wwwwWWWWOOOoooOOOWWWWwwww!!!

Wow -
Although the proportions of the back cushions we far better before, this is an amazing result.

Sexy!

Gorgeous!

Gorgeous!!

Gorgeous!!!

LOVE it. To those who think "why recover when you can buy a new couch for the same price" I say "THIS is why!" One less frame, springs, etc. in a landfill. Solid craftsmanship that's hard to find today, rescued and given a new life...THAT's how to live green, do good, and put something beautiful in your home.

I am so sad that I could not take my old sofa like this with me when I moved. Tears!

I really liked it better before!

Um just kidding..it was hideous and you had an amazing vision and did an amazing transformation.

Good grief, what a beautiful sofa! How much would something like this run you?

Nice!

I just moved into my first apartment and need to buy a loveseat or small couch. I don't have much money though, so I wonder if there's any deals out there..ie. sign up for a store's credit card and pay off the couch within 12 months. Does anybody know about something like this? I don't like owing money, but the current situation in my living room (1 camping chair) won't work.

@sturgeongeneral - I suspect the reason why most people don't do this more often is because it costs a lot of money. if the couch's frame and cushions are in perfect condition, it might not be nearly as expensive as buying a new couch, but if the frame needs a little more reinforcing, and if the cushions are a little soggy, you'd spend more money repairing it than to just buy a new one.

Roxy72,

Hit up your local craigslist around the 1st or 15th of the month for folks who are desperate to unload perfectly good sofas because they are moving & it won't fit into their new place. You should be able to get a nice, inexpensive sofa that will work until you can source/plan your best options for your space.

WOW. Any chance you want to come do my sofa?! It's nearly as the before picture!

holy s**t! this is awesome!

Wow, so impressive! I don't know anything about upholstery, but I have heard that contrasting piping is really hard to do properly - so double kudos for that!

It is gorgeoussssss... I agree with PI if you don’t have money to buy new one don’t event think of getting old one fixed. It cost more than a new one.
Good Job...

@roxy72- Why don't you look at IKEA or Craigslist? I bought a gorgeous set from Craigslist for $200 (originally offered at $250). Full sized couch, full sized chair, and an ottoman that were originally from Pier 1. While I like it how it is, many of the couches/living room sets on Craigslist have TONS of potential in terms of reupholstering and so forth! IKEA has inexpensive but not necessarily well crafted/comfortable seating. But it is affordable so that is another option. Thrift stores are alright as well and some will deliver. Good luck!

Love it.

snazzy!

@Pi, you're probably right about that, but I would much rather re-upholster something solid and vintage than buy something new. I wonder what the difference in cost would be... probably varies quite a bit, because like you said, if there are any frame issues, etc.

Well done! Looks like the perfect place to stretch out on with a book.

Nice sofa. However, upholstery fabrics are not cheap, and neither is labor. I would venture to guess that the fabric and labor for this sofa would run past $2K, which is the cost of many sofas found at the chain furniture stores often mentioned on AT. Granted, the quality of these sofas won't be the same as the one posted here. This one has excellent bones and would probably cost the equivalent of $6-8K today, so the re-upholstery was probably worth it.

@bepsf - thank you. I always learn something from your comments. I hadn't noticed the proportions until you pointed them out, and (of course!) you are right. I spend time on AT because I'm trying to learn more about color, three-dimensional space, and other foundational elements of design. Your comments are always helpful! Many thanks!

This is an amazing makeover. The sofa now looks like a pricey designer piece.

If the back cushions are, in fact, different and not simply shot from two different angles, I prefer the larger cushions. The cushions in the "before" photo look like they're slowly slouching to the floor, like a bored five-year-old at his sister's piano recital.

BTW, very nice transformation!

@rapunzel --

Thank you for the compliment - I'm honored.

It occured to me after I posted that another thing I might have done were it my project would have been to double the length/reduce the numbers of seat cushions from 4 cushions to 2...
...but that's just a personal preference which, as a bonus, would have lowered the costs of sewing and cording materials (I'm guessing @4 yards less on the cording?)

Stunning! I think the bigger back cushions look much better. The others were slouchy.

I think it is sometimes difficult to recognize potential. It als also difficult to recognize good bones. They made cheap furniture back in the day also, and not all vintage sofas have good frames (and not all vintage furniture represents quality, as we have debated in the "to paint or not to paint" posts). I don't know to tell the difference between an old quality sofa and an old cheap sofa.

