UPHOLSTERER SYDNEY

SOFA RECOVERED WITH LEATHER

The broken sofa from previous post now recovered with leather.

A few recent jobs

Parker Chairs

Diamond button chair

Daybed

And now the stuff you've always wanted to know

Seam Slippage  Care must be taken with some of our Upholstery Fabrics. In our Trading Terms we note the following: Seam Protection. Please ensure the following. precautions are taken, especially on Loose Woven, Heavily Textured, Open Weave & Ottoman Weave fabrics & especially on Seat cushion seams that take the highest load a. Stitch lengths: Should be a minimum of 12 searp stitches to the inch / Please use smaller stitch iengtn for high load areas such as Seat cushion covers. D. Seam size. A minimum seam size of 15-20mm should De taken. Heavy textured and loosely woven fabrics should lave 20mm seams and be overlocked. c. Over locking of seams should be used on loosely woven fabrics and seat cushions. Overlock immediately atter cutting fabric. d. Taping. In some cases an additional safeguard of stitching tnrougn a- Quarter incn tape along the seam may be necessary to prevent fraying in high lo,ad areas. This rri4y he clone at the manufacturers discretion after testing on individual designs. Seam Protection  - Heavily textured fabrics  It is Very important to make Extra seam allowance to  avoid Seam Slippage. ***Please note lepur standard patterns may Not allow enough Seam Aliowance tor. this type of ta-bric. We strongly recommend review inn youratterns before tracing pattern and cyttingtaU p ric on loose woven or heavily textured fabrics. ' These are the standard upholstery practises that are used by all quality upholsterers.

It is the responsibility of the upholsterer / manufacturer to ensure the seams are sufficiently manufactured so Seam Slippage will not occur. Westbury can not be held responsible for seam slippage as we have no control over the manufacturing process Applied Finishes  Westbury accepts no responsibility for changes in appearance, texture, colour, per-formance or damage or defects caused by any process applied to the fabric such as Drycleaning, Washing, Stain repellent finish, Flame Retardant finish, etc. These treat-ments can change the appearance, finish, handle & occasionally the colour & texture of fabric. We always recommend testing an inconspicuous area or off cut before proceeding

Dyelot  Unless a specific dyelot has been requested, the fabric supplied is from our current stock which may vary from the original sample swatch. Please note: Dyelots will always vary between batches. Please check this dyelot is acceptable for your use before cutting and manufacture as no claims will be accepted once fabric has been cut

Fabric Texture

As many of our fabrics have been manufactured using natural fibres, any stubs, shad-ing, irregularities & impurities are characteristic of the yarns used & enhance the nature of the fabric. Any irregularity of the weave or colour variation must be considered an inherent part of the character of the fabric. It should be made clear to the ultimate client that this is the inherent nature of fabrics & cannot be considered imperfect.

Face of fabric

The Face of the fabric is rolled inside. An fabrics must be made up on the correct face side, which is rolled face inside. The industry standard is to roll all fabrics face inside. If in doubt, please check before manufacture.

Faults 

Some weaving flaws occur in all fabrics. Our fabrics are manufactured to a high quality standard, however with certain qualities, faults or slight imperfections can appear whilst remaining within the norms accepted by industry (thick and thin linen yarns, crumpling of linen, silk stubs, etc). These flaws will be marked & an allowance will be made. The industry standard allows one flaw every ten metres. To assist us in supplying the correct meterage, please state required drops at time of order. Ironing fabric See specific Ironing Instructions on care Ironing Always test an inconspicuous area or off cut before proceeding. Iron lengthways. Polyester and Synthetic fabrics must be ironed on lowest minimum temp setting. Iron on reverse side if fabric has Glazed finish. Removing Creases from Velvet. Steam Iron on back of fabric using a backing cloth. Do Not Iron on face of fabric. Test on an inconspicuous area first.

Pattern Matching 

Pattern repeats are approximate & can vary. Care must be taken when pattern matching Patterned fabrics. In our general trading terms we note the following: As fabric is not a fixed, static commodity, the pattern will never be completely square on the fabric & therefore pattern matching will not always be possible. Side matching on some fabrics may Not be possible

Checks & Horizontal Stripes will bow across the width of the fabric. It is impossible to make a straight hor-izontal line due to loom tensions. For this reason we do not recommend these designs be made into Blinds When making curtains the horizontal lines will not perfectly match on the selvedge. This is part of the characterof these fabrics. Please always check the pattern alignment is satisfactory for your requirements before cutting the fabric as No claims accepted once the fabric is cut, regardless of the reason for the claim

Pattern Repeats  Pattern Repeats quoted are only approximate & can vary. Please check pattern repeats, fabric widths, piece size received & selvedge pattern match before cutting fabric as no claim or allowance will made once the fabric has been cut.

