This is a DIY upholstery project that I really love. It was one of our very first.
“hot & settee”
To me, there’s no better feeling than helping something injured or downtrodden. I’m a physical therapist. And while I have not touched a patient since around the time Sweet Cheeks was born three years ago, that training & mindset stick with you. Rehab is something that’s in your blood.
Back to Blue’s rehab. Before I removed ANY of the upholstery, I got out a Sharpie and labeled EVERYTHING. I wanted to make sure I knew how to put Humpty Dumpty together again.
We uncovered many layers of previous upholstery as we went.
After Blue was all stripped, we cleaned and then painted the exposed frame with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Old White. Then it was time to re-upholster with the new fabric. I chose burlap for this project for a couple of reasons:
1. burlap is inexpensive
2. burlap is durable
3. burlap is neutral
We cut out pieces to match the removed upholstery that we saved to use as templates. Piece by piece, the settee came back together, and then the new cording and nailhead trim was attached at the very end.
And here’s Blue today. Now he’s hot. Hot & settee.
One of the great things about using the burlap is that being so neutral, we change the look of this piece and space for every season using different bolster pillow covers and such…
And it looks great no matter what we throw on it.
And now that my DIY upholstery project is done, I’m gonna see if I can sneak in five minutes to sit on my little settee here in the quiet….school bus arrives in T-minus six minutes and counting…
Interested in more furniture flips? Check these out!Pssst…before you go, I sure would love to hang out with you again really soon! Click here or on the image below and get a FREE copy of “Builder-Grade To Beautiful: 10 Totally Transformative Home Decorating Solutions, All Under $100!”
Sarah McDonnell says
You did a fabulous job. Blue is BLUEautiful! But I have three small kids, two large dogs, and Spouse. So how well has the burlap worn after this time? And how did you sew the welting? Not saying I am considering doing the same to my sofa but….okay, as soon as Spouse isn’t looking over my shoulder I probably will.
JUST found your blog and LOVELOVELOVE it!
Heather says
So glad you found us, Sarah!!!! That settee was a total science experiment. At the time, I didn’t even know what the term “piping” meant 😉 It’s a wonder it turned out. This little loveseat sits in our foyer, and it honestly does not see a lot of use, so I don’t know if I’d be able to give you a super realistic answer as far as how the wear goes with the burlap. I will say that it looks the same today as the day it was finished, that’s for sure. I think you should TOTALLY try it. The cushion is the hardest part…if you’re nervous about that (I was), have someone else do the cover, but as long as you take the upholstery off the body of your piece, label the pieces, and use those for templates, you should be able to re-upholster it yourself pretty well. Take lots of pics, too 😉
Sarah McDonnell says
Your on! Imma gonna do it! Especially since Walmart has a pile of $2 yd stuff! Bonus over the last person I hired to do decorating work: I’m sober! Although that may also be counted as a drawback, HAH!
Heather says
OMG, just spit my coffee out I laughed so hard. GOOD LUCK! And if it doesn’t work sober, toss a couple back and try again 😉
Diana says
How did you apply the cording afterward? Want to try this
Heather says
Hey Diana! If you mean the gold nailhead trim, that is really easy. Every 5 or so nailheads, there is one that you will have to actually pound through the fabric to hold the trim in place. It bends very easily and is pliable so it molds well to the contours of the furniture.