VERY well done! But that white piping would drive me crazy. I'd always be trying to line it up! :-)

I have to disagree with bepsf on the back cushions I think the after sofa's cushions are better higher and squared off to reflect the newly more tailored design. Plus those back cushions on the before sofa look dreadfully uncomfortable

Maybe the camera angle is playing tricks on me, but that sofa looks awfully deep. I bet grandma didn't sit on it for the last many years of her life because she wouldn't have been able to get up off of it. So I'll weigh in on the back cushion debate - I'd have done what the blogger did with the taller back cushions (maaaaaybe I'm agreeing with bepsf about doing 2 cushions instead of 4 - but that gets worn down over time if people tend to sit towards the middle and your cushions sag and then you have to replace the whole thing rather than just re-stuff the two center parts). But then I'd have added a second layer of back cushions (4 or 2, depending on the previous decision, but enough to line the entire back length of the sofa, not throw pillows) in a coordinating fabric. That way people could sit on that sofa and not be in a reclining position.

Otherwise, it's gorgeous! But I agree - unless you can see recognize the brand on a tag on a vintage piece, it's really difficult to know whether it's worth it to invest a lot of money in reupholstering. This blogger was lucky she got the piece for free.

I had the same thought as bepsf about the seat cushions: I would have taken the opportunity to replace the four with two longer ones for a cleaner look, especially with the piping emphasizing all those pillow edges. It's the first thing I noticed. Also agree about the height of back cushions. We have a (discontinued) Crate and Barrel sofa that actually has the back cushions slightly lower than the frame, and I think it is just a great period detail.

All that said, nice job and still a gorgeous sofa!

Along the same lines as bepsf and Lesley, I would have done one single seat cushion. But I do like the higher back cushions. And the white piping is delightful. It gives me high hopes for the summer reuph I have planned (though mine won't include piping)! Well done, diywithADD!

"I don't know to tell the difference between an old quality sofa and an old cheap sofa."

You don't necessarily need a label to tell you if a vintage frame is worth salvaging:

When you lift one corner, does one of the other corners come up with it or does it sag and bend (sign of a loose or flimsy frame)
Are one or more of the legs loose like a tooth that wants to fall out? (possible broken frame)
When you lift up the seat cushions - is it firm or does the spring base sag easily? (a sign of worn out springs)
When you pull the back cushions away from the back - is it firm or is there just sagging fabric holding the cushions up?
When you lean on an arm - does it feel solid or does it wiggle around inside the fabric? (Another sign of a loose or broken frame)
When you push down on the back frame, is it solid or does it give? (sign of a broken frame)
Is the piece heavy or lightweight for it's size? (Heavy is good - That means a thicker, heavier and better quality frame)
Do you like the basic lines of the piece?

Other than the weight of the piece and given the funds, most of these things can be fixed: Frames can be repaired and re-enforced, webbing, springs and padding can be renewed, even the shape and size of arms, cushions and the length of a sofa can be altered...
...but too many of these things gone wrong and you're better off selecting something else to have redone.

Last year, I finally got around to having a hand-me-down sofa bed reupholstered. The orange and red striped monster was labeled Dreamliner. My grandparents bought it in the late Sixties and gave it to me when I was in college. The frame is super-solid and the size is just right. I had the upholsterer cover it in taupe cotton and replace the seat cushions with firm foam. It went from garish to chic. I'm so glad I went this route instead of buying new.

Love the larger back cushions. If a sofa can be sexy, this is it! VA VOOM!

WOW, I'm with the first comment ;)

I got the best scoop ever. At a St.Vincent de Paul thrift shop in L.A., I got a medium green wing chair with beautiful curved legs, and the bonus is.....its a recliner! And I only paid $35 for it!! I wanted it so badly, I had it brought home in a taxi!
Unfortunately, I have to reuphoster it bc the sun is so intense in my livingroom window, it has faded.So I plan to use a "natural" shade of bull denim for a slip cover. Will post picts when its done, i'll be so proud.

Oops! Forgot to say I love the couch. I'm a sewer & know what some new fabric can do. It like a new coat of paint in a room. Yea, decorating! Love it.

i work for an upholsterer. here are some ways to cut down costs:
- source your own fabric and bring it to the upholsterer. i guarantee you you will pay more if you go through the upholsterer
-if the foam in the seat is in good shape but a bit too soft, get new foam for the seat, but recycle the old seat foam for the back cushions
-more detail= more hours spent on labour=more$$$. simplify the design if possible
-many upholsterers charge for pick up and delivery. if you can pick up/deliver it yourself, you can save up to $100.
-the fabric used above, kravet, is EXPENSIVE. there are many discount fabric stores that sell perfectly great upholstery fabrics, but at very discounted prices. it's worth doing the research. we had a client save herself roughly $500. by doing this
-the 'deck' (part of the sofa under the seat cushions) can be upholstered in plain, cheap cotton. doesn't have to be upholstery fabric. you can save there too

good luck!

Oh, @bepsf, no!! Those instructions for checking out a vintage upholstered piece are so concise and thoughtful I'm going to have to bookmark this page and print a hard copy too.