Roman Blinds  Claims for fabric that has been used in Roman Blinds due to fabric movement will Not be accepted. Fabrics should be preshrunk and bonded before being made into Roman Blinds. We do NOT recommend making Oversized Roman Blinds or using Upholstery fabric in Roman Blinds as this will invariably be problem-atical with some fabric movement to be expected and the Blinds will probably need alteration at some stage Roman blinds should be made in a way that the folds of the blind are not exposed to incoming light when the blind is raised. If the folds are not protected fading will occur on folds & will be noticeable when blind is lowered. We recommend that the bottom flap of the blind hang below the folds to prevent fading. Claims for fading or shrinkage in Roman Blinds will not be accepted

Shrinkage All fabrics are susceptible to some movement & shrinkage. Allow for 3-5% shrinkage - Industry Standard. More allowance for shrinkage should be made when Washed or Drycleaned When making fabrics (especially Woven & Jacquard fabrics) into Curtains, please al-low for some extra movement. Please allow for up to 5% shrinkage. This can mean 15cm on a three metre drop. We recommend that curtains have 25cm base hems & preferably be extra length, so curtains can be lengthened if shrinkage occurs Ideally the curtains should be lying on the floor & this way any movement will not be noticeable. If the curtains are not lying on the floor, the curtains should be hung in the workroom for a few days to give the fabric time to air & relax. Then the hems should only be hand tacked & then finished several months after installation to give the curtains time to find their stable level It should be made clear to the ultimate client that this is the inherent nature of fabrics & any costs incurred in the alterations of the curtains remains the responsibility of the client

Stretching /Bagging  Stretching / Bagging. It is important to access the fabric for Stretching/Bagging. Upholsterers normally check each fabric for stretch by clamping one end of the fabric to the cutting table, stretch the fabric & measure the length of the cushion & cut the stretched fabric to the cushion size. That way the fabric has already been stretched & the cushion will not bag or wrinkle after being sat on This is common upholstery practise, otherwise any loose weave or stretchy fabric will bag after be-ing sat on. Bagging is more noticeable on Large seat cushions as there is a larger area for stretching *Please note your standard patterns may not allow for Stretching / Bagging'

Sun Damage/Fading  All fabrics are susceptible to sun damage, especially Silk & NaturalTibre fabrics. Sunlight fading can occur, even from strong indirect light. Only the best quality chemical fast dyes are used in our fabrics, but fading can still occur, especially in the stronger colours We strongly recommend that a block out lining be used and please ensure that the fabric is protected from strong indirect sunlight.

BRAND NEW SOFA NOT SO GREAT...

As you can see in this video, the right arm of this sofa was broken when it arrived to our workshop to be recovered.
Our customer bought this sofa from a well known retailer where you're free to buy whatever they have available, to be recovered in leather.
We had to repair the arm and strengthen other parts to prevent future breakages as the manufacturer in Vietnam obviously could have used a few tips on how to make furniture frames...

We sometimes get asked why the cost to recover can be around the same as buying a new sofa, maybe this can help answer that question.
When furniture is made poorly using poor quality materials (see the particle board support rails), by people who are paid $1 per day, you cannot expect that item to be recovered here in Australia with our high wages and overheads etc for any less.
The Australian retailer will have paid the Vietnamese supplier a very small fraction of the actual sale price. Maybe once we establish what that price was it will make the recover cost seem more reasonable.
Did I mention the filling used in the cushions is also rubbish, so in a couple of years the cushioning is going to look flat and out of shape, and feel uncomfortable to sit on.

See these pics of the frame to understand the quality (or LACK of) of this furniture. I've seen better quality firewood!

You would be far better of buying an older secondhand piece that was made when people still cared about quality, and have it recovered by Cover It Upholstery Sydney

Its About Customer Service

When it comes to upholstery its all about delivering quality workmanship and customer service.

We help with fabric selection, logistics and deliver quality work to ensure all of our customers are 100% happy with our upholstery service!

Hi Marcel,

Thank you so much for dropping off the chairs - they are fantastic!

I'm SO pleased with them and really want to thank you for an amazing service - from the original enquiry, right through to the pick up and delivery and finished product!  I would highly recommend Cover-It!

Many thanks,

Margot.

Upholsterers, Upholstery, Re-Upholster, Recover, Restoration, Antique, Lounge, Sofa, Chair, Cushion, Fabric, Leather, Upholstery Sydney, Upholstery Inner West, Upholstery Eastern Suburbs, Upholstery Northern Beaches, Upholstery Sutherland Shire, Upholstery Sydney CBD, Antique Restoration, French Polishing, Furniture Repairs, Foam, Loose Covers, Ottoman, Armchair, Bed Head, Scatter Cushions, Soft Furnishings, Free Quotes, All Suburbs,

Upholsterers, Upholstery, Re-Upholster, Recover, Restoration, Antique, Lounge, Sofa, Chair, Cushion, Fabric, Leather, Antiques, Polishing, Furniture Repairs, Loose Covers, Ottoman, Armchair, Soft Furnishings

At Cover It Upholstery Sydney we strive to give you the highest quality workmanship and service. We come to you with fabric, vinyl or leather samples. We service all suburbs of Sydney including: Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, Northern Beaches, Sydney CBD, Sutherland Shire.

