Article written by Harrington Interior Design Alumna Karen Carpino, as featured in Chicago Now’s TCW
Are you in a decorating dilemma deciding to either recover your present sofa or lounge chair versus to buy new furniture pieces? This can be a difficult choice.
I suggest you start by answering the following questions. Do you still like the style? Does the size compliment your furniture plan? Does it accommodate your seating needs? Is it comfortable? Does it support your back? Is it structurally sound? If you answer yes to these questions your furniture piece is salvageable.
The following information can also help you to answer some of these questions. I also asked for an expert’s opinion. Vince Chiavetta of Vito’s Upholstery in Chicago said if your sofa or chair was built at least 10 years ago, you will find the quality of the structure is better than the way most newer upholstered furniture is made. Most older furniture was made with hardwood frames, free of knots; glued and dowelled joints; eight-way hand-tied coil springs or heavy gauge sinuous springs spaced close together; cotton or horsehair padding or superior high density foam. However, newer furniture is typically made with inferior knotty woods, plywood or particle board; joints stapled and sometimes fast-drying epoxy is used; light-weight sinuous springs and less of them per seat; low density foam which looks nice at first but breaks down after little use.
Keep reading tomorrow!
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