Couch Reupholstery Project, Part 1

Noboru Wataya (cat): 1.  Couch: 0.

There is a reason I call them “damn-inals.”  Remember a while back when I asked, “Do you sacrifice for your pets?”

Make my answer a resounding YES.

Remember, also, my amazing $20 thrift score — this mid-century low profile black vinyl sofa?  Well take a look at the self-satisfied look on my demon cat’s face and guess what happened to it.

Not just once.  But several times.  And while Jem and I were gone over the holiday she took one last aim and pretty much urinetorched it.  (Yes: she.)  So I’ll be investing in a pet behavioral therapist and also some new upholstery.

Why reupholster and not just buy a new couch?  Three reasons.

1. The couch was only $20 to begin with and I love, love, love its shape.

2. The cat has a think about emptying itself on VINYL.  Most upholstery fabric is safe from her waste disposal practices.  (Although not from her claws.)  Anyway, the vinyl on this couch was a bit vinyl-smelly and had duct tape on the arms, so eventually it needed to be recovered anyway.  It was a project couch!

3. I’m done couch shopping.  I’ve been over the agonizing couch buying decision three times in the past four years.  I’ve purchased 3 used couches since 2005 — each time after going through a month of exhaustive searching.  It’s hard to find a reasonably priced used couch in good condition, they’re too expensive (and therefore risky) to buy new (remember: I’m a pet owner), and I refuse to purchase a cheap(er) mass manufactured knock-off Ikea or Urban Outfitters sofa.  I’m just done with the whole process.  Aaaaaah!

So here are the steps I need to take.

1. Find some new fabric.  I think I might try the Textile Discount Outlet in Pilsen.  Any other suggestions?

2. Find an upholsterer.  I’ve had suggestions on a few.  I guess I just need to call around and get a quote [shudder].

Any suggestions, tips, warnings, or advice where it comes to reupholstering furniture in the Chicago area would be very much appreciated.  Especially if you’ve “got a guy.”

Why You Should Rearrange Your Furniture

When I was younger, if I was feeling like too many things in my life were up in the air or out of my control — and this isn’t always a tangible feeling, just a general feeling of restlessness or unease — I would lock myself in my room and start moving furniture around.

Sometimes this was no easy task.  In order to move a dresser I’d have to first take out all the drawers, then move the frame, then re-insert the drawers, then step back to decide if, in fact, the dresser was where I wanted it to be, and restart the process if it wasn’t.  In order to move bookshelves all the books would have to be taken down and then, of course, reshelved in alphabetical order according to author or grouped by subject matter.

At some point the cleaning process always left my room looking like a tornado blew through.  And what may have seemed like an hour-long project would inevitably turn into an unplanned organizing all-nighter.

But there’s nothing like the feeling of potential.  Rearranging furniture is a form of reinvention.  Moving the bed from one side of the room to another and then trying to sleep there the first night can feel almost as foreign as staying in a hotel or in a guest room.  And saying to yourself, I’m going to swing the couch into the middle of the room and face it the opposite direction is, in a way, saying I’m living my life differently now.

Am I taking it too far?  Or do you also have that feeling when you occasionally do a major redesign of a room in your house?

I went from having a rather non-functioning sitting space where no one ever went to hang out to creating a cozy living room designed — yes! I sinned — in anticipation of a television.  (Don’t worry — we have a cross-shaped living room that can serve many functions, as it has three distinct areas.  The TV space is just one of them.  But one, I feel, that is essential.)

I moved the stereo from its useless place on an unused credenza — now waiting eagerly to support a new flat screen — and replaced it with our old coffee table.

So the television and stereo will be separate.  And the clunky speakers and complex wiring (soon to be hid, I promise) won’t take up too much space at eye level.

I moved the lone club chair out of the sun room, where only Mojo the cat was taking advantage of it.  (Honestly — who goes and sits in a lone chair in a far corner of the room?)

And replaced it with a breakfast nook.  Or a chess table.  A place to read the newspaper and get stunned by a sunbeam.  Or work on your laptop while enjoying our street view — or the football game on TV.

All this is to say I spent the hours of 6pm to 1am on Saturday night rearranging the furniture in my living room.  And then I spent the morning Sunday lounging around in the results, feeling like a new person.

What room would you like to rearrange?

My Place: Fall Updates

Last time I did a post on my place I realized the apartment was looking a little brown.  So I’ve been making a conscious effort to add punches of color — in the form of textiles — to each room.

For instance, here’s the dressing station in our bedroom before.

And now with the addition of a few textiles (and a little clutter – ha!).

And the bed before…

And after — with the addition of a new (old) comforter (Jem’s from Milwaukee), a thrifted afghan, an orange pillow (thrifted), an Indian hanging lampshade (wedding gift), and some fancy new end tables (stuff we already had and were using in other rooms).  Still think we need a headboard?

This room has gone through a more dramatic change, since I changed out the couch.  Here it is before, way too green and brown.

And now after, with a coffee table (yard sale, $30), a new Danish Modern ceramic table lamp (eBay, $2), a green and grey afghan (thrifted, $4), and an owl pillow from CB2.  The wall scroll was a gift from Jem’s mom.

My favorite part of the space is our Expedit, which divides the front of the living room from the sun room.  Here was the space before the Expedit:

And now with the Expedit, and our new Ghost chair (which was a wedding gift).

Feline Interruptus

Oh, you’re selling something on Etsy? my cat asks.  Please, allow me to inspect it as you attempt to take photographs.  I’ll be just a minute!