Our one client, Besa’s one sofa was on the stoep outside and the other in the house.
After we reupholstered these to couches in 100% genuine leather, she gave us her dark brown daybed set to redo in 100% genuine Zambezi spice leather.
Both sets is better than new.
2 seater after reupholstered in Bovine Zambesi Buffed 100% Leather
Below an image that gives a clear indication of couch width, seat height, seat depth and back height.
Soren Nielsen brought the sofa with him from Denmark. He decided to reupholster the sofa in 100% genuine Nguni skin as shown in the pictures.
He delivered the sofa on a Tuesday and picked it up on Thursday, the same week.
The Original Images from Soren
The photo from Soren after he put the sofa in his house
The Springs inside the sofa
From Europe to Africa
Mahogany is finely grained wood with reddish brown color. It is highly durable and can resist swelling, shrinking and warping. It is extensively used for quality furniture such as wooden cabinets, boat construction, wood facings and veneers.
Walnut: has fine texture and is strong, easy to work with. It resists shrinking and warping and can take all types of finishes very well. It is mostly used for making gunstocks, solid and veneered furniture, novelties, cabinetry and wall paneling.
Oak: has good bending qualities apart from being durable. It finishes well and resists moisture absorption. Oak is good for furniture, trimming, boat framing, wooden desks and flooring.
Maple: is a fine textured wood with immense strength and hardness. With moderate shrinkage, maple machines well and is best used in flooring, fine furniture and woodenware such as bowling alleys.
Cherry: is close-grained and as resists warping and shrinking. It gets red when exposed to sunlight. It ages well and is extensively used in cabinet making, boat trim, novelties and solid furniture handles.
Rosewood: is close grained hard wood with dark reddish brown color. It has an exclusive fragrance. It is hard to work upon and takes high polish. It is good for making musical instruments, piano cases, tool handles, art projects, veneers and furniture.
Teak: is a hard and moisture- resistant wood. It resists warping, cracking and decay and is best used in fine furniture, paneling, shipbuilding, doors, window framing, flooring and as a general construction wood.
Shesham: is also known as Indian Rosewood and is a rich medium brown wood with deep grains. It is a fast-growing hardwoods and the functional furniture made from it can deal with everyday stresses and strains without loosing its attractive appearance. It is highly durable, easily carved and is exclusively used for making furniture, particularly almirahs and cabinets.
Pine: has a uniform texture and is very easy to work with. It finishes well and resists shrinkage, swelling and warping. It is widely used in house construction, paneling, furniture, molding and for making wooden boxes.
Hemlock: is lightweight and machines well. It is uniformly textured and has low resistance to decay. It is mainly used for construction lumber, planks, doors, boards, paneling, sub flooring and crates.
Fir: is uniformly textured and has low resistance to decay. It is non-resinous, works easy and finishes well. Fir is used for making furniture, doors, frames, windows, plywood, veneer, general mill work and interior trim.
Redwood: is light, durable and easy to work with. It has natural resistance to decay and is good for making outdoor furniture, fencing, house siding, interior finishing, veneering and paneling.
Spruce: is a strong wood that finishes well and has low resistance to decay. It possesses moderate shrinkage and is light. It is a good option for making masts and spars for ships, aircraft, crates, boxes, general mill work and ladders.
Cedar: is a reddish wood with sweet odor. It is very easy to work with, uniform in texture and is resistant to decay. Cedar is extensively used in chest making, closet lining, shingles, posts, dock planks, novelties and Venetian blinds.
There are many other types of wood that are made by wooden sheeting. These various types are available in thickness ranging from 4 mm to 24 mm.
MDF (Medium Density Fiber Board): is made from powdered wood bonded with glue and compressed to form the sheets. It is quite soft and very easy to work with. It cuts, sands and finishes very easily. It is used widely for interior projects especially for cupboards and shelving.
Chipboard: is made like MDF but from actual wood chips. It is used widely for kitchen furniture for which it is covered with a laminate. It is also used widely for low cost flooring.
Plywood: is made from thin laminates of wood glued together. Each layer is at right angle to the grain of the other. It is very strong but also quite flexible, especially if there are thinner sheets. It is used widely in the building industry.
Wood Properties
Some types of wood are very hard and durable and some are flexible enough to be bent. Furniture wood types like “Hardwood” is one of the common types of wood which is obtained from trees that lose their leaves in winter. The another types of wood for furniture, the “Softwood” is obtained from evergreen trees like fir, pine and redwood. All the woods fall between a range from very soft to very hard.
All types of wood have distinctive grain structure. Woods like white and red oak, ash and walnut have open-pores in the form of small holes on their surface that give a distinct textural quality to furniture pieces like wooden cupboards or wooden wardrobe. When the surface of this wood is stained, the color tends to collect in the “open-pores” and appears darker than the rest of the piece. There are type of wood like maple, alder, and cherry which are tight grained woods. These woods are have smooth texture and can take finish evenly. Apart from grains, one more characteristic of many woods is unique figures on their surface such as quilting, birds-eye, fiddle-back or splatting. These naturally occurring characteristics can make a furniture acquire extra ordinary beauty.
Reference: http://www.verandah-restorations.co.za/blog/types-of-furniture-wood.html
History reveals that these types of couches have been commonly used in the confines of old institutions, government buildings and luxurious homes for generations. The name Chesterfield is by all means a complex term, coined by equally complex roots. The name itself is supported by time, in line with history as well as social issues and tradition.
