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Your furniture is worth reupholstering when...

Hello [[firstname]], from Sun On My Back Redesigns

When I taught courses on fabric and when I worked in an interior design store people constantly asked me 2 questions: 1) how could they determine if their furniture was worth reupholstering? and 2) was it better to reupholster or slipcover? This is my answer to those 2 questions...

For the average householder reupholstering is considered 'expensive' and we all know you can go out and buy 'some-thing' for less money. These are the guidelines that are most often used to determine whether or not your furniture is worth reupholstering:

• Consider the quality of the piece of furniture you want to reupholster. If the furniture was made of real wood and was well made by true craftsmen then it would be worth reupholstering.
• If your furniture fits your space exactly as you need it to and/or it fits your body well then it might be worth reupholstering or slip covering.
• Many people inherit furniture that they do not love yet feel guilty if they want to be rid of it. You could consider getting it reupholstered but my advice would be to do it only if you love it. If it is a set why not just get one piece reupholstered in a fabric you love.
• If you do decide to reupholster now is your opportunity to change the style and look of your furniture by having cushion shapes changed, legs covered or not, backs changed, different foam, etc.

'Before' Sofa: This sofa was bought for a small condo space but the cats had scratched it!!!	'After' Sofa: Reupholstered in a microfiber fabric (almost cat scratch proof) and altered style to be more modern.

Many people assume slip covering is less expensive than reupholstering – this is incorrect. For custom services they actually cost about the same. You are paying for the craftsmanship of the seamstress or an upholsterer and if they are good, they are worth the investment! Here are some of the contrasts between the two choices:

• Slip covers can be made in any style i.e. loose, medium or tight fitting. However over time the fabric will loosen up and never be as tight as a reupholstered piece.
• If you want to have more than one look for your furniture then slip covers are a great way to go. You could have a summer look and a winter look and by changing accessories create a completely new look in your home.
• If your furniture fabrics are likely to be soiled a lot perhaps from children, then having a kid-friendly fabric (microfiber is great) can be achieved either through reupholstering or slip covering.
• Check the care instructions on your fabrics to make sure they work with what your needs are i.e. if you are going to wash your slip cover make sure you chose a fabric that is washable. (cotton is great but it may need ironing) Once you have washed your slip cover put in back on when it is slightly wet as this will help keep its shape better.

'Before' Chairs: Cats thought these chairs were theirs – they scratched and slept in them.	'After' Chairs: Slip covered for washing and a skirt was added. Cats have new beds now!

We at the PRES® Staging School wanted to come up with a way to participate in 'Making A Difference' in our communities. We decided to request that if your home qualifies as a Training Home for the Vancouver area that you make a comparable donation on our behalf to your favourite charity. We love charities that educate and empower women, and help animals but it is your choice! To find out how you can WIN and qualify go to www.PresStaging.com Become a Training Home click here.

Sun On My Back Redesigns is redesigning itself to provide more information for the 'Do-It-Yourselfer' especially in this economy. Stay tuned for our Workshops in the Fall 2009.

If you want our Professional Real Estate Staging PRES Entrepreneurs Business Tips & Professional Development Courses make sure you sign up at www.PresStaging.com. For our PRES Entrepreneurs archived enewsletters click here.

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With Gratitude,

Dana J. Smithers
Founder & Creative Director
Sun On My Back Redesigns
PRES® Staging Resource Centre

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