to reupholster a sofa.
How to reupholster a sofa
The Beautiful Large 3 Seater Sofa In Umber Rust Velvet | Click To Shop
Step 1.
Decide if you are looking to reupholster the whole sofa or just an arm or cushion. You may just need to update a part of it. alternatively, you may want a complete change and transformation.
Step 2.
Choose your material. As you would expect, this part is the most fun and you need to make sure you can live with it and also consider the room it's going in, and if the colours will work. When measuring for the amount of fabric you can either measure the current chair at all parts - arms, seat, back, and front - or wait until you have removed the old material and take measurements from that.
Step 3.
The next stage is to remove the material. You must assess the sofa and look where the joins and pinning are currently. We recommend you start from the bottom, as usual, this is where the original upholstery would have been finished, so you are working backward from here.
Step 4.
Now you re ready to cut your new fabric. Layout your new fabric face down on a flat surface with the old piece of fabric laid on top. You can now use this as a template and start cutting out your new piece. You may have more that one template depending on ho may parts the chair is made up of.
Step 5.
Now you are ready to start re-attaching the fabric to your armchair. Follow in the same way you removed the old fabric, starting from where you previously ended. Tuck the fabric as it was done before and staple it in place to secure it.
This was a basic guide on how to reupholster a sofa. For a more in-depth guide read our post How To Reupholster An Armchair
Rip in leather
The Black Leather Chesterfield 3 Seater Sofa | Click To Shop
Rather than learning how to reupholster a sofa, you mind find preparing a rip is all you need to do. When you find a rip on your leather sofa you may think it is ruined. It's actually quite straight forward to do your own DIY repair job. Using some super glue, sandpaper, leather dye, and leather finish solution. If you have deeper cuts in your leather you may need some leather filler
Use the glue under the rip and along the edge of the rip and push back together. You can always use a little piece of material underneath the rip to help it bond. Once pushed together use a paper towel to take off the excess glue whilst it is still wet.
Next up, you need to use your sandpaper and rub gently along the rip line, using your finger to feel for bumps. Once you are happy that it is smooth you can then add the leather dye over the top. This will blend your repair patch with the rest of the sofa.
Finally, you can give the area a wipe with some clear leather finish solution.
For a tutorial and more information on repairing a leather sofa click here.
Stain removal
The Fabulous Extra Large 4 Seater Sofa In Alabaster Boucle Fabric | Click To Shop
Removing stains from a sofa is never an easy job, but there are some straight forward ways to do it yourself, save some money, and restore an old sofa.
The simplest way to get stains removed from your sofa is to use mild soap and warm water. Before applying the solution vacuum the whole sofa and use a stiff brush to draw out all the dirt and dust. Dab the stain and be sure not to make the fabric too wet. This will also work on velvet sofas, and for leather try using a mixture of vinegar and water. Leave overnight to dry.
If you choose to use a shop-bought cleaner, be sure to check the manufactures guidelines and cleaning codes.
We hope we have given some ideas on how to reupholster a sofa and restore minor damage on your sofa. If you enjoyed reading this then you might also like:
How To Reupholster An Armchair
