Sofa Transformation

I have never ever ever ever used my own skills to create or repurpose a piece of furniture that’s just for me! Moving into my own place just before Christmas 2020 gave me an opportunity to hunt for a sofa that would eventually come with me into the cottage I was moving in to.

I knew I wanted a sofa that had a pretty traditional shape - think Howard and Sons….. well made with a sturdy hardwood frame (sorry no cheap imports), neat turned feet with brass castors and a depth to snuggle into.

I searched continuously for the right sofa over the summer months scouring eBay, Gumtree, local auction sites… Finally finding this little number below on facebook market place! We were in lockdown times, so no viewing or comfort test could happen beforehand to check the quality of the frame, cushions or upholstery underneath - it was pot luck and gut instinct second time around (this was sofa no2 - sofa option no1 is still sitting idle in the workshop!) The below sofa had no description to where or when is was made, it had just been sat in someones garage and they were ready to see it move on… to new pastures green :)

This is my sofa, found on facebook market place.

What did I like about this sofa? The shape for a start; nicely curved arms, a back that was set at a slight angle to give added depth. I wanted a sofa with nicely turned wooden feet and brass castors. Tick! I could already see from the listing the seat cushions were not only foam but foam + feather which gives the sofa a little bit more added comfort. Nor did I want just foam seat cushions, the foam helps lift the feathers keeping the cushion plump. Exception to the back cushions, they do need plumping every so often but its still nice to sink into your sofa. You can also see a preview of the fabric I was admit I needed to use!

Well now you have seen the fabric I want to cover this sofa in lets talk about Cathy Nordstrom a textile designer from Sweden. I must have followed Cathy on Instagram for absolutely yonks, I love the simplicity of her hand printed textiles and choice of subtle colour ways. Cathy posted a picture of a pair of armchairs that just grabbed my attention, check out her Instagram below.

After deciding the main fabric to the sofa would be in Cathys linen spotty sage fabric, I wanted to pair it with a plain velvet to use as a contrast piping and to add as slight accents to the sofa - seat base, inside arms and outside back. This is where I go and visit Tim at Painswick Fabrics, I knew he had an array of velvets to choose from. Tim is a local supplier of discount designer fabrics, I recommend him to anyone who doesn’t know where to begin with fabric sourcing. His Cotswolds based shop is like walking into a treasure trove of endless rolls of cottons, velvets, linens, colour and pattern. When you work with textiles daily this shop is your happy place…. plus he still remembers me as the 19 year old receptionist from the local hotel!! If you are in the Cotswolds on a jolly, there are so many lovely places to visit around and in Painswick including Tim at Painswick Fabric.

And below you can watch the full transformation from start to finish. Peeling back the top cover all the upholstery underneath was in such great quality nothing need to be replaced or fixed.

How much did my new sofa cost me? Well the sofa was a tenth of the price compared to the cost of both fabrics combined excluding my labour. I was very lucky with finding a sofa online that was build originally to last with a solid hardwood frame and cushions that were in perfect condition. The only reason to reupholster the sofa in the first place was to change the top cover fabric which has been partial sun damaged in places.