Cover It Upholstery Sydney has vast experience in all manner of upholstery work, ranging from traditional applications such as diamond buttoning and spring edge work, to the more modern styles of today, including any custom made furniture you require.

We can assist you with any furniture restoration and re-upholstery project, whether residential or commercial, working with private customers as well as many architects and Interior Designers on a range of interesting projects that include restaurants, clubs and corporate.

We service all suburbs of Sydney!

Interesting…. the pile on the Warlock swatches appears to be more compact than the Warlock showroom sample library. I recall that the Zepel showroom samples of Warlock have a pile that reminded me of the look and feel of Warwick’s Mystere range. Whilst I accept that one of the challenges with any velvet is that it shows rubbings and marks when the pile direction is altered, the Warlock velvet seems to show these marks more easily than any of the other velvet samples I have. It also seems harder to brush the pile on the Warlock to reduce or eliminate these marks when they occur and a “ghosting” image of the rub seems to remain faintly visible. Also, in the showroom samples of the Warlock velvet, there is one sample that is quite large - looks to be at least half metre or more of the fabric. You can see on this larger sample where people have rubbed the pile. It even looked a bit like the pile was beginning permanently to mat/congeal a little on the site of the rubbing?? Apologies for taking so long to pick a fabric for my chairs but I can reassure you that I have been actively looking at fabrics. It’s a fun process but at the same time, I’m a bit over it but pressing on. I now have around 40 samples of various styles and colours of fabric in the grey range and have looked at heaps more. I’ve limited my search to Warwick, Wortley and Zepel fabrics. I’m finding that grey is not an easy colour to work with because of the blue, green, brown and purple tints used and how this impacts on the final grey colour and how it looks in situ. The chairs were originally covered in a heavy damask silk and are currently covered in a chenille type fabric. I don’t want to go down the silk route.  I also don’t particularly want plain self-textured jacquard type fabrics because they look too rustic and coarse on the chairs. So I’ve decided as an alternative that I want to keep the fabric very plain with a preference for a soft feel plain fabric. It's what looks best on the style of chairs and the contrast of grey against the blond wood looks great. Easier said than done!

At first I tried to avoid velvets and was looking at other soft feel fabrics that look like a close pile velvet but aren’t (Zepel’s Ottoman Drizzle, Wortley Touch Pewter) but with no luck. Back in the velvet space, it seems to me that there’s a big difference in the range and types of velvet. I’ve limited myself to 100% polyester. At this stage, I’m leaning towards a Warwick velvet called Cleo.  Cleo has quite a close, dense and tight pile. The colours I’m looking at in the Cleo range are Gull, Armour and Flint and I have reasonably decent sized samples of these colours. The other range of velvets that have a good selection of greys that I like is Zepel’s Warlock velvet (Aluminium, Slate and Metal) but this velvet has a much more plush pile than Cleo and I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.  I don’t have any samples of Warlock velvet but have seen it in their Rushcutters Bay showroom. Whilst I wouldn’t mind getting some Warlock samples, the samples Zepel has sent me via you in the past are so small (about 8cm square), it’s hardly worthwhile getting them. Not to mention, Zepel will not tell me the price of the fabric either. At least Warwick and Wortley will give you price ranges.

Top 25 Most Popular Home Improvement Services for 2017

Yes Cover It Upholstery Sydney has done it again!

Awarded:

Top 25 Most Popular Home Improvement Services for 2017

The HomeImprovement2day Team is excited that your business has been listed in our Top 25 Most Popular Home Improvement Services for 2017.

Here is how you have ranked:

• #11 Most Popular Home Improvement Specialist in Sydney City

Congratulations and keep up the great work!

These rankings have been allocated by location to the businesses with the highest number of visits, positive reviews and overall engagement across the HomeImprovement2day website.

It's been a busy start to the year!

Already a number of testimonials to share with you

Hi Marcel

Thanks for bringing back the couch today! Love it!

Payment all made.

Thanks Jess

Hi Marcel,

Thank you for such a wonderful job, we are so very pleased with the lounge suite.

Regards,

Chris Treweek

Hi Marcel

The dining room chairs are excellent thank you.  

Many thanks Phil 

Hi Marcel,  

All paid and thank you again. It looks great and we really appreciate the speedy turnaround. 

I will be in touch once we have saved up to do the other two chairs later this year. 

