Reupholstering Couch: Phase 2 (Side Walls, Back Walls, Some Finishing Touches)
I finished the couch today, at least as much as I can for now. I still haven’t decided on whether to skirt it or not. So I haven’t put the piping around the base yet, because I’m waiting to make a final decision on the skirt.
What was left to do today: staple down the remaining arm cover, close up the side walls, close up the back wall, staple the fabric hanging down to the underside of the couch.
I started by securing the remaining arm cover. Then I moved on to closing up the side walls. Here is what one of them looks like open.
I used the old side and back wall pieces to cut out new pieces. They are all long rectangular pieces that cover up the openings in the couch frame. In the case of the side wall, the long side wall piece covers up the side wall opening and wraps around to cover part of the back, too. When I took the couch apart, I saw that on the side walls and the back wall, the manufacturer stapled a row of cardboard along the top of the wall which gave it a nice clean edge. I had to make new strips of cardboard from broken down boxes. I cut the strips with a utility knife guided alongside the straight edge of a metal carpenter’s L-shaped ruler.
I laid the rectangular wall piece wrong side up on the arm’s top so that the bottom raw edge lined up with where the raw edge of the arm cover was stapled to the couch frame. This will be folded down and the part of it that will reach the front corner has to be turned under as well, so I left a 1/2″ allowance of fabric to be folded under when the whole piece folds down. I laid strips of cardboard end to end along the raw edges and nailed them down (except for that fabric allowance that will fold under to make the side of this side wall). The manufacturer used staples, but my staples pulled right out. So I switched to wire nails and the cardboard stayed put. Then that flap of fabric folds down to cover the wall. The cardboard is enclosed by a nice clean edge and no nails show. Isn’t that nifty?
Both of the side walls used a metal strip with nails-shaped cut outs coming out of it to tack down the side of the side wall that meets the front corner. Here is a picture of one of those metal strips.
Remember I left that fabric allowance? The metal strip fits in there. I poked the nail-like pieces through the fabic. It was tricky to line it up, but not that hard. I was cautious because I didn’t want to put it in the wrong place. Those nail-like pieces cut holes in the fabric, which could be damaging in the wrong place. Here’s how it looked when I got it in place.
Then I turned it under and nailed it in place. I nailed each nail a little at a time, until they were all fully in place. The rest of the wall I stapled down along the bottom (where eventually piping will go) and I also wrapped it around to the back and stapled it down, like so.
I did the other side wall in the same way. And the back proceeded very similarly with 2 exceptions. The first is, it is a larger piece, which makes it more tricky to line up. The second difference is that both sides of it enclose one of those metal strips. Here is a view of the open back, with the back wall piece already nailed down (wrong side up, hanging upside down) along the top with cardboard strips laid end to end.
To line it up, I folded the back wall piece in half and found its middle and lined that up with the middle of the couch. I referred to the old back wall piece to see how much of it to enclose with the nailed cardboard strip. In the case of my couch, I found out that 1-1/4 inches extended beyond the top edge of the cardboard, and the top of the cardboard was secured 2-3/4 inches above the edge of the top back frame. I used a ruler to make sure I got it right. I also started nailing down the cardboard in the middle and worked to one end and then started in the middle again to work my way to the other end. Once again, I referred to the old piece to figure out how much of the side to leave as an allowance to be turned under. The I folded the fabric down and turned the sides under, inserting a metal strip (much longer than the strips for the side walls) to nail the sides of the back wall into the couch frame. Here is how one side of the back wall looked.
Then I stapled the fabric hanging down to the frame where the skirt and piping will/would attach. The back wall was done.
Naomi and Mikah helped me flip the couch upside down, where I stapled all the fabric to the underside of the couch frame. I had to do some cutting to make the fabric lay down around the legs. The original couch had a black netting fabric stretched across the bottom to cover all the raw edges. I plan to do that at some point, but haven’t done it yet.
As I said before, at this point, the next step would be to either add a skirt and piping, or add just piping. Either of those options will cover staples. But since I don’t know which option I want to do yet, I won’t go any further yet.
Here is the finished couch, or finished as it will be for the time being.
And here it is with my current pillows. They went well with the wheat-colored linen slipcover I used to cover the original upholstery.
Here’s a question I have for you — should I change my pillows? I could recover one set with the couch upholstery fabric. What do you think? Do the pillows go or not? Which ones do, which ones don’t? I promise I won’t make any changes before Christmas! 
