Vintage Ethan Allen Sofa Makeover

Happy Monday all!  I'm back with the final blog post on my recent client project.  I couldn't move on without giving you the back story on the sofa transformation in this kid-friendly living room.

When I meet with clients, I do my best to listen first.  I mean REALLY listen.  So when this young family said they wanted to replace their existing sofa with something darker and more modern, I immediately thought navy blue and vintage.  Why vintage if they wanted something modern?  So glad you asked.  Everything old is new again and the fact is, those chic and often expensive furniture styles of today, likely mimic the styles of previous times.

Mitchell Gold Bob Williams

That means the market is ripe for the picking when it comes to sourcing furniture pieces with great bones in need of a little refresh.  Enter this beauty....

What you don't see it?  Look again.  The sleek square back and seat cushions,  the side pillows, the length.  Well, I picked up this vintage Ethan Allen sofa for a song and knew it would be perfect. I chose a navy chenille blend for a soft touch and a color dark enough to mask stains. 

Then I consulted with my genius upholsterer on how we could raise the height a bit to be more in line with the seat height of today.  With his expertise and my vision we were well on our way to something special.  Take a look at how it looks in the space....

 

You just can't beat vintage furniture.  You get so much more for your money.  For a fraction of the cost of new, we were able to create a quality and comfortable piece of furniture that will stand the test of time.

I love it!  Don't you?

"Installation Eve"

'Twas the night before the install and all through the house.... (Mine is a wreck by the way.)

Well, tomorrow's the big day and I'm so ready to get this show on the road.  Earlier this week, I literally had to talk myself off the ledge.  I knew my anxiety was getting the best of me when I had dreams two nights in a row that something went terrible wrong.  After a few deep breaths and a mental reminder that this isn't brain surgery, I'm much better.  The fact is, no one is going to die if something goes wrong.  While it's important to me, it is just decorating after all. 

I'm so excited about several pieces going in tomorrow.  I decided to give you a sneak peek.  If you need a reminder of the plan for this Modern Master click HERE.  I scored this small sofa on Craigslist for a song.....

.....and Baity's Custom Upholstery is putting the finishing touches on it as we speak.  I'm probably more excited about it than anything.  I secretly want it for myself. 

My client isn't afraid of color so I needed to make sure that I had ample doses of it.  For that I relied on Reinvented Charlotte to custom paint this classic faux bamboo piece in lacquered Sherwin Williams' Lucky Green. 


And I have to agree with what Sherwin Williams posted on my Instagram post, "Whoever gets this piece is one lucky customer."  I can't wait to pull it all together tomorrow.  Wish me luck (i.e. say a prayer it goes well)!  Stay tuned....

Don't miss the reveal.  Sign up to follow the Dwell by Cheryl blog and get post delivered to your inbox.  It's simple!

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Habitat Restore Guest Bloggin'

...about my vintage sofa experience.  Check it out by clicking HERE.  Be sure to leave me a comment.  : )  

"Craigslist Sofa Makeover Reveal"

Got to Love Reupholstery

 

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I've been itching for a new sofa for almost a year.  

 

It all started when I was Crushing on Tufting last May and then I stumbled upon this Red, Red Rug at a garage sale that was just too great of a deal to pass on.  So after getting a slipcover and making a few other Living Room Updates.  I decided it was time to bite the bullet and start the search for a new sofa.  The problem was, there was far Too Much Inspiration out there, so much so that it was difficult to make a decision.  After a month of deliberation, I was able to not only find a great sofa on Craigslist, but I also found the perfect fabric to recover it in.  I told you about it in the And the Winner Is blog post.

So, here it is nearly a month later and I've got a great reveal for you guys.  Just to refresh your memory, I selected this sofa on Craigslist for $80. 

via Craigslist

I know, some of you were probably wondering, "What is she thinking?"  But I'm a woman of my word, and I told you it would be GREAT!

I immediately contacted my friend Mark of Baity's Custom Upholstery (you should "like" his Facebook page).  Actually, I sent him to pick it up.  Yes, I bought it sight unseen.  You see, I believe that when you hire professionals, you should trust them to get the job done.  I figure who knows better what a "good" sofa is than the man who I'm going to pay to recover one.  He gave it two thumbs up and the rest is history. 

What I love about his process is that he's great about posting the progression of your piece.  It's so cool to see it come together.  Take a look at how it all unfolded.

 

Seriously, the man is good at what he does. I cannot tell you how much I absolutely love this sofa.  And, is it just me or does it not look a lot like this "markdown" Restoration Hardware version that's on sale for $3,280? 
  


Restoration Hardware

This is proof positive that you can indeed achieve the look for a lot less.

 

Nothing like when a plan comes together.  So now for the view of it in its new home.....











So many things I love about this new look.  For starters, I love the texture of the fabric.

 

And Mark's craftsmanship is truly impeccable....  

 

 



I also find it amazing that visually this sofa takes up less space and seems to create a more open entry.  Really highlights the fact that I've got to get to painting the inside of my front door.

 

 

Anyway, I'm so pleased with the result.  I love it!!

 

 

 

So what do you think? 



"And the Winner Is...."

