The transformation The suzani-inspired upholstery and bold orange paint finish turn this boring brown table into a fabulous foyer perch.
Tackle this project in one of three ways, according to your time, budget and skill level.
1 Do the painting and upholstery yourself.
2 Paint the piece yourself but have a pro handle the upholstery. (That's what I chose to do, picking the fabric I wanted -- Suzani in Sun from Invu Drapery Co.)
3 Take it to an upholsterer who can handle painting and upholstery. He or she can even present you with fabric options if you don’t have time to make it to a fabric store.
8 Comments
I find it really frustrating that you do such costly makeovers on cheap items. $323 to revamp a $15 coffee table into a bench!! You could buy one cheaper at HomeSense or Crate & Barrel ...... Why do you keep doing this? People just laugh when they see the cost of your revamps.
I agree with JenniferF....it's hardly a DIY project when you bring it to someone else to do!!
I agree with Jennifer, however you do not need to go to go to get this upholstered by a professional. You can do this yourself. Go to a fabric store and purchase the foam and fabric. Very cheap. I have reupholstered my dining room chairs myself for under $30.00 (6 chairs). We are trying to save money here. Happy bargain hunting. greeneyes2
I agree with Jennifer, however you do not need to go to go to get this upholstered by a professional. You can do this yourself. Go to a fabric store and purchase the foam and fabric. Very cheap. I have reupholstered my dining room chairs myself for under $30.00 (6 chairs). We are trying to save money here. Happy bargain hunting. greeneyes2
That's funny, I thought I was the only one who felt that way reading the article. I couldn't imagine spending $323.00 on that. I'm surprised because S@H is usually very down to earth and practical.
hey, just thought I'd weigh in on this. OK, I'm a bit biased because I work on the magazine, but thought I'd shed a little light on the issue of cost. $323 may seem like a lot of money, and you can find a bench at HomeSense $300-$400. However, you will NEVER, I repeat NEVER, find a bench that looks like this at all, and certainly not for this kind of $. What you will find is a bland plain faux-leather something or other. The retail value of this piece as made over would now be $800-$1,200. That's an excellent return on investment. Kevin created a unique piece that couldn't be found anywhere else at any price, and he did so for the same price a plain piece would cost at retail. Yes, you could upholster it yourself and save more money for sure -- that suggestion is made in the article. We like to show a variety of levels of commitment to projects, since not everyone can DIY. We also like to highlight the talent of craftspeople like upholsterers and sewers sometimes, since they are a great resource. Renovating furniture is not unlike renovating your home. Compare it to doing over a kitchen or bathroom. If you put in only the basic low-end fixtures, you get a certain amount of value back. But, if you upgrade the fixtures just a little your $$ return rises exponentially. Hope that helps a bit. Margot Austin Senior Design Editor
hey, just thought I'd weigh in on this. OK, I'm a bit biased because I work on the magazine, but thought I'd shed a little light on the issue of cost. $323 may seem like a lot of money, and you can find a bench at HomeSense $300-$400. However, you will NEVER, I repeat NEVER, find a bench that looks like this at all, and certainly not for this kind of $. What you will find is a bland plain faux-leather something or other. The retail value of this piece as made over would now be $800-$1,200. That's an excellent return on investment. Kevin created a unique piece that couldn't be found anywhere else at any price, and he did so for the same price a plain piece would cost at retail. Yes, you could upholster it yourself and save more money for sure -- that suggestion is made in the article. We like to show a variety of levels of commitment to projects, since not everyone can DIY. We also like to highlight the talent of craftspeople like upholsterers and sewers sometimes, since they are a great resource. Renovating furniture is not unlike renovating your home. Compare it to doing over a kitchen or bathroom. If you put in only the basic low-end fixtures, you get a certain amount of value back. But, if you upgrade the fixtures just a little your $$ return rises exponentially. Hope that helps a bit. Margot Austin Senior Design Editor
hey, just thought I'd weigh in on this. OK, I'm a bit biased because I work on the magazine, but thought I'd shed a little light on the issue of cost. $323 may seem like a lot of money, and you can find a bench at HomeSense $300-$400. However, you will NEVER, I repeat NEVER, find a bench that looks like this at all, and certainly not for this kind of $. What you will find is a bland plain faux-leather something or other. The retail value of this piece as made over would now be $800-$1,200. That's an excellent return on investment. Kevin created a unique piece that couldn't be found anywhere else at any price, and he did so for the same price a plain piece would cost at retail. Yes, you could upholster it yourself and save more money for sure -- that suggestion is made in the article. We like to show a variety of levels of commitment to projects, since not everyone can DIY. We also like to highlight the talent of craftspeople like upholsterers and sewers sometimes, since they are a great resource. Renovating furniture is not unlike renovating your home. Compare it to doing over a kitchen or bathroom. If you put in only the basic low-end fixtures, you get a certain amount of value back. But, if you upgrade the fixtures just a little your $$ return rises exponentially. Hope that helps a bit. Margot Austin Senior Design Editor