A room, in the 1900’s, would not be complete, unless the master owns a Chesterfield sofa. Gentlemen, wearing hats and bowlers, seek momentary refuge in their respective morning rooms, laying their backs onto these comfortable Chesterfields. On the other hand, women, donning their formal dresses, are all glammed up, busying themselves with a cup of tea and biscuits, while enjoying their time in these leather seats. Comfort and sophistication define a leather armchair and Chesterfield sofas represent it all.
Here are several theories supporting the history of Leather Chesterfields and how come it has been the sofa of both elegance and tradition:
Philip Stanhope 4th Earl of Chesterfield
Born on September 22, 1694, Philip Dormer Stanhope is a renowned diplomat, statesman and writer. His works and affinity for the classy and tasteful, is perceived to be the main reason why the famous leather armchair and Chesterfield sofa are given its proper name and distinction.
Chesterfield sofas are all about the design and structure. The sofa’s quilted, buttoned upholstery and main use of premier leather makes the sofa a remarkable choice for the elite and well-to-do. The low-seat base and the couch’s rounded arms spell comfort, but at the same time, not forgetting the tradition, when it was firstly used. Traditionally made with buttoned backs and arms with a cushioned seat a more modern design feature is the fully buttoned Leather Chesterfield.
Below some illustrations on which areas to add into your measurement process. We also added a chart to give you our measurement suggested amount of fabric.
Remember fabric runs in a running meter, which means 1 running meter is on average 1.4m wide
Where as when working with leather its measured in square meter (1000mm x 1000mm).
When shopping for fabric, you’ll find a tremendous variety of sizes, patterns, and materials, all factors that will affect how much you need.
To look at some patterns go to U&G Fabrics
Below a chart to give you our estimations.
Plain fabrics are the simplest to work with: Stripes, plaids, and other patterns must be matched at the seams to be consistent. Though this can be tricky for the upholsterer, a smaller stripe or plaid that is evenly spaced should not cause much cutting waste, so you shouldn’t need to allow for extra fabric. If you want welting, piping cord that covers the seams, from the same fabric, you’ll need a lot more. “Welting on a chair with a striped or plaid fabric automatically adds an extra meter and a half.
REPEATSome patterns will require extra metrics. “If you have a flower pattern with an 25cm repeat, that means it will be 25cm before you hit the next, identical flower. “To center Flower on the seat of a chair, on the back, and on the skirt, you’ll need to cut away excess fabric and fit the pattern correctly. Some patterns have very small repeats, 2cm or less; others are as large as 50cm. “In general, an 22cm repeat means you’ll need about 20 percent more fabric; a 35cm repeat, 40 percent more.
Do not run OUT OF FABRIC:
Never skimp on fabric and assume you will be able to go back to the store and buy more if necessary. This might seem like smart shopping, but it’s not: Never expect to get an exact fabric match the second time around. Dye lots change overnight. You might buy an extra meter of fabric that looks the same, but if the dye is slightly different, it won’t match the rest of the fabric.
For any reupholstering project, your most important task will be choosing fabric, you must determine not only the look and feel of the material, but also how much of it you’ll need. Determining fabric amounts is tricky, it is wise to consult a professional before you make a purchase. But it’s fun to be able to make at least your own estimate, and to understand the factors involved. The shape of the piece, the pattern of the cloth, any extras such as a skirt or welting Remember before jumping into a project, Since upholstery fabrics cost from about R60 to R800 per meter or more, knowing approximately how much you’ll need before you make a choice is helpful.
Your sofas is 10 to 15 years old, the fabric was nibbled on by the dog, You raise your children on it and most of the cushions sits flat.
Worst of all the fabric is most probable way out of fashion. There are two basic choices here.
Buy a brand new set and take the old one to the nearest Hospice or…
Reupholster your old set.
If you decide to go for a total change, visit our Classic and Modern sofa page or send us a image of you dream sofa and we can custom built it for you.
But, if you know your old set’s frame is still in a superb condition and you think to reupholstering it, you need to plan it well.
The aspects to consider is as follows:
Fabric or leather (Fabric price between R19 to R1200 per running meter and Leather price between R180 to R315 per sqm).
Where to find the right fabric at the right price. (Visit U&G here)
Does the frame need some light repairs?
Foam: The density of the foam, Soft or more firm (Our policy is to replace all foam once your set is older than 3 to 4 years. Cost between R200 to R1000 per set).
Transport: How do you get your set to where ever its going for repairs? (We pick it up at no cost in Pretoria and surrounding areas, and R600 max outside Pretoria.
Re-up Period: How long is your set going to be away. (At born we try to lift your set on a Monday and have it back by Friday).
Warranties: What is the warranty or guarantee on the newly refurbished set? ( We can’t guarantee your frame, but we do warrant the new foam according to the manufacturers warranty, The fabric to the Fabric house’s warranty, 3 years on craftsmanship.)
Changes.: Do you need to higher the back or shorten the seat depth, or change the entire look. (This is our specialty, just send your set, we can provide references).
Born Furniture’s mission is to provide high quality service and customer satisfaction – We will do everything we can to meet your expectations. We would welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver you the best service in the industry, please feel free to contact us for more information.
