The Transformative Effect of Upholstery!
Two of my upholstered pieces are on display at Perth Museum - a stool and chair upholstered in my Blue Bird and Butterfly Art Nouveau fabric. It never ceases to amaze me just how effective upholstery can be in transforming a piece of furniture - even something that was destined to be disposed of. The chair below was in fact pulled out of a skip (with permission). Yet, with a bit of help from my father-in-law, it was so easy to take apart and upholster.
Upholstery does not require any specialist knowledge. My recommendations would be to take it slowly, and as you unpick the fabric, take photos as you go, so you can remember what to do in reverse. For years, the only specialist equipment I had was a really decent tool to lever out the staples - but I inherited my Dad's powered staple gun, and I have to say, this has definitely sped up my upholstering! However, a manual staple gun also works really well, as long as you have a hammer to hand to drive home staples which do not go in deep enough the first time.
For a luxurious finish, it is definitely worth picking a fabric like Celosia Velvet. This is a plush fabric designed for upholstery. However, if you are just starting out, you can pick up cheap curtains from charity shops, and this is a low risk way of practising upholstery. Charity shops also sell cheap furniture which can be upgraded with some upholstery. The stool below was very solid and sturdy, and only cost £5! You can see how it looks totally different with a sponge seat and velvet textured fabric. A stool is also a very simple beginner's project.
So there you have it - the story behind the two upholstered pieces of furniture on display at Perth Museum. If you have never done it before, but want to try it out, go for it! And I shall let you into a secret - even if you make mistakes when upholstering, just like a sewing project, they can be unpicked and rectified. I upholstered my chair upside down initially, and did not discover this until it was time to screw it all back together!
