154) Upholstering a Vintage Wooden Loveseat

Linking with: Primitive and Proper

(Warning: this is a long technical post about DIY decor. Not suitable for all audiences. You’re forgiven for your eyes glazing over if you’re not into it!)

My sister Joy, who has booths in the Village Antiques Mall in Fort Langley, generously gave me this stripped loveseat for a nook in our entryway. It needs to be upholstered, but how to do it when neither of us knows how it might have looked before it was stripped?

The only clues are some holes left by the tacks on the underside of the frame.

With Joy’s suggestion, I sanded the visible parts, then treated them to paste wax to help preserve them.

Next, to cover the springs to protect the foam, I put a stiffener inside the folded-under edge of some canvas I had kicking around, then stapled it on to the wooden frame.

I found a loveseat cushion at the recycling depot, ripped off the ugly 70s cover and batting, then thoroughly vacuumed the 4.5″ foam. It is still in very good shape, especially after airing in the breeze for a spell as extra insurance.

I made a paper pattern for the seat cushion, then marked it in felt pen onto the foam.

My (real) upholsterer, Tibor, who lives just down the hill, suggested that an electric knife works well to cut foam, and I found one at the thrift store!

Next, I trimmed some edges to soften them.

I had wool quilt batting on hand, so decided to use that to cover and soften the cushion before covering it.

Then, in the absence of any real plan (!) about how to do the back of the cushion, I air-tacked a narrow strip of veneer over the edge of my upholstery fabric.

This might be a good time to confess that, until last weekend, I had never had the courage to use any air-tools (requiring the use of an air compressor.) Most of the other power tools I will use (not always efficiently.) My father has given me some well-supervised instruction, and I will get little lessons from D from time-to-time.

But, I screwed up my courage and asked D for a tutorial on how to use the air tools. He patiently explained the technique, safety precautions, and oiling. It’s a revelation! Makes most jobs go like a dream.

I put a strip of construction foam and batting over the front edge of the wooden frame, so that there wouldn’t be constant abrasion of the fabric from the sharp wood edge.

I cut a slit to allow a wrap around each arm support,

then hand-stitched it closed before I started stapling.

Starting with the middle, I pulled the fabric to the underside as tightly as I could (rubber gloves helped these arthritic hands to grip the fabric.)

Tibor was very kind to lend me his air stapler. I stapled the front centre first, then both side centres. Continuing from the centres to the corners, I stapled every 1.5″.

I gathered or tucked the corners before stapling.

After it was all stapled, I trimmed the messy hangy-down-bits, then applied some tacky glue to keep the frays at bay.

To make the cushions for the seat backs, I again made a pattern, then cut 1″ foam and the upholstery fabric (reversible, so one side is a grey hop-sacking.)

Covered the foam with the wool batting, this time stitching it together so it wouldn’t distort when I stuffed it into the casing.

Stitched up a loop of fabric for each top corner, and basted it onto the right side.

Placing right sides together, I stitched the cushion covers together, then turned them right side out.

I eased and coaxed the foam/batting assembly into the covers, then hand-stitched the openings closed.

Here’s the final “look.”

And, in its spot in the entry across from the fireplace. I can see this as a nice place to read, with my feet up on a footstool.

By the way, I made the grey cushions with $6 feather pillows from IKEA (what value!) I printed cedar prints with gold acrylic paint.

Total cost to upholster the loveseat: $48 (1.5 yards fabric 20% off @ $38 plus 1″ foam @ $10)

Tagged as: How to upholster a wooden love seat, using air tools