Change is hard. And finding just the right furniture was a pain in the proverbial booty last time. Do you really need to go through that just because your furniture is beginning to look more frat house appropriate than chic or family-friendly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You do not.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reupholstering allows you to extend the life of a treasured piece of furniture, makes your piece(s) truly you<\/em>, and saves you time and money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Absolutely. It\u2019s just math. As a rule, new fabric is cheaper than new furniture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless you don\u2019t measure up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually, we\u2019re being a bit clever. YOU don\u2019t need to measure up. We\u2019re certain you\u2019re perfect as is. But you DO need to measure correctly. <\/em>So let\u2019s make sure you\u2019re ready to do just that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the last post, we talked about how to DIY your sofa slipcover. Today we\u2019ll back up a bit and talk about measuring. The ins and outs of how to measure right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At KOVI, we delight in the power of fabric. Power? Yes, power. Fabric can change your life by changing the way your life looks and feels. Reinventing or just reinvigorating your furniture and space \u2014 be it your home or office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the last year and a half, we know many people are eager for a lifestyle refresh or even a total reboot. We\u2019re more clear than ever what works in our homes and offices AND what decidedly does not work<\/em> anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re ready to do the thing. And you want to do it right. We can help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you wear a size 10 shoes and you accidentally order size 8, how\u2019s that going to work out? Or let\u2019s say you find the perfect pair of pants you\u2019ve been looking for \u2014 yes, you need pants again, sorry \u2014 and you click \u201cbuy now\u201d only to find you ordered three sizes too big. Well, that won\u2019t work either. Unless, you know, you\u2019re rocking the baggy pants around your knees look. But we\u2019re betting you\u2019re not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The point is this. Yes, you DO want to refresh your furniture vibe. No, you DON\u2019T want to order too little and fall short. You also don\u2019t want to order too much and waste your money on extra fabric now only useful as the most expensive dust rags you\u2019ve ever owned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And look, this isn\u2019t something you have much practice doing. It\u2019s more like buying a car or house. These are not skills you practice often. So are you really supposed to be an expert on how to measure? <\/p>\n\n\n\n You are not.<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We get it. And we\u2019ve got you.<\/em> This comes up A LOT for our wonderful customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, pull up a chair. Literally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s talk about how to measure. And let\u2019s use that armchair you love. Don\u2019t give up on it. There are still lots of books to be read and memories to be made there. And, let\u2019s be honest, our favorite furniture is like a 3D photo album of memories. So don\u2019t dump it. Give it a furniture facelift instead \u2014 whether through a pro or on your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve pulled together resources to get you there–from idea, to properly measuring, to ordering what you ACTUALLY need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your \u201cnew\u201d armchair beckons. Let\u2019s dig in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re obviously biased, but we think this is the FUN part! You get to pick your new look and style. And with KOVI\u2019s thousands of fabrics to choose from \u2014 sorry, not sorry \u2014 there\u2019s virtually no limit to what you can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As ever, we recommend beginning with the end in mind. Ask yourself a few basic questions about your armchair and what you\u2019ll need from your upholstery:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking a few minutes with questions like these helps you decide things like perhaps you\u2019re looking for something that really pops, like our lemon drop pattern<\/a> (yummy). Or maybe you’ve got a furry feline friend to keep in mind. (We\u2019re not hating on cats, but claws and loose weaves are not on speaking terms.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or maybe you realize that durability is mission-critical,<\/em> so you\u2019re after one of our Crypton fabrics<\/a> (we\u2019re flush with those). <\/p>\n\n\n\n We recommend playing with this. No need to be overly serious with yourself. And you don\u2019t need some secret design decoder ring. Just let yourself fantasize about what would light you up every time you walk into your space. It\u2019s your space, after all. Love it. Or at least love that chair – lol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, dig into a conversation about how you\u2019ll live in your armchair. Then head over to peruse our vast fabric selection. And, please<\/em><\/strong> reach out with questions<\/a>. Share your vision with our crack team, and we can help you narrow down your options. (We love that part.)<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Side note: leath<\/a>er<\/a> is a bit different. Given that it\u2019s an animal hide, it doesn\u2019t have the edge-to-edge usable fabric area that other upholstery fabrics have. In addition to being more than happy to help with navigating that, we\u2019ve also discussed this in previous blog posts. Most recently in \u201cNavigating Your Leather Upholstery Project Like A Boss!\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n By the time you get to this step, we imagine you\u2019ll be fired up and wanting to measure and order, so let\u2019s cut to the chase. We\u2019ll introduce you to a few of our favorite how-to\u2019s, and you can go with whatever you like best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you\u2019ll want to have some basic supplies handy: <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s it. Get those things together, and you\u2019re ready to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Actually, go ahead and put on a record or playlist you love and pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee or something more adult \u2014 no reason this can\u2019t be fun!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Armchairs vary in size and style, of course. But, as you\u2019ll see, the general approach stays constant: separate your piece into parts and panels. You\u2019ll essentially be measuring each part and then adding them all together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ok, to the main event. Each of these measuring how-to\u2019s involves a different level of time and detail commitment. We\u2019ll give you a quick take. You take it from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And even though we\u2019re focused on measuring with this post, the usual DIY question applies: time vs. money. What\u2019s the priority for you? We’ll frame it like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We lean heavily on videos for our curated guide. But for those who\u2019d prefer to simply read a quick how-to, we love Amma Marfo\u2019s piece for Hunker<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She gets right to the nuts and bolts, breaking down measuring your chair into easy-to-understand steps from start to finish — regardless of the style of chair you\u2019re measuring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s quick and easy and a great introduction to the primary things to consider as you get down to the business of measuring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you know this old acronym? Keep It Simple Silly (actually, \u201cstupid,\u201d but that\u2019s just not nice.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n This video is that. There\u2019s so much to love about Kathryn Joy\u2019s video<\/a> \u2014 besides the stellar name of her YouTube channel: Now That I\u2019m A Mother<\/a>. She simplifies measuring with the (rather ingenious) aid of an old sheet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, and stick around for the whole video. Not only does she walk you through a no-sew reupholstery how-to \u2014 mostly involving a staple gun and hot glue \u2014 but she also crushes modeling the fun of creative problem-solving when you DIY. She makes it an adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Up next, let\u2019s check out Kevin Kennedy\u2019s walk-through of the quickest ways<\/a> \u2014 and we do mean quick \u2014 to estimate the yardage you\u2019ll need for a wide variety of styles of armchairs. With decades of experience, he\u2019s got it down to a science that allows you to estimate in essentially a minute or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fair (and delighted) forewarning, he\u2019ll actually be walking you through measuring yah-dage<\/em><\/strong>. No, really. Kevin\u2019s Broadway Upholstery School is just outside of Boston. So, yah-dage.<\/em> What? How do you<\/em> say it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seriously, though. If quick and done is priority #1, Kevin is 100% your guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All the offerings so far will get you to the measurement answers you\u2019re after. Also, they each prioritize saving time versus getting the most<\/em> precise and detailed measurements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re after detail and want to be sure to really order only what you\u2019ll need, WOW does Aimee from Artisan Upholstery Studio have you covered!<\/p>\n\n\n\nYes, Reupholstering <\/strong>Can<\/em><\/strong> Save You Money<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Choosing The Right Fabric For Reupholstery<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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On To Measuring For How Much Fabric You\u2019ll Need<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Read all about it.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
K.I.S.S<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s just get to the yah-dage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Make Me A Measuring Master<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n