I get it. When you see the perfect piece for the perfect spot you'll go to great lengths to make it work . . . Nice work on the couch.

Eh... shoot me but this is an exceptionally ugly sofa. Glad your client like it.

Pity you didn't restore the vertical channel tufting (whatever you call it) along the back.

That was what set it apart from any MCM sectional.

I'm sure you could find well built furniture, made in the USA for that kind of $$. I wonder if they liked it after it was completed.

Awesome job! I wish everyone could be educated on the benefits of upholstering old pieces. I for one know the amount of labor that went into restoring that piece. Been doing it awhile myself. It's a dying art. Lucky client.

I wish the button design was kept like the original. It would have been a bit more work but a whole lot less generic than what was done.

At least you save it from the landfill!

kayteedidnot, I live in a college town and to save on the $50.00 landfill fee, at the end of the semesters the young folks have "couch burnings". Makes a heck of a bon fire. This sectional would have landed on the top of the heap. Sorry, Elite, but had the owner requested the mid '50's style in whch it was originally purchased I would have identified with your enthusiasm. The original upholstery had the fine details that the reupholstered piece does not.

Love!

I found my sofa in a friend's barn, payed $75.00 for it. Stripped it done to the frame (wanted the exact lines of the sofa. I imported some mahogany from Brazil to enhance the lines of this piece. Found a cashmere classic glen plaid, (originally retails for around $300.00 a yard, on sale at the end of the season, end of bolt for $12.00 a yard) and ended up with a sofa that I dreamed about. It took a few months for all the pieces to fall into place and my patience rewarded me with something I love. Total cost was around $1500.00. I could have bought a sofa for that amount but love that I have a sofa I love and will not see in my friends' or neighbors' home. First photo: before, second photo: after, third photo: in living room.

The mahagony does give your sofa great lines. I can see this sofa going for more than $1,500.00 retail. I also applaud your patience and shopping savvy! I love your sofa!

@happyasaclam, no disrespect but your comment is ignorant. We upholstered the sofa to accomodate our clients wishes. They chose the fabric and style. Your opinion that a well crafted piece of furniture should be burned because it does not suit your taste is a sad statement. Its unfortunate. That consumers like yourself continue to choose poorly made trendy styled disposable furniture over finely crafted pieces based on their short sightnesed of what can be done to finely crafted pieces of the past.

This is such a comment on our throw-away, consummer driven culture. You can't buy a decently built chair without spending a fortune. That's a big factor for some of us. But, I know the quality is far reduced from the furniture I purchased 40 years ago. Now, it is all foam, does not sit comfortably and will not last. If you see that as a great thing because you tire of things and want the latest, you will be happy. I really wish I hadn't given away some very well built pieces over the years.

Hey, "Whatever gets you through the night is all right, it's all right."

One can find quality built furniture, but you really have to "dig" to find them in the US and Canada. They are out there, but you aren't going to find them in the "rooms to go" store, etc. etc.

Wow the sectional takes me back....my parents had one made very similar to this piece except the colour was red and was upholstered with a very heavy fabric. From the 50's as well. The sofa is still in use in my sisters home but now with more modern fabric.

Whoa there, Elite! No disrespect meant? I did not say that a well crafted piece of furniture should be burned because it does not suit my taste! I was stating the obvious. A couch like the one your cliet put in the barn in the first place then chose to reupholster, LOOKS like a prime candidate for the burn pile to some (bored students looking for an excuse to party). You can't possible expect everyone to spend the kind of money your client spent to rehabilitate furniture in the "before" state of that sectional. And since I don't remember taking you along on our last furniture buying trip, what do you know about my taste, needs, budget or values? You love the piece, put a lot of work and effort into making it a piece your client is proud to own and rightly so. Just don't expect that everyone would make the choices your client made and denigrate those who do not think the sectional was worth the effort.

That thing can't be comfortable... And it surely isn't attractive..(to me). Different strokes for different folks i suppose.

