If  I heard it once I heard it 1000 times at the recent Country Living Spring Fair.

“Wow, Plumbs is nothing like the adverts”

After a very busy show, over 500 brochures given out and over 100 visitors to the stand asking to have a visit from a Plumbs Home Consultant, we can say we had a busy and successful show.

Leading the display was a fabulous art deco design revived recently by Sanderson. This featured on a well matched art deco chair as a beautiful piece of reupholstery. The vast majority of show visitors who passed the stand made a comment about the chair. Many people wanted to buy it there and then.

They were  surprised to learn that Mick had actually reupholstered the chair right there on the first day of the show.

The other star of the show was Willow Stripe, the sumptuous cut velvet stripe from Swaffer. Mick spent hours reupholstering an old queen Anne chair in this fabric, being stopped every few minutes to answer questions from visitors.

So excited were people about this fabric they started taking off cuts from Mick’s reupholstery work. One large piece of fabric mysteriously went missing!

All in all a great visit to the Country Living Spring Fair and a lovely atmosphere in the business design centre in Islington.

If things are starting to look worn and weary, the cushions are saggy and the fabric is wearing a bit thin… You are faced with a choice.

Throw it away and buy new?

• 50,000 items of lounge furniture a year goes into landfill. This is like burying 23 London buses.
• When you buy new furniture, your money goes towards a massive amount of raw materials from across the globe including tropical hardwoods, production energy and transport costs.
• The good news is…
  They don’t make it like they used to. Chances are the suite you’ve already got is better made than a new one. Low prices of new lounge suites means, well as the saying goes, You get what you pay for.
• So if you decided to reupholster or cover the furniture you already have in a fabulous new fabric you can get the latest look in your lounge, save money, cause less impact on the environment and still have your favourite comfortable place to relax, switch off and enjoy yourself.

Recover:

• If the sofa is looking tired, and it’s time for an update, then loose covers are the least expensive option. Probably about a quarter of the cost of a new suite.
• From an environmental point of view, loose covers are also a great choice as you are effectively recycling your sofa or suite.
• Washability is also a big plus point. Being able to remove wash and refit loose covers is perfect for any household where stains pose a threat.
• Massive choice of fabrics. You can probably choose from hundreds of options.

Reupholster:

• Price wise a reupholstered suite will be around half the cost of buying new but this is a more expensive choice than loose covers.
• Another good choice for the environment – you are keeping your furniture out of landfill.
• Comfort and sentimental attachment are not affected. You are making the furniture you already have quite literally look like new.
• Fit and attention to details are better than for covers.
• Again a vast choice of fabric.
• Finally reupholstery is a traditional craft. By choosing this option you are helping to support traditional British workmanship by genuine local craftsmen and women.
• Usually come with replacement seat cushions.
• Service is a big plus as with this type of craftsman product the service is typically excellent.

This simple montage of four photos shows the start to finish process on the reupholstery of a classic Queen Anne style chair.  Probably fifty years old, this kind of chair always has a superb frame construction.

The wings are of beech construction with hand made joints! They don’t make ‘em like that any more.

With quality new fillings, tightened springs and a fabulous new cover, the end result is a joy. A priceless family heirloom.

Show wood as seen here on the arms and scroll area is one of the real advantages of reupholstery. Choosing loose covers means a revamp and a new look but show wood is covered up. It is after all a loose cover.

With reupholstery however it’s a different story. The pictures below show how this sofa was quite literally taken to pieces and rebuilt by the Plumbs reupholstery team.

An added complexity was that each side of the sofa has an independent recliner action. A very complex job but also a very satisfying outcome.

Every week there are around 100 reupholstery orders passing through our workrooms. Every one gets the same attention however some really do stand out as being interesting or unusual.

This is a great example. Double drop arm sofas like this really are worth preserving as the mechanisms and frames are very well built.

These pieces are particularly versatile as they create a fabulous day bed or even emergency sleepover for unexpected guests.

The pictures say it all. The original furniture has been stripped down right to the frame and all internal elements checked and replaced where necessary. The end result with the new fabric applied is just stunning. This could so easily have gone into landfill but now it’s good for another generation to enjoy.

Most people have fond childhood memories of a piece of furniture a relative once owned, just by seeing and feeling that furniture can bring back emotions. From your Great-Aunties artfully carved dining room chairs perhaps to your Grandmothers antique sofa, even the smell of a piece can evoke a memory.

When the unfortunate time comes you inherit that piece of furniture you are suddenly left with the feeling it will never fit in with the rest of your decor and in this sense inherited pieces of furniture can be a blessing or a burden. Before deciding what to do you first need to consider the following:

• Is it comfortable?
• Is it of good quality?
• Is there a place for it in your home?

If your answer is ‘no’ to these considerations then you shouldn’t burden yourself with sentimental value as you will get no real enjoyment from the piece, which is not what your relative intended. If it isn’t of good quality then it may not be a good idea spending money on something that could fall apart.

With a little bit of work however, most furniture can be revitalised with fresh fabrics and custom details to be more comfortable and fit in with your decor.

With exception, all good quality furniture is worth restoring, even if a sofa or chair is decades old. If it has a quality frame it is worth keeping. The quality of a sofa or chair is found within the carcass, this should be made of a hardwood such as Oak or Alder, have good lines and have been kiln dried so that the wood doesn’t warp or crack during changes of temperature and humidity. Most people won’t be able to know this just by looking at a sofa but there are many experts (Upholsterers) that can give you free advice such as Plumbs.

Re-upholstering can literally transform an old sofa to new, from the springs, filling and foam being replaced to the frame being reinforced if necessary. The shape of the furniture cannot be changed but the piece can be slightly re-styled or made more comfortable using certain techniques. Choosing the right fabric will really make difference to how the piece will look and fit in you home, fabric can deliver a more traditional or contemporary style. These custom details will make your furniture a one off.

You don’t necessarily need to go as far as reupholstery, Loose Covers can be equally as impressive at transforming your sofa. If the quality, comfort and style or your inherited furniture is pleasing enough then just by changing the fabric, colour and texture can give you the look you desire.

Dining chair covers can now update most sets to fit in with contemporary or traditional trends, not only can you just re-cover (or reupholster) the seat, loose covers can now fit completely over the chair with skirts that cover right to the floor.

So, if you inherit a piece of furniture remember there are many ways in which you can make it a unique heirloom to cherish for many years.

Last week I was talking about how reupholstery is good for furniture with show wood. Another interesting example appeared this week in the Plumbs re-upholstery workshops. This fascinating chair is one that stands out and really shows how show wood furniture can be transformed.

I haven’t seen a recliner before with this footstool arrangement. Very unusual!

The foot rest has the appearance of a drawer which then pulls out. The leather upholstery contrasts well with the newly reupholstered cushions for a really interesting finish.

The heavily carved wooden frame picture 13 contrasts well with the new fabric, a superb end result.

A lot of work and skill goes into this type of project but the end result is worthwhile. These pictures underline the fact that if a piece of furniture has a good frame, it’s worth keeping. It’s good for the environment and gives really satisying end results. The people doing this work really are taking pride in their efforts.