Last week I was supposed to work on the the all important DIY no-sew upholstery project for the my cousin’s loveseat. Naturally, it just wouldn’t have been right if there were no issues AT ALL with that process. All I was able to do is remove the old upholstery at that time.
Thank goodness for the extra weeks AND that we have until July 5 for “The Big Reveal”! I’m taking full advantage of the time so that when I present this gift to my cousin, it is everything she could have imagined & more!
Let me just give you a run down on what didn’t go quite as planned:
- First things 1st… the fabric was late.
- When it did arrive, there was a big red mark going right through the center of it.
- I didn’t order underlining fabric thinking that I already had some on hand. I did not.
- Did I mention that I DON’T SEW? And that I hadn’t quite figured out how I was going to get the cushions done without a professional upholsterer’s help?
More importantly, let’s talk about what went right!
EVERYTHING! Especially under the circumstances.
I ordered fabric samples from multiple suppliers & settled on 2 final contenders – both very neutral because that’s my cousin’s style.
1 from Greenhouse Fabrics (which I absolutely love) & 1 from Michael’s. Yup, you read right… Michael’s! They have a great selection of budget friendly upholstery fabrics including the Ellen Degeneres line.
Ultimately that’s what I went with. The fabric is amazing quality for the price point & the color is perfect. When I unrolled it from the bolt & found the red coloration throughout, I called customer service who immediately issued a replacement which I received in 2 days!
I’m all about excellent customer service.
Anyway, once I got going on the project, it was not nearly as scary as I thought! In fact it probably took longer to remove the fabric & staples from the previous upholstery job than my DIY no-sew method.
Here’s a reminder of what we started with…
My Insta-friends voted almost unanimously to paint the frame. I decided to keep it natural because 1. It’s more suited to my cousin client’s taste, 2. It maintains to the soul & integrity of the piece, and 3. It contrasts very nicely with the new upholstery.
And here is a sneak peek at my new DIY no-sew upholstery job…
Can you tell that I’m super excited about this?!
She’s done! All that’s left is to clean her up, add textiles & she’s ready for her big reveal!
I’m so glad I took on this project because it really gave me a chance to challenge myself in many ways – it’s been years since I’ve done any upholstery AND I created a video to show how I did it! That’s coming soon here on the blog & on my YouTube channel so stay tuned for that!
Now for the full reveal of The Teacher’s Lounge
including the DIY No-Sew Upholstery Project!
A Few Photos Of The Teacher’s Lounge – Library, Prayer Room, & Office
Thank you SO much for visiting& following along this journey! I am so appreciative. If you found it interesting or inspiring, please share!
Don’t forget to check out the transformations of the One Room Challenge featured designers & guest participants.
Yes I could tell you’re excited.. i like the casualness of the look.. and that linen fabric looks great on it.. I can’t wait to see the finished project
I can’t wait either! I love surprises – well surprising other people – so I’m trying to hold out as long as possible.
What a great transformation on that bench! Looks great!
Thanks Rachel! I’m really excited about this project. I added some extra special touches that I plan to share when I reveal the room.
Congratulations this space looks amazing 😉
I’m not done yet Jenna! This loveseat is sitting in the middle of my dining room waiting for the very last moment to take it to my cousin’s new Prayer Room/Teahcer’s Lounge. She’s gonna be so surprised, I can’t wait! So stay tuned for that later this week!