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dianna_gallagher

French Countryish Traditional Home Needs Advice

8 years ago

Hi there - I need to reupholster my favorite sofa. I originally intended it to be used just occasionally, so I chose a butter yellow matelesse fabric, but the living room soon became our 2nd family room (and daytime lounging spot for our naughty golden retriever), and now this adorable sofa is stained and nasty. Time to reupholster. I want to maintain the traditional french country look going on in my home, but need a durable, stain-resistant fabric. Any advice on which direction to go? Thank you in advance!



Comments (37)

  • 8 years ago

    A small scale plaid in 2 or 3 of your colors should be available in sturdy fabric and will camouflage dirt.

    Dianna Gallagher thanked lisaam
  • 8 years ago

  • 8 years ago

    In my opinion, if you want to really do French Country stay away from plaids. What you want are toile florals in the color range of your room. These will do a good job of hiding all that pet hair, too.





    Dianna Gallagher thanked Lyone Fein
  • 8 years ago
    Love your room. Love that colour scheme. I think a slipcover would work here. A necessity with pets.
  • 8 years ago

    Wow, I love your room! YES to a slipcover. Something linen-like that is washable. It will look relaxed but elegant.

  • 8 years ago

    That last fabric shown by Lyone Fein.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Except for the style of the two chairs, I'm having trouble seeing this as "French Country," especially with some of the details, including the Italianate coffee table and the wainscot. The "plaid" that reads as FC is Buffalo Check. Here it is in green, but I'd keep the sofa neutral and add FC fabric in pillows, drapes, etc.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I acknowledge that it's not fully French Country, but if I were to pick a decorating style, FC (and just plain traditional) is where the rest of my home leans. Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions. I was toying with the idea of a slipcover because it'd probably cost a lot less and the washable factor is enticing, but don't want the room to look frumpy and am not sure where to go for one that will fit well - do I go to a reupholsterer, or online somewhere? TYIA!

  • 8 years ago

    If you go the slipcover route, I'd look for someone who will custom make it. Try ETSY. You'd want the pillow covers to be individual, then a big cover for the base. Guessing this will be over $300.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Don't assume that slipcovers are cheaper, if you are going custom. You need as much or more fabric, and the labor is expensive if you want a good fit. Ready-made slipcovers are a PITA, since they never fit correctly.

    If you're worried about cleaning, get an indoor/outdoor fabric. Many of them look like any other fabric (velvet, linen, matelasse, etc.) and are easy to keep clean. Disguising dirt and pet hair doesn't solve anything--it's still there so why disguise it? Don't you want it really clean, not just looking clean?

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Crypton and Sunbrella are both good fabrics to consider. They're indoor/outdoor fabrics but very easy to keep clean. I wash my Sunbrella cushion covers in cold water with a bit of bleach as recommended by the manufacturer. Crypton Chenille may work for you. The quote I got for a custom slipcover with separate seat cushions was $500 plus fabric. A lot of good upholstery shops also do slipcovers.

  • 8 years ago

    Slipovers are expensive initially if they are custom made. But having the ability to wash (yes, like in the washing machine) is priceless if you have pets. We got slipcovers for our beach house and paid more for the couches initially because of that, but they have been great for pets, sand, suntan oil, etc. Well worth the investment!

    Dianna Gallagher thanked jjam
  • 8 years ago

    Price a new sofa first before getting into decent reupholstery or slipcovers.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    My sister gave me a great suggestion - wanted to bounce it around if anyone cares to share their opinion - she suggested just recovering (or slipcovering) the cushions in a complementary (small yellow/red check I'm thinking) fabric. Since the couch is not all that old, that will be more cost-effective. What do you think?

  • 8 years ago

    It will repeat what you did with the chairs, if you love the look then go with it. Call it cottage chic.

    Could you just flip the cushions over if they are two sided and live with it while saving for a new sofa? Embrace the well loved look for a while...

    Dianna Gallagher thanked P Banos
  • 8 years ago
    I think slipcovering is a great option.
  • 8 years ago

    Lovely room and sofa. Can you have it steam cleaned,

    then buy a ready made slip cover for the dog.

  • 8 years ago
    Mom of 6 + 1 wooly beast of a dog here...Sunbrella is absolutely wonderful stuff if you live with messy people and animals. Check out their jacquard line - soft and comfortable to sit on, but impenetrable to stains. We have a cushion covered with Sunbrella tangelo on the bench in our dining nook; it's resisted chocolate, tomato/pizza sauce, berries. I pretreat with Shout and throw it in the washer when I can't stand the dirt any more:). Has to be air-dried, but that's a small concession because it looks NEW after laundering. I think you should consider reupholstering with Sunbrella and having zippered removable covers made for the cushions. Good online source for fabric:

    https://www.outdoorfabrics.com/sunbrella-jacquards-furniture?page=10

    Suggestions for you:
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Crazy miracle! We washed the sofa cushion covers and they are like new and didn't even shrink a bit - unbelievable. Thanks all. Now a few more questions:

    1 - Bought this settee second-hand (and a new consignment coffee table) and am trying to decide if I should recover the settee. There is some discoloration to the linen, and given the fact that the rest of the room is so vibrant, I lean toward recovering it. But what pattern? Love the idea of a toile, but not sure if toile would conflict with the chair pattern. (And that chandelier is going to be moved - we just swapped the dining room and living room and electrician needs to move the fixture).

