Cheap Trick (and I’m not speaking of the band…)

Upholstery costs have never been a bargain for any of us unless we have a close relative in the business (fat chance on that!) It is a little frightening…the thought of going to that expense and then not being completely happy with the transformation! When u have been on a budget (strict one, at that…) most of your life, you learn to become rather creative along the way. The more sophisticated your taste is along with a tight budget can create quite a “design desperado” which isn’t always a bad thing as I see it and often this is accompanied with some rather serendipity outcomes!

What I will be proposing here has multiple advantages:

1. Very cost effective
2. Short “turn around” time
3. Can be easily changed if not satisfied
4. A TON of money is saved
5. If you have pets that have historically been destructive with upholstery

…no worries with this trick! Honestly, the most difficult part of this will actually be going to your favorite paint outlet and deciding upon a color for your new “upholstered” piece! This will sound ever so strange but, but I learned about this through experimenting out of desperation! I became quite weary of accumulating beautiful bargain pieces and storing them til I could afford to get them upholstered, so, again…as they say: “Desperation is the mother of invention!”

So, basically, here we will be PAINTING the upholstered piece that needs changing! It may sound nuts, but I’m a big experimenter and the first time I tried this…could not believe how tickled I was!! Figure out, first, what color the piece needs to be…then pick up some paint samples. Try several, at least, to make sure you have covered your bases and that the colors meld with the rest of your decor. I always go for the hi sheen or hi gloss versions as it renders the piece more “leather-like!” Most of the time if the fabric has no nap to it (meaning that it is smooth with no texture or bumps) you can get by with a single coat. But, often times, I will do two coats, especially if the piece is dark and we are going light or vice versa. There are a couple advantages, right off the bat, such as the new “fabric” doesn’t absorb so spills will be repelled! As well, cats or dogs claws cannot hurt this new “upholstery” at all! If this just sounds “too good to be true,” or you just can’t wrap your pretty little conventional head around it…pick up a cheap, nothing piece of furniture at a thrift store and “experiment!” Give it a whirl; practice and see for yourself! It’s a great solution for anyone regardless of whether you are “budget constrained”…or not!

by Jody Godfrey

Home Decor Specialist