Regards, 

Keith

Hi Marcel  

I really like the sofa, I've had lots of compliments for it, and it is very comfortable. Kitty loves it too.

And the first small commercial job completed

See you soon for more updates on completed jobs!

ANTIQUE FURNITURE - Chair types and history - PRT 2

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Cover It Upholstery was established in December 1998 so we are about to start our 20th year in business!

To start the year I'll post the second and final part about antique chair types, and a few photos of a couple of recent commercial jobs completed late last year.

Hall Chairs 

Hall chairs were made for large houses, and were often carved impressively with the crests or coats-of-arms of the owners. The seat was often slightly dished so that the sitter did not slide off the highly polished surface, but they offered no comfort, and were specifically intended for messengers or others waiting in their outdoor clothes.

Library Chairs

Library or club armchairs, made for gentlemen's clubs, were produced from around 1830. They were usually made from mahogany, but were also produced in oak or rosewood. A chair of this date would not originally have had casters, and these would have been added during the Victorian era. The use of leather upholstery on Victorian tub-shaped chairs was popular. The leather is unlikely to be original, but should ideally be old and in good condition as it is expensive to replace.

Victorian Chairs 

Although chairs from the William IV and Victorian periods may lack the style and elegance of earlier chairs, they are often very well made. The best examples, with elegant French style cabriole legs, are classics of English design. Single chairs were essential in the drawing room for accommodating the wide skirts worn by ladies at that time, and consequently the seats were often slightly narrowed at the sides, with serpentine fronts. The French rococo style was popular for the boudoir and bedroom during the early Victorian period, often made of walnut, gilded or painted soft woods, or papier mache. Sheraton and Hepplewhite designs were reproduced from the 1870s onwards.

Settees and Sofas 

The word 'settee' was used throughout the 18thC to describe any appropriate piece of seat furniture, whether it had a carved or upholstered back, while the term 'sofa' came to be applied just to more heavily upholstered examples. Now the words are almost interchangeable. Most settees of the 18thC, whether upholstered or carved, formed parts of suites and as such their designs matched those of the chairs in the suites. Also, since they were made to stand against walls, their backs were plain and unadorned. The elegant, French-influenced designs of the late 18thC gave way to far heavier and extravagantly shaped pieces during the period of the Regency of the reigns of George IV and William IV By 1860, the French taste had once again brought a lighter touch to the form of Victorian furniture, and the settee and the now popular chaise longue had taken on new curvaceous, organic lines. During the last quarter of the century the sumptuously upholstered and buttoned Chesterfield gained a level of popularity which it has never really relinquished.

Corner Chairs

Corner chairs are usually found singly rather than in pairs or sets. Good quality examples are found in rosewood, mahogany and walnut. More basic corner chairs are in oak and other country woods, such as elm, and have straight legs and no carving.

Windsor Chairs

Windsor chairs were unknown before 1720s, and were originally found in Georgian taverns and coffee houses. The earliest examples have comb backs, plain turned splayed legs, and no stretchers. Cabriole legs suggest a date between 1740 and 1770. The hooped back was introduced c1740, and the wheel splat around 1790. Gothic Windsors, recognised by the carving of their splats and their pointed arch backs, were made between 1760 and 1800. The most desirable wood is yew, followed by elm, but mahogany examples are always of good quality. Curved stretchers, carved and well-proportioned backs also add to the value. Some better quality Windsor chairs were stained black or japanned black or green, and are more valuable in original condition — do not strip them.

Sets of Chairs 

The demand for large sets of dining chairs is very strong so the price which has to be paid for a set of, say, ten or twelve chairs will work out considerably higher per chair than for the equivalent set of six. The presence of a pair of armchairs in a set will increase the purchase price further. Look out for repairs and alterations in any large set. Legs or feet may have been spliced to repair breaks; stretchers are often not original and sometimes seat rails have been replaced.

Dating Chairs 

Although there are few hard and fast rules when dating chairs there are certain pointers which can be looked for. One of these is to examine the way the seat frame is braced for strength. In the 18thC this was achieved by fitting and sticking a thin strut of wood across the front corners of the frame. In the 19thC this technique was quickly superseded by sticking and screwing a solid block into each corner. Although many 18thC chairs have had their original struts replaced with the stronger and more durable blocks, the notches in the frame where the struts originally fitted should still be visible.

2 RECENT COMMERCIAL BENCH SEATING JOBS BY COVER IT UPHOLSTERY SYDNEY

As we begin the year next week on the 29th of Jan I would just like to remind you we service ALL SUBURBS OF SYDNEY, so just email a photo of your furniture to be recovered and describe what needs to be done to marcel@cover-it.com.au and I'll get back with an estimate after which we could possibly sort out a fabric or leather selection on which to base a firm quote.

Should a quote be accepted I would then ask you for a 1/3 deposit (50% commercial customers) and book the job in and order any materials required.