    2- Do I need a different table in the back right because the white distressing doesn't go with the dark tables?

    3- Should I stain the wood on the settee to match the wood on the chairs?

    Thoughts? And if you see anything else that needs tweaking, please advise. That's why I'm asking - Thanks, all you!

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    You have a lovely home! And I think the settee works very well in the room. A red/off white or tan/off white toile would work nicely with the other patterns. I'm a BIG fan of toile, which is very versatile and almost comes off as a neutral in a lot of cases. You could also do a large check (a "Buffalo" check). I'd keep the settee wood just as it is, and also keep the white distressed-bottom table as is too. Mixing wood stains, paints and finishes adds a lot to the character of the room, as long as the styles work together, which yours do.

    The only issue I see is in the arrangement of the seating. The settee doesn't seem to be a part of the grouping. Would you consider moving it to the far wall, perpendicular to the sofa? And then placing the 2 chairs opposite the sofa with the white-bottomed table in between? If you pull everything in a bit, it would look more cohesive, and be more conducive to conversation. Another plus is that you'd have a U-shaped seating arrangement open to the dining room, making it more welcoming and easier to transition to.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Wonderful news about the cushions! I don't think you can go wrong with toile. Perhaps you could find something to bring in a bit of olive green from your area rug, along with yellow and red. I found this quite lovely.

    https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/covington-bosporus-billard-fabric-.htm?gclid=CjwKCAiApdPRBRAdEiwA84bo30ZfU5kaeNrjdjUfUjZX5KAqG6u9Lh06EvoEy8xxsZsFAeIDBR2K8xoC1JQQAvD_BwE

  • 8 years ago

    Since the settee matches one of the colors of the rug I'd leave it as it is but find more appropriate (toile, something like above) or flowered pillows with red and green in them, etc. i.e. something romantic. I'd have the settee cleaned though if you stay with the original covering. By all means move it against the far wall and put the two chairs where the settee is, with the new table in between, perhaps angling the chairs and moving them closer to the other pieces. I'm sorry, but I don't think the drapes complement this room. A curtain with a small floral pattern of red and yellow would really finish off this room, along with some books somewhere. Maybe it's just me, but a room without books looks sterile and lifeless. Otherwise it's a lovely space.

  • 8 years ago

    katieinparadise - that toile pattern is the same pattern as my parsons chairs at the ends of my dining table. I found a cute long lumbar pillow in the same toile pattern on etsy that I just ordered. Thanks for the suggestion. Diana Bier Interiors, I rearranged and think it's working with the small space. Thank you ladies, for your suggestions! This is the first time I've used houzz for help and I'm pretty sure you just saved me a fortune! Cheers! Merry Christmas! Happy Hannukah! Happy New Year!

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    So glad to be of help--from one Diana to another!!

    Merry Christmas to you too!

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Nothing to add as far as suggestions, just that I freaking LOVE that you have a yellow sofa.

    Also have a very naughty Old English Bulldog who lives up on the sofa with me...no excuses whatsoever for spoiling her. I regularly chuck all the cushion covers in the wash...it's microfiber though so it's not so comparable, but I'm glad you got yours clean.

    Love the settee....Also love consignment shops... :)

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Hi Dianna, I'd love to see the room rearranged--could you post a photo?

  • 8 years ago

    How funny that you have that pattern elsewhere. The settee is a nice neutral color now and would fit in well as is.

  • 8 years ago

    Diana Bier - Here's a look now.


    Next dilemma is with our TV. This room, as much as I'd love it to be just a little den, is used as my space to watch TV when my kids are hanging in the family room. So my sister suggests getting a cabinet where the tv lifts up from inside... I'm considering that, but the room is so small I'm afraid it'll take up too much space and not sure I want to spend $3K for a french country one... would it be terrible to mount it on the wall above the 2 chairs and move those botanicals to another spot in my home?

  • 8 years ago

    Since you're using that room more now, would you consider switching the dr/lr back the way it originally was? Then there would be plenty room for the TV.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Wow, it looks really nice now--homey and inviting. Before I read about the TV, I was going to suggest something tall in that corner to the right of the settee. I think a large TV cabinet would overwhelm the room, but maybe a small one in the corner? Or you could mount one over the 2 chairs, or just watch TV on a laptop ;) That's what I do in my living room when my husband is watching a game in the family room--I watch netflix or amazon on my computer.

  • 8 years ago

    I have to find a way to build this thing. Obsessed with the brilliance! http://blueeggbrownnest.com/introducing-the-blue-egg-brown-nest-tv-hide-seek-screen/

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    Fantastic!!

  • 7 years ago

    I love your new arrangement and the settee as it is now. I agree maybe some more vibrant pillows on it. SO GLAD you were able to clean your sofa. I love it and was hoping you would keep it.

    I love Dianna's find on how to hide your tv. I am at a loss for suggestions on that one.

  • 7 years ago
    Such a pretty room! Love the sconces and how it opens to the dining area. Diana gave some sage advice. Horchow has some good-looking TV cabinets hung on the wall to hide the TV. Since it's to be hung on the side view wall, I don't think it would be too 'tragic' to put one up. I'd get a very thin one and hang as close as possible to the wall. Often, the rooms with the TV get used a lot more, so might as well outfit it in a practical manner and enjoy your beautiful space.
  • 7 years ago
    This is a new Samsung tv. It comes with an art frame already. Lots of choices.
    Dianna Gallagher thanked Harper
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