reupholster a leather sofa

[sm_jamieson]

Our dark brown 2 seater leather sofa is starting to sag but the leather is in good condition. You can just about feel some of the frame at the front i n certain seating positions. I was going to get a man in, but that is bad f orm in this group. So, how easy would it be to fix myself ? The sofa has sewn-in "cushions" and the seams are all double stitched. I co uld link to a photo later on if need be. I would have to remove a lot of the stitching and have a look inside to see what strapping and/or foam needs replacing. At the same time I would like to slightly reshape the cushions, since the sofa tended to droop at the fro nt which resulted in bad posture. I think the hardest part might be restitching it since it would have origin ally been done with a machine and probably in a different sequence and/or p artly inside out. Anyone got experience with this type of thing ? Simon.

[Jonathan]

s in good condition. You can just about feel some of the frame at the front in certain seating positions. I was going to get a man in, but that is bad form in this group.

could link to a photo later on if need be.

ee what strapping and/or foam needs replacing. At the same time I would lik e to slightly reshape the cushions, since the sofa tended to droop at the f ront which resulted in bad posture.

inally been done with a machine and probably in a different sequence and/or partly inside out.

Have you considered approaching it from underneath?

Jonathan

[sm_jamieson]

is in good condition. You can just about feel some of the frame at the fro nt in certain seating positions. I was going to get a man in, but that is b ad form in this group.

I could link to a photo later on if need be.

see what strapping and/or foam needs replacing. At the same time I would l ike to slightly reshape the cushions, since the sofa tended to droop at the front which resulted in bad posture.

iginally been done with a machine and probably in a different sequence and/ or partly inside out.

A very good point. No I had not. The bottom has some type of woven fabric b ut if I remember rightly it is just stapled on. It would certainly not hurt to investigate the construction that way ...

Simon.

[Harry Bloomfield]

sm_jamieson laid this down on his screen :

The frame will be made first, the strapping foam and etc. added, then finally the leather fitted over the top and fixed at the base, with some rough woven material covering the underside. Remove the material on the base and likely you will have all the access you need.

[Peter Johnson]

I had someone come and do one of mine and I was left thinking that if I wanted to do it again I'd diy. What you need is a heavy-duty stapler and some blue foam. (You can get it on eBay:

blue is the right density. There are other vendors.)

Turn the sofa over and remove the staples holding the fabric cover in place. Insert one or two pices of new foam between the springs and the old foam for each seat position; no need to remove the old foam. Reattach fabric cover using heavy-duty stapler. I suppose you could use tacks if you wanted to. Turn sofa the right way up.

(The guy who did mine did say that some sofas are bloody difficult to do.)

[johno]

As a retired upholsterer I can heartily agree!

Anything done from underneath is, in the trade, considered a bodge. Sorry, but that's a fact. All of the original fittings, fillings and covers are, w ith few exceptions, fitted from above. For an effective and long lasting re pair, the cover etc should be completely removed and re upholstered in the same way as it was made. Hence it being expensive and in many cases on modern furniture a right roya l PITA. They are not made with re upholstery in mind, unlike furniture from the 'good old days'.

Just my opinion and as always can be ignored ;-))

John