When we first moved into our current house, I had a fairly clear vision for what I wanted in the enclosed back porch. I wanted my thrifted long mid century table for family gatherings, game nights and just sitting around chatting. I also wanted to have a nice sitting area for sipping coffee, reading a book, taking a nap or chatting.
To fill the space I hurriedly purchased a discounted small outdoor sectional from Big Lots to fill up the space. It filled up the space but I was not really happy with it. It would however, be a good placeholder until I found what I was looking for, which happened to be sooner than later.
Scanning through Marketplace, I noticed an Ethan Allen wooden framed couch and thought it could work for one of the pieces. I purchased it for a steal at $100 at a local thrift shop.
I looked beyond the very dated (and dirty) fabric and really liked the idea of saving this well-made piece of furniture from its fate. I knew it still had more life in it and just needed someone who was willing to give it a chance and a home.
I noticed that they also had a loveseat but I didn’t think I needed it at that time so I passed on it. Shortly after I got home I regretted not getting the loveseat. It took a couple of visits to the shop, a little patience and a bit of negotiating to finally convince the shop owner to sell me the loveseat for about the same price (he wanted much more as I think he knew he underpriced the first piece to me).
Now to get to work on recovering the cushions. I chose a performance fabric from Revolution Fabrics called Hailey in the color Seagrass. It would be the perfect neutral base color that would also go with the newly recovered chair seats for the table. This color is definitely becoming my signature color in my house. I think it plays nicely with the dark blues as well as with a pop of red which would bring a bit vintage fun when decorating for the seasons.
Fabricating the cushions was pretty straightforward. The interiors of the top cushions had to be redone as the case that contained the fiber fill had completely disintegrated. The foam was fine on the seat cushions (at least for now) but I did add a layer of Dacron wrap to give them more lift.
Instead of remaking the funky arm rest cushions, I opted to purchase some accent throw pillows to give it more updated look. They can be changed for the seasons but are also much more comfortable to rest your head and feet on for an afternoon nap.
Little by little my cozy back porch is coming together. I think they call this “slow decorating”. I still need to find just the right ottoman or coffee table to place in front of the couch but I’m not in a big hurry.
and just happens to bring in a bit of the red.
What do you think? Did you purchase a used piece of furniture that needs updating? Let me know how I can help.
Denise
detailsbydenise.com 