Wardeh, I’ve been reading your blog for about a month or two now. I love it! Wish you lived in my neck of the woods. (This is my first comment.)
What an ambitious project this was - especially at this time of year. I do a bit of sewing, but I’m not ready to tackle something like this.
Concerning the pillows…since the couch is a neutral color, why not use the pillows to tie the room together with some of the other colors in the room. Will the couch stay in the room with the dark green carpet? If so, use something with a touch of that dark green &/or some colors from the window treatments, etc. I do like the thought of printed or striped (rather than solid) pillows, but then, I haven’t seen the rest of the room.
My 2 cents…
Bethany, I am glad to “meet” you and thankful you introduced yourself to me. I hope to see you again!
The couch will stay in the same room with the dark green carpet. We have a black leather loveseat in here also. Its pillows are a patchwork of homespun fabrics. In fact, those pillows look awesome on the newly upholstered couch. The curtains are valances and they are a soft sage green color (much softer than the brighter light green pillows). I think it is just the big green pillows that need to be changed. You and the other commenters have helped me work through it! Thanks! Love, Wardeh
I like the pillows and think they make a lovely contrast. I have recovered several couches. I was amazed at how easy it was. You did a great job.
Thank you, Marci! That means alot to me since you have done it before. I like the pillows, too. The only ones that bug me are the light green ones. They either need to be dark brown or a softer green to go with the rest of the room. Love, Wardeh
Wardeh, you have done an awesome job on this couch!! It looks great.
As for the pillows. I would take a darker color out of that print pillow.
You are so talented.
Blessings
Patty H.
Patty, thank you! I am tending to agree with you. I think the only pillows that don’t totally go are the green ones. If they could be a darker brown (darker than the couch) it would tie everything together. Love, Wardeh
Wardeh,
Beautiful job on the couch. I also think a darker pillow would look nice.
I am also curious to know how much money you think you saved by recovering your couch instead of purchasing a new one.
Love,
Tiffany
Hi, Tiffany! Well… I’m not sure what a new couch would cost. We bought a basic, new couch for about $500 about 7 years ago. Unfortunately, we had to sell it a year or two later. We bought our used leather loveseat for $200. I’m also not sure what getting a couch reupholstered would cost… perhaps a few hundred dollars? I don’t know if those figures are representative.
This is how much I spent on redoing this couch. I purchased the fabric and piping for $108. I didn’t want to go over $100 and was hoping for $75. Upholstery fabric is really expensive and I think I got a very good deal. Then I bought a staple gun and staples for a little less than $20. So that makes this project $128 and about 24 hours of my own labor.
Are you thinking about redoing a couch?
Love, Wardeh
Looks really nice, Wardeh. You did a super, professional looking job.
MIL had a chair reupholstered some years ago (maybe 10?) and it cost right at $300 so I’d say you saved considerable $$. We had it done is a cotton velvet so that was more expensive than some fabrics.
Its my turn to start studying and figuring out how to cover our couch. I know I am going to need to build up the arms. And I know that its going to be a real problem because of how the arms are shaped…..
Sylvia
That is good information to know, Sylvia! Thank you.
You might want to look at the Simplicity Slipcovers book. You can make a custom slipcover that will stay in place if you don’t want to go the reupholstery route. Although if you need to rebuild the arms, you’d have to reupholster. I just found a book at a thrift store Wed called “Upholstery for Everyone” and it appears to have instructions for every possibility. I’ll photocopy the pages that have to do with reshaping and send them to you.
Love, Wardeh
Wardeh, I love what you did. I think the pillows go, but maybe (depending on your taste and the rest of the decor) maybe you could add one or two in a colour or print with a little more “punch” to add a splash of colour.
That’s a good suggestion, Lucy. I don’t like things too punchy though
Something deep and different would be good, though. Thanks! Love, Wardeh
Wardeh, what a great job you have done on the couch. As for the pillows I like color so the cream with flowers is my favorite. Wow you have been busy.
I think that you did a great job, Wardeh. I’ve been reading as you journey through this endeavor and I’m greatly impressed that you took this on. As a non sewer this is not a project that I would even consider taking on.
I agree that the green pillow just doesn’t seem to go. I darker shade of brown would be great and maybe a patterned one w/the color of your other love seat in it.