There’s nothing like a great furniture find (the older and cheaper the better)! Now, I’ve attempted a couple reupholstery/furniture refresh projects that have been absolute fails. After a chalk-paint-gone-bad and a traditional-upholstery-gone-awry, I was put out and frustrated. I didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars getting a professional to fix my Marketplace bargain finds — what’s the point in that? I came across an antique sofa deconstruct from my friend Mercedes over at @thesimplyblessednest (IG) and fell head over heels! This vintage loveseat deconstruct project turned out perfect in its imperfection!
Vintage Loveseat Deconstruct Project In Action
I found this beauty on Marketplace. It was in great condition — some of the upholstery was torn but I was just looking for a piece with good bones. To begin, I ripped the sucker to pieces! Starting on the edge, I pulled firmly with a pair of needle nose pliers, removing all staples and nails as I went. I discarded any batting and foam that was in rough shape. This took a while — and a half a glass of wine.
Deconstruct it!
I stripped everything down. Then, it was time for clean up! I vacuumed up all the extra fibers and pulled as much of the old matting out as possible. This piece was in really good shape. So, I didn’t need to replace much. After a lot of indecisiveness, I decided to use drop cloths to cover the body of the loveseat. It’s cheap, neutral, and would not be a huge headache to replace if the kids or pets (or me, I’m a mess) end up destroying it. I used one 6×9 drop cloth to cover this piece.
Reconstruct it!
First, I draped the drop cloth over the back and started securing with upholstery tacks to keep everything in place. I didn’t measure anything — this piece was eyeballed all the way. Once the tacks were in place, I adjusted and tucked the fabric to be as smooth as possible. After a lot of tucking and hammering, I trimmed off all the excess fabric. Leaving the edges rough, I went around the frame and frayed everything — this gave the piece that ratty, shabby look I wanted. Keep in mind, this isn’t perfect. A deconstruct is not meant to be perfect and that’s what I adore about it!
The original cushions did not fit the look I was going for with this project. Originally, my intention was to take another drop cloth and sew a cushion that would fit the seat. However, I absentmindedly tossed a couple of my Euro pillows on the couch one morning and actually liked the look. SO, for now, I’m keeping these three down pillows as a cushy seat. I’ll update with how these hold up.
I love it. I know it’s not a look that appeals to everyone. BUT for the haphazard DIY-ist who is only a partial perfectionist, it’s fantastic! Check out another easy drop cloth DIY here and have a great week, friends!