Why wouldn't it be comfortable? You may not like the fabric but it doesn't look much different than a lot of the current sectionals I see.

Love the lines of the restored sofa.

I feel that they should keep the lines of the restored sofa and then it would look like the original piece

Brilliant job! That sofa looks VERY comfortable...the back slants just enough to cradle your spine without sacrificing lumbar support. The slight scoop to the arms is very attractive (and looks like a great place to rest your head, for a nap). Last, but not least, a quality piece of furniture (where does anyone find 8-way hand-tied springs, today) is brought back to life.

Well done.

To clarify: doesn't look comfortable because the seat cushions look very thin, the back and arms look stiff, and the arms look too low to comfortably rest your arm on.

It has beautiful form and looks very scandinavian in design which was popular in the 50's. I had to look more closely to see the detail on the back cushions. I would have used a different color, but the lighting in the photo is not very good.

@andj32, the seat cushions don't have to be terribly thick to be comfortable with that spring system. All the stuffing in a modern sofa is necessary because the serpentine spring, used in most of them, is not really very comfortable without it. The back is straight enough to rest your derriere on the seat, instead of the bottom 5 inches of spine - people actually used to sit that way.

In your before picture, was that the original upholstery? My parents had a sofa just like it, only it had blond wood accents, no seams in the arms and it was turquoise (a bumpy nylon blend fabric that wore like iron).

NWMESS, adore your sofa, the glen plaid fabric and the addition of the mahogany. It's beautiful.

I spent $50 on a very old settee framed in cherry and plan to reupholster it. You gave me some fresh ideas. Thanks!

Kayteedidnot, my best advice to you would be don't settle. Wait until you find the exact fabric you love, that you will be able to live with for a long time. If it's a "seasonal" fabric ask if it's going on sale anytime soon. I saved a ton of money that way. I picked the glean plaid because it's classic and it reads gray from a distance. Would love to see a photo of your setee! One does not have to spend a lot of money for good design! My whole living room consists of thrift shop, tag sales, consignment shop finds.

As good as the 'bones' may be, I am not feeling the love. This sofa still doesn't do it for me. But, hey if the owners love it and don't mind spending that much money - more power to them.

I guess I'm just not seeing the reason for spending 5k on what looks very clunky, dated, and still looks dingy even though it's "brand new". I just don't understand what people are seeing in the piece. It certainly isn't unique just because it's old. Just being honest here.

Interesting discussion. I don't know that I would have had the vision to even consider bringing a piece in that condition back to life, but it's neat that you did, and it looks great. Not everyone likes the same style.

I love bringing back well-made vintage pieces. It goes with my aesthetic. It's not for everyone, though.

Excellent job...your client is happy, and that's all that matters!

@NWMESS, I don't have a photo but I found this image and mine is half the size and the wood trim is nearly identical.

Although I'm all for keeping up tradesmanship, it's a shame this was left to dilapidate in the barn loft, over 38 years, in the first place. Certainly didn't feel the love. The family may have now awakened some sort of emotional, sentimental value for it to have been restored. If this is the case, I think it is a pity it wasn't restored with a similar pleating design and perhaps a better fabric choice, meaning colour and material. Is it comfortable, at least, to sit on? ;-)

Kayteedidnot, Good luck with your setee! Hope to see "after" photos when it's done!

Although I'm not a fan of that particular sofa, I totally get restoring older pieces. Hardwood frames don't break like the cheap wood used in today's furniture, and oh the comfort in hand-tied spring cushions!! It takes a great deal of time and craftsmanship to do justice to diamond tufting, hand-tied springs, etc and worth every penny when you find a talented person capable of doing the work. Unfortunately in our throw away society it seems to be becoming a lost art.

Elite, I posted a link to this thread on the MCM thread I started. I thought that group might have some interesting perspectives on the idea of restoring mid century modern pieces. Here's the link. http://houzz.com/discussions/651666

Thanks jen046. We are currently restoring a mid century walnut bedroom set for one