Congratulations! You have finally made it to the final phase of reupholstering your piece of furniture! If you made it to this point, celebrate your progress! You have now entered the fun phase! This is where you get to have a little fun and infuse your own personality, style, and creativity into your project. You will also add all those finishing touches and final details to really make it your own.
Before we jump into the fun stuff, let’s do a quick recap of all the reupholstering steps!
First, you took your time tearing down your furniture to the bare frame. Read all about the first phase of reupholstering here! Then you attached a spring support system to the deck, and possibly to the back of your chair as well. You then added edge roll to your project which provides comfort and decorative look. Read about this second phase of reupholstering furniture here! Then in the third phase of reupholstering you selected and added your padding to your piece of furniture. Read all about padding choices and adding it to your project here!
The Final Phase of Reupholstering: Adding Fabric and Decorative Details
Now that we are all caught up, it is time to get to the fun part. You are ready to put the fabric and the finishing details on your chair or sofa project! There are NO RULES here! Don’t be afraid to choose colors and patterns that YOU love. Your family and friends don’t have to love it – YOU DO!
When choosing your fabric, be brave! You don’t have to go with the safe option. Pick the fabric that speaks to you. Think of the piece of furniture. Where will it go? How will it be used? What do you envision it looking like? You can choose the trendy fabrics, if YOU want, but don’t feel pressured into purchasing the latest hype!
The most important thing is to HAVE FUN in creating your own style.
Read more about selecting upholstery fabrics and where you can find fun and colorful upholstery fabrics here.
Mixing Fabrics
People always ask me if it is okay to mix fabrics. My answer will always be, ABSOLUTELY! Don’t be afraid to mix fabrics together if it is what you like! By mixing colors and prints you will create a one-of-a-kind piece. Not only that, but it will be something you created, designed, and brought to life.
Once you have selected the fabric, attach it to your furniture frame using your staple gun! After you have finished attaching the fabric, you can add your decorative details!
Decorative Details
The decorative details you add to your piece are everything! Details always make a difference in the final product. When adding decorative details to your furniture there are a few different options. The first and most common detail is cording, also known as welt cording.
Cording or Welt Cording
These two terms are used interchangeably, but welt cording is more common. There are a few different types of cording such as double or single welt cording. There is also a fiber flex welt cord which is a paper center surrounded by a net-like material. Fiber flex cording is a bit on the stiff side but still flexible. I usually use it when attaching to an upholstered frame, but it can also be used for cushions. There is also cotton welt cord, which is a great product for slipcovers and pillows, especially if the end product might be washed. However, cotton welt cord probably would not be the best option for the reupholstery project we’ve been focusing on.
Using contrasting colors of welt cording really makes a piece of furniture pop, giving it a whole new life! I love adding in details that not only define a piece but inject personality.
You can see the difference between single and double welt cording below, the double being wider than the single. It all comes down to your taste and personal preference on which one you use.
Fabric Covered Buttons
Using fabric covered buttons is a fun and unique way to add little details to your reupholstered furniture. When adding your decorative fabric buttons, choose ones that contrast to make them stand out, or match them to your upholstered furniture fabric for a cohesive look. The choice is yours, but have fun with it!
Decorative Tacks
Similar to fabric covered buttons, decorative tacks are a fun embellishment to your upholstery project. There is also a HUGE variety to choose from. You can select unique finishes like diamonds, gemstones, natural stone, and one-of-a-kind, luster stone. The options are truly endless! Two of my favorite places to get decorative tacks from are D.A.D.S. Nails and Diamond Head. Both suppliers offer countless options and variety, but also quality products.
To make your reupholstered piece of furniture really stand out, or to incorporate a bit of your own individuality into a piece, add these beautiful upholstery embellishments.
Final Phase of Reupholstering Completion
Now that you have added your fun and beautiful fabric, added all the decorative details to make it your own, you are officially done! You did it! Congratulations on completing the final phase of reupholstering. Hopefully throughout this blog series, you have learned that it’s perfectly fine to infuse your creativity and leave your own mark on a piece of furniture. We looked at all the many options and choices you are commonly faced with when beginning to reupholster a piece of furniture. I hope that after reading, you feel more confident making choices for your upholstery projects. I know when first starting out, it can be rather overwhelming with all the various choices out there at each stage.
Lastly, I hope you know that there are no mistakes, only lessons! If something didn’t turn out how you hoped, learn from it and adjust your next project. Don’t let it discourage you.
One Final Note:
Don’t forget to take a picture of your finished furniture! Whether this is your first reupholstering project or your 100th, you ALWAYS want to take pictures of the finished product. (In addition to the pictures you take at each stage of the reupholstering process, of course!)
As always, if you need more guidance for your particular project, or want more in depth training, visit our membership hub. By joining the online membership you will instantly gain access to an online library of training videos, a membership community to learn from and ask questions, detailed instruction, more DIY tips, and our online training experts who are on standby ready to assist you. Join our online membership and start learning when and where you like, while enjoying the support of our amazing online upholstery experts!
Kim’s Upholstery is all about helping and equipping others to learn the art of upholstery for pleasure, and if they want, enabling them to create an income for themselves – all on their own schedule!
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