This weekend I had an opportunity to visit Nancy to pick out some fabric for my new (to me) sofa.  I'm finally ready to upgrade.  I knew I wanted something with a natural look but that was totally durable.  I love the look of this, but linen is completely out of the question.

via

This isn't a formal living room sofa, I actually live on it, nap on it, blog on it, and eat on it. Durability is a must!

While perusing, I came across several contenders.  This first option was nice.  I like the texture and the weight but it looked too light to me.  I could see me waking up from a nap only to realize that my mascara had smeared on it.  Lol!

This next option was SUPER soft, but again way too light.  Both worked well with the current accent pillows though.

The third option was darker, but not too dark, which I really liked.  Unfortunately, its taupe hue seemed to clash with the pillows. 

And finally, there it was, the perfect fabric for my new sofa.  I knew immediately we had a winner.  It's light but not too light, textured with flecks of gold (not very visible here), that work perfectly with the existing throw pillows.   

Best of all, it's going to look GREAT on this...

via Craigslist

Yep, I think I finally decided on a sofa too.  I know, just trust me.  It's going to be great!  I think I'm skipping the tufting.  As much as I love it, I think it might be too busy with the print pillows and do I really want to be vacuuming fried chicken crumbs out of the tufting every other week? I know, I should probably eat at the table, not to mention back away from the fried chicken.  : )   I'm also planning to add a nailhead trim to jazz it up a bit. 

Highland Park Furniture

So excited to be changing out the oversized sofa.  Big Red has done her job and now it's time to pass the torch.

Off to Craigslist she goes....

New things to come and I can't wait!!!

"Too Much Inspiration"

I'm about a month away from being ready to pull the trigger on a new sofa.  I had a feeling me and the slipcover weren't going to work out, I mentioned it HERE.   I'm just way to anal for all that disarray.  Being that I love old things, I'm pretty sure I'm going vintage and getting it reupholstered.  I just think you get a better product in the end because it's true what they say, "They just don't make things like they used to." 

I've been trying to avoid even looking yet out of fear that I'd find something before I'm ready to buy.  But, I couldn't resist.  Let's just say I'm getting inspired.  Unfortunately, for some reason I'm having a hard time deciding which direction I want to go. 

Here are a few of the options I'm thinking about. 

1.  Tufted.  I think we all know how much I love tufting.  It's just classic. 

Craigslist Charlotte

This option is a great price on Craigslist, my go-to for great deals on vintage furniture.  Funny that often people don't know what they have.  You  might find something like this listed under "button back" couch.  By the way, this is a sofa not a couch.  So if you search online auction sites be sure to search under layman's terms. 

Anyway, I could totally see it turned into something like these....

Traditional Home Office design by Dc Metro Interior Designer SAVANT INTERIOR DESIGN

Contemporary Living Room design by Dallas Interior Designer Emily Johnston Larkin

 

 

2.  French.  I also love the tufting with a bit of a French flair, that would pair well with my wing chair that I blogged about HERE.
 

Charlotte Craigslist

I know, it looks disgusting now, but look what it could become....

 

 

Eclectic Living Room design by Denver Media And Blogs Vintage Renewal

3.  Vintage Iconic. I thought it was hilarious that this beauty was listed as a Duncan Fife couch.  It's a Duncan Phyfe sofa.  The owner can call it whatever they like because it's a total steal.

I love the idea of taking this true antique look and updating it with a fresh fabric....

Eclectic Living Room design by Other Metro Furniture And Accessories Horchow

Absolute perfection!

4.  Timeless.  Of course, I could always go with something simple and classic like this....

Charlotte Craigslist

And then jazz it up with a rich velvet like this...

Contemporary Living Room design by San Francisco Interior Designer Kristi Will Home + Design

or even velvet with contrasting piping like this...

Eclectic Living Room design by Richmond Tile Stone And Countertop Charles Luck Stone Center

See my dilemma?  I guess there is a such thing as too much inspiration.  Whatever I decide, I'm taking it to my new upholstery guy of Baity's Custom Upholstery.  He's fab.  If you're in the NC/SC area, I'd highly recommend him. Check him out HERE. 

Happy Friday!!

"Red, Red Rug"

I've been going back and forth for a few months over my sofa.  I would love to have a new one, but I actually love the comfort of my current one.  It's the most comfortable sofa EVER!  However, when I purchased this great 8' x 10' Pottery Barn rug at a garage sale this spring for $30....

Pottery Barn

... it left me with an issue.  I have a red sofa and now I have a red rug.  Clearly, that didn't work.

So, I've been waiting on the opportunity to get a slipcover and that opportunity came this past weekend.  I was able to pick up, not 1, not 2, but 3 Surefit slipcovers for an unspeakably low price. 

Surefit

For now, I'm going with this one.  It's a taupe duck fabric with a casual fit, which works with my cozy cottage decor.   Unfortunately when I bought it, it looked like this (yes, it's new).... 

Did I mention the unspeakably low price?  So, after a lot of ironing and about six cups of water later....

...I had something I could work with.  I decided to remove the current cover because you could see the piping underneath the slipcover, and frankly that was irritating me.

And here's the result...

I'm not the biggest fan of the "slipcover", but it works for now. 

                               BEFORE                                                           AFTER

                                        

Of course, because design is never done, now I need new pillows.  Oh well, it all makes for great original blog content.

Until next time....

Are you a fan of slipcovers?  Simply click the words Click Here to Join the Conversation just below this post. Need help? Read this.