Photo Image: Re-Nest
Upholstery and reupholstery encompass a very wide spectrum. Recovering your kitchen chair seat is very DIY friendly. However, reupholstering a La-Z-Boy will bring most first timers to their knees. Over at Re-Nest we got a glimpse into the upholstery classes taught by Matthew Haly.
Photo Image: Re-Nest
It looks really hard, especially if you have no experience working with fabric, jute webbing, springs, etc. Honestly, this is the real deal, it’s beginning upholstery for professionals. Some commentors suggest that upholstery is not DIY-able. My response to that is that many people furnish their homes, especially when just starting out, with inexpensive pieces that will not withstand a lifetime of use. In fact, they’re just learning about their own design aesthetic and perhaps won’t find their own style for a number of years. To buy a piece of inexpensive, yet sturdy furniture, learn how to tear it down and build it back up is a beautiful thing.
Easy, very DIY friendly chair
There are so many payoffs, I don’t know where to begin. So, don’t steer away from the challenge of a DIY Upholstery attempt because you don’t think you’ll be any good at it, or it won’t look like a professional job. Buy a an inexpensive chair at Goodwill and in the privacy of your own home, give it a try. You really do get better and better the more times you do it. Once you’re not intimidated by the dirty job of tearing down old upholstery and cleaning off some decades old piece of chewing gum, sign up for a class.
Like anything new, this is an unfamiliar feeling to most people and it takes some getting used to. It’s a new year, a new decade (that’s still debateable), so step out into uncharted waters and try something entirely new. It truly is good for your brain, your dexterity, and if finished, your sense of accomplishment. If nothing else, you can say you gave it a try.
My last point is that you can find plenty of low tables, wooden spools and other objects to experiment with. The best bench in my home was created from a long, low coffee table.
