It is a "comfortable vintage rocker," to quote the craigslist ad. It was cheap. I decided to buy it on the spur of the moment. I have a wild hare (something my mother always said about impulse decisions) to paint the frame with Annie Sloan chalk paint and then have it reupholstered to go in my newly re-painted living room.
Now that I've made this insane decision, I have so many questions. I have never in my life had anything reupholstered and I am a nervous wreck. How does one know if one is being charged fairly for new upholstery? What if I get ripped off? What fabric should I choose? Who supplies the fabric - me or the upholsterer? Do upholsterers have books of fabric for me to look at and choose from (like wallpaper books at the decorators?) or am I supposed to source it myself and provide it? If so, how in the world am I supposed to know how much fabric this chair will take? What if I make a bad fabric choice? Why have I done this to myself?
I also have to decide what color to paint it. I've been haunting websites about using the ASCP and there are a couple of colors that look like they would go with the new paint (Sherwin Williams Quietude) and I keep coming back to the crazy idea of painting the chair the bright Orange and using some kind of brown or linen like fabric. Is that crazy? Maybe I should go quieter? Or heck, maybe I should go big or go home?
I also need to start on a new quilt to hang in my newly repainted living room because the red, blue, green, and ivory one I had in there before Does Not Go At All.
I should have known that once you start redecorating, it's hard to stop.
I think it is just paint and if you use ASCP it is the easiest most forgiving...You need a pop of color so why not...material..me I would do the piece myself, amazing what you learn researching the how's to do...
ReplyDeleteShouldn't cost you more than $250. I would go pick fabric that you love first and then choose the pain. It's hard to beat white though. Upholsterers will have fabric books for you to look at but fabric stores will also have a good selection and sometimes a little more fun. Keep in mind though that with dogs and wear, you need something that will wear a little. Joann's has upholstery fabric. Maybe a nice crisp stripe?
ReplyDeleteHancock does too, and I think it would be much cheaper do buy it first. And don't worry about the painting - with ASCP, you can always layer it! Good luck! (Are you sure you couldn't do the reupholstery yourself? I see you have a lot of skills!)
ReplyDeleteI need the chair soon, so not taking it on myself. With a full time job, two dogs and lots of other things I like doing I can't take on another hobby!
DeleteI had a friend who was an upholsterer and he walked me through my first project. But since you want someone else to do it for you, then I would go to them and have them tell you how much fabric to buy. In my experience of having furniture done by a shop, I could find what I wanted cheaper at Joannes or Hancock. Also something else to consider, most people who upholster are backlogged and it may take longer than you think to have someone else to do it. And if you did it yourself you wouldn't feel so bad if you changed your mind down the road and didn't like the color any more.
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