Project Rehab: Sofa Picked Up on Side of Road Gets Chic Makeover
A discarded couch with great lines is reborn with silver velvet and black chalk paint
Upcycled furniture and decor add character, charm and style to many homes. Repurposed pieces can also save money and keep materials out of the landfill. As part of our ongoing furniture makeover series, which features reader projects, we’re highlighting a discarded sofa that has been transformed into a velvet-covered showpiece. Do you have a furniture makeover of your own? Please share it in the Comments.
The process: Because of the sofa’s poor condition, Ryan says, she had to strip it down all the way to the wood frame. “The cushion, stuffing and horsehair were all missing or completely ruined,” she says. Luckily the springs were still in good shape, so with a little love and attention — and a whole lot of elbow grease — the sofa was restored to its former elegance.
Ryan gave the wooden legs, arms and trim on top of the sofa back a new coat of black paint.
Ryan gave the wooden legs, arms and trim on top of the sofa back a new coat of black paint.
After taking careful measurements, Ryan cut new foam for cushions on the seat and arms. She also added new stuffing to the sofa frame before covering the entire piece in a new silvery gray velvet. The sofa’s back needed new buttons to re-create the tufted look.
She then used black chalk paint to cover the buttons and to create a wide black stripe running from the top of the sofa to the bottom.
She then used black chalk paint to cover the buttons and to create a wide black stripe running from the top of the sofa to the bottom.
Cost breakdown
Sofa: Free
Stuffing, foam, buttons and paint: Ryan already owned these items
Upholstery fabric: $325
Sofa: Free
Stuffing, foam, buttons and paint: Ryan already owned these items
Upholstery fabric: $325
The lesson: Ryan, who’s been doing furniture makeovers for a long time, has some advice for those new to the game: “When doing an upholstery job for the first time, take pictures as you go so you know how it was put together. Use [original] fabric for patterns if possible, and of course having good tools is important. And don’t try tufting until you have done a simpler job.”
The inspiration: The reupholstered sofa now looks perfectly at home in Ryan’s living room. Its black stripe complements the black stripes on the curtains, the black lampshades and the checkerboard walls. Ryan says the sofa reminds her a bit of a “frivolous flapper” from the 1920s.
More Project Rehab:
Satellite Dish Now a Mosaic-Topped Breakfast Table |
New Leather Shade Makes a Vintage Lamp Light Up |
From Antique Icebox to Bright Green Vanity | Office Chairs Go Boutique Chic
More Project Rehab:
Satellite Dish Now a Mosaic-Topped Breakfast Table |
New Leather Shade Makes a Vintage Lamp Light Up |
From Antique Icebox to Bright Green Vanity | Office Chairs Go Boutique Chic
Project: Sofa
Who did it: Jennifer Ryan
Location: Bellingham, Washington
Cost: $325
Time: One week
The find: DIYer Jennifer Ryan found the French Provincial-style sofa on the side of the road.