The impression covers make

When it comes to interior decor,  one of the things we all love to do is give our home a whole new look. One of the ways in which this is done is to change the
upholstery of our sofas and couches and bring in something new. Changing the upholstery may seem rather simple, especially since you can have a professional do the job. However, it is also important that you have a strong base to work with.

Furniture these days is not made to last a lifetime. This is perhaps in keeping with the thought that people would like to bring in something new every once in a while.

If you are planning on upholstering your furniture, first ensure that they have a strong base. This means that the structure of the piece needs to be strong. Any joints that are weak or out of position have to be strengthened and re-aligned. With a strong base, you can now move on to the actual job. 

Choice of material
Home interiors today reflect personal tastes and also carry forward experiences, learnings, tastes and influences — be it curtains, upholstery, quilts, runners, or sheets. People today are well-travelled and are exposed to materials, fabrics, design themes and much more, believes Radeesh R Shetty, founder, Purple Turtles Pvt Ltd, a home furnishings store.

“With mindsets today reflecting eco-friendly, green produce and local art sourcing, there is a wide range of materials and colours that are made available for each category of products that can be named. One of them is cotton, which is locally available, easily processed and available in colours and textures. It can also be used for soft cushioning. Silk upholstery fabrics offer a luxurious look for those formal settings. However, they require a lot of care and protection from stains or spills. Polyester is highly durable and resistant to mildew, moths and stains. Polyester is also easy to clean and maintain and blends in easily with other fabric settings,” he adds.

A popular material is leather (and art leather), which looks better with age and is ideally suited for the European/vintage look. “Leather is one material people love to work with, says Gita Ramanan, chief operations and design officer, Design Café.
“It tends to generate a bit of heat when you sit on it. But considering Bengaluru’s weathers, it’s not all that bad. What most people don’t know is, about this material called leatherette. Especially with families that have children, we encourage them to take on leatherette. There is a misconception that it is similar to rexine and may be of a lower quality. But the fact is that both leatherette and rexine are great materials — hardy and with a number of colour combinations,” she adds.

Experts say that your choice of upholstery fabric depends on various conditions, such as the intended use and location of the furniture, the budget you are working with, the ambience of the room and the amount of time and money spent on maintenance and care.

Your choice of materials has to be based on a few factors, important among which is the weather. “Bengaluru pretty much has a constant variance climate with no-extremes in any of the seasons,” says Radeesh. “The biggest problem though is the dust. Durability may also be an issue at times. Every home uses upholstery differently. The fabric selection should reflect those requirements. Bengaluru folks are highly social and hence entertain a lot. So the level of maintenance you are willing to take on also matters”.

Therefore, the fading of materials, durability and ease of maintenance form the three basic considerations when choosing a material. It is important to keep in mind that there will be a chance of the piece of furniture getting dirty at some point. This can dictate your choice of materials as well.

Common mistakes to avoid
As with any major home rehauling task, there are chances of getting some of the basics wrong, simply because we are not the experts. However, those with expertise, like Gita, do have some pointers for you to keep in mind:

*People tend to do up their curtains, wall paints etc., and then move on to
sofas, but this is a wrong approach.
Sofas and furniture are an integral part of your living room and can completely change the way your room looks. Therefor, it is important that this is something you figure out right at the design stage otherwise, there will be no connection between the furniture and the look of the rest of the room.

*Also, don’t go by trend. It is not something that will work with a practical piece that you use multiple times a day. If the trend you choose does not work with the way your family lives, then you will have trouble with it.

*Also, think about it in terms of how your family works. Think about your
layout. Ask yourself if you would like to have decorative or functional pieces. Would you like sectionals, L-seaters, or combinations? All of this comes from an understanding of how your family works.

Upholstery is a long term investment and one that should last you up to a decade if looked after well. Making the right choices and avoiding some common mistakes will help you be a proud owner of a beautiful space.