Reupholstering a Kidney Shaped Sofa-Looking for ideas

13 years ago

We want to finish decorating our LR and DR in the next couple of months. I want to address the sofa only on this thread. We finally found fabric to update our living room sofa. We decided to keep it since it is so well contructed. It's 9 yrs old and from Calico Corner.

It's hard to describe the fabric so I hope this description will give you the idea. No pattern, very light beige color with subtle sheen (almost iridescent sp?)which evokes a rainbow effect of blues, teal, grays, and browns. It really struck us because our style is glam/eclectic/1950's Sinatra/transitional. Our DR is opposite and LR and separated by a path to the FR. This is a TH. The cushions on the DR have teal and brown modern swirly fabric. So the we found fabric was perfect. I want to bring grays and differnt blues into the room. I'm a blue girl.

I've searched Google images and found a couple of pictures to get some ideas for the upholsterer we hire.

Here is the sofa as it is today. If you need to picutre the LR to help, the rug and end table are staying. The lamp is moving upstairs. The sofa will be pushed up to touch the rug.

We will be elimiating the skirt, the gathering at the arms, and fringe on pillows.

I kind of want to pull this apart starting with the arms. As I mentioned,the gathering will be taken out. Wilting or no wilting around the back and arms? Here is the best picture I could find on Google of a more contemporary kidney shaped sofa.

1. Should we have the bottom cushion wilted?

2. Do I look for a batik neutral fabric for the back cushions or keep everything the same. Just saw an episode on Candace Olson where she used batik fabric for back cushions of a neutral sofa. Looked great.

What do you think?

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Comments (6)

palimpsest
13 years ago
When I read kidney shaped, the first think I thought of was Vladimir Kagan sofas:

The swan back:
{{!gwi}}

And the Cloud sofa:
{{!gwi}}

I can't tell exactly what the back of your sofa looks like, but it is a more traditional kidney shape than these...but you are making it more contemporary.

I would welt a fabric like you describe, but I would do it around the outside of the arm and the seam between the fabric that comes down from the deck of the sofa and the fabric on the front bottom of the sofa.

I would not welt the cushion. You would probably be able to get the upholsterer to convert the back of the sofa to a tight back similar to the swan back sofa rather than having the large back cushion. I would do the entire sofa in one fabric. If you want a batik or ikat fabric I would do that in a long lumbar pillow or arm bolsters, something like that, rather than a two-tone sofa.
jerseygirl_1
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks Pal,

The back of the sofa is pleated with buttons. We are getting rid of the pleats and going with a straight back. Here is the back of the matching chair which is the same as the sofa. The chair is getting replaced.

What's interesting to me is the first picture you posted only because I always considered the lumbar pillow the same as any loose pillow on the back of the sofa. That picture is actually making me look at the sofa in a different way. Not as puffy but maybe a little puffier that what is acutally there. Without the lumbar, the sofa is deeper. Hmm

I like the idea of welting on the outside of arm which would also extend around the back.

I have also thought about not welting the seat cushion but keeping it boxey.
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palimpsest
13 years ago
My sofa is the same era as the Kagan sofas, and when I had it reupholstered, we welted the outside of the arm/back to give it a bit of detail and structure, and also the seam on the deck. The cushions are all without welts. This is not the best picture of it but I think you can see that this is also a sofa that could go more traditional with full welting and a skirt:
jerseygirl_1
Original Author
13 years ago
Pal,

Love your sofa.

After looking at your sofa, I now know that I definitely will not be welting the seat cushion. I do want the back and the arms more squared than round like the picture I posted. It's makes for a more transitional modern look. Not sure they will be able to do that.

When I take the lumbar pillow off, the sofa is too deep. I'm only 5'1". So, I definitely need some type of pillow(s) for lumbar support.
oceanna
13 years ago
Hi JG!

Hmm... welting gives more of a sophisticated finished look, but it's the first thing my dogs chewed off in my old living room, so I have mixed feelings, though I did add it again when reupholstering. Maybe if you want a very modern look, no.

Now the important questions -- what kind of parrot is that? I have a YCA, a TAG, a G2, and a RFM. :o) Do you clicker train him/her?

"She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined. She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot." ~ Mark Twain
jerseygirl_1
Original Author
13 years ago
Hi Ocieanna,

Good to see you posting again.

We don't have any dogs so welting is not a problem. Welting is a sophisticated finish. Trying to find middle ground of modern and transitional.

We have 2 parrots. They came with DH. The one in the picture is an African Gray, Socrates. He can be pretty entertaining. We have one in the Dining Room who is an Eclectus, Becky Jo. Both are pickers. He does not remember when they started and has spent a fortune trying to stop it.

Reupholstering a Kidney Shaped Sofa-Looking for ideas

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Reupholstering a Kidney Shaped Sofa-Looking for ideas

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