Furniture Make-Overs

Furniture upholstery- one of Janet Preisel 's many talents, which she taught herself by reading books. This was before the useful knowledge of all humankind was assembled on the internet. Some of the family furniture which we still use today was found at a yard sale or thrift store, looking like a pile of unloved firewood, with attached tatters of fabric flying like flags of distress on the way home.






Jason, on floor, Arlene holding Eric, Ron A. holding baby Karin,
me, Laureen, and Brian. but the main thing is mom's homemade
 storage sofa, covered in grey faux fur.  We used to take turns
with the daily chore: "Comb-out and Groom Sofa."

Mom always saw the item's potential, with a vision of what it could be, not merely as it currently was. With hundreds of items reclaimed, I only remember one time when Dad gave a $2.00 chair a Viking funeral in the backyard. It was too far gone for even his woodworking skills. When Mom rescued a piece of furniture, it didn't end up a three-legged sofa with a bed sheet over it like in a college apartment. We are talking fine fabric decorated with piping, buttons, tufting, and studs, with accent pillows. The electric carving knife in our house got more use shaping new upholstery foam than it ever did for holiday dinners.





Karin, a bit more grown, but not ready for her sister's coat, in front of the recovered grey fur sofa, now a sectional in a wild floral print.

When I finally bought a piece of furniture brand new, it was very easy and looked nice, but was anticlimactic without the search, the vision, and the creativity of the labor involved. It was just a piece of furniture, not an adventure. Perhaps when I re-upholster it...





 

A chair that Mom re-upholstered for Aunt Mae