Anyone else think the reason for the higher cushions might be the piping combined with the fact that there's no sharp edge on the back of the piece to pipe? When you're in the room with the sofa, if it still had the small cushions, might it feel like that piping along the back edge was missing?

Hi. That's my sofa! Thanks for the comments ya'll (even the deliciously snarky ones. Come wander over to my blog: diywithADD.com and check out more of my irreverent makeovers. All best, ADD

Nicely done, and I'm sure it was a big project.

However, I see this as a transformation of periods. Not from "granny" to "modern." Those are still "granny" lamp shades then, too. The "before" picture is at an unflattering angle, no context, pitted & pocked walls. The "after" picture offers a clean, garnished setting.

Aesthetically, I wonder where the net gain is?

@bepsf - That's a great list of things to look for and what can be fixed. Thanks for sharing!

babyfishmouth; as a tall person, i appreciate a deep sofa.

besides, the ease of getting in and out of a sofa has more to do with the cushion and spring firmness than depth.

just sayin'.

fab sofa makeover. very tuxedo.

We recovered an 80s granny sofa (I was actually my husband's grandma's sofa we got out of storage) from pastel pink floral to brown velvet. Total cost: $4K. It was a pillow-back sofa, the new fabric was organic, and we added piping to all the seams, which brought the cost up. So we didn't save any money. But, we did save a sofa in perfect condition, with original down cushions and walnut legs. Plus, I got the sofa of my dreams out of it. Loved the results so much we then did two of grandma's arm chairs. Upholstery is an art and now I have three works of art in my home that are totally *me.*

I am a little late to the party but I will echo the exclamations of the previous posters. Love it!

I have been looking for a similarly shaped sofa (3 seats, not 4), without luck. Thrift shops in New England lean toward the traditional so a vintage find is probably out of the question. Anyone have ideas.

Beautiful! So jealous.

Oh. My. God. I was not expecting this "After." Incredible. And there is no way the cost to reupholster, including the cost of fabric, is more than it would cost to buy this beautiful couch new. No way.

ADD here and that's still my sofa. To clear up some misconceptions:

It is not extra deep. In fact, one of the reasons we love it is that it is not as deep as the slouchy couchmonsters you see on the market today.

We didn't change the cushions, other than adding extra down and they are so much more comfortable now.

It did cost more to reupholster this vintage piece than it would have cost to buy a new pottery barn sofa. But it didn't cost nearly as much as it would have cost to buy a REAL new sofa with its down-stuffed cushions, kiln-dried hardwood frame and eight-way-hand-tied construction.

I outlined the costs of such a project in the comments on my original post: http://www.diywithadd.com/2010/06/02/grannys-sofa-gets-a-facelift/

You can find the best quality furniture at charity thrift stores in posh neighborhoods. The society doyennes dump GREAT stuff when they redecorate every five years or so.

Thanks for the great comments! ~ADD

ADD, excellent job.

I recovered my grandparents sofa (of similar proportions to your sofa here) and I never regretted it.

Not only was the quality superior to anything I could have bought new on the market for even close to what I paid to have it recovered, I found something incredibly satisfying about leaving the fabric intact and having it upholstered OVER. The fact that the fabric my grandparents sat on, on the sofa they loved makes me smile. I just happened to not want to look at Asian floral chintz ever day....

There's no way you can buy that new.

Damn! We just donated an extra long couch not unlike the original above. This makes me wish we hadn't.

I... am... in... awe!

Good job...NICE!

Hello! Beautiful makeover!!! Can anyone identify the tables (they all appear to be the same model) in the photo? Thanks!

I'm just picked myself up off the floor.

This is the kind of post I will use as evidence next time anyone I know starts to head to some big box furniture store for a sofa. Furniture from the 1970s and 1980s - yes, the 80s - can be timeless.

Thank you for this.

I agree, WOW. That is a luscious couch, room.sincerely, mary

How simple, and luxurious. LOVE the sofa.

This is a terrific transformation! I got an old couch off of Craigslist that I think is from the 60's with very clean lines and oak trim. It really is built much better than the newer sofas I have purchased, very solid and only cost me $60. I'm trying to figure out how to recover it and still keep the wood trim visible because I really like it. A lot of that old furniture was really built to last...unlike much of the new stuff today.

Love it!
I got a 1930s Genoa lounge suite on ebay (deco style with club chairs, shell design on the back, etc.) and spent (what is in my world) a small fortune to get them reupholstered.
Have never, ever regretted it.
I also went for black with white piping: the chairs can go in pretty much any room, with any colour wall and look great.
You'll love these a long time.

Oops. "this" not "these."

Beautiful job. I'd buy that!

Your such a pretty couch. Yes you are.