Recovering a Sofa

Most of us have at least one item of furniture which has seen better days. Perhaps it has been a bed for the dog, the cat has used it as a scratching post or the kids have jumped up and down on it one too many times. Whatever the cause, replacing a chair or sofa is an expense many of us would rather avoid these days. Regardless of the many furniture sales which are on at various times of the year, a sofa which simply has a few holes or stains may well be salvageable and it may not be a good idea to buy a new one.

If your sofa is a standard one from one of the larger furniture stores you may be lucky enough to find covers which will fit it. In this case it is as simple as buying a cover in the colour of your choice and putting it on. These covers are usually washable and so any future spills can be cleaned off easily.

If you need to get a cover custom made it can cost as much as £500. In this case it may be a better idea to buy a new sofa. But if your sofa cost more than this when you bought it and it still has many years of life in it, then getting it recovered might be a good option. You will also be able to give your home a new look at the fraction of the cost of buying new.

Remember that you are doing the environment a favour if you can reuse your sofa rather than buying new, so even spending quite a bit of money might be worthwhile in this respect.

Another option is to recover your sofa yourself. This might seem like a scary option but it is possibly with a little knowhow and a sewing machine. The best way to do this is to unpick the cover you have and copy it. This will be easy for the cushions and in some cases this may be all you need to replace. For the backs and sides the process will be more difficult as specialist equipment is required. As a compromise you could cover the cushions yourself and get the rest reupholstered. You will save quite a bit by doing this.

The cheapest and easiest option is to simply throw a cover over the whole sofa. If you can't find one piece of fabric which is large enough you can sew two together. Tuck the fabric into the sides and back of the sofa and if you like, use a stapler to attach it more securely.

If you want to get an expert to reupholster your sofa you need to take the time to get a decent quote. Ask three people to offer a quote and if possible use someone who has been recommended. It is a big investment and you want to be sure that they do a good job.

At the end of the day it is sometimes best just to buy new. But don't simply throw your old sofa away. Give it to a charity shop as there will always be someone out there who will be willing to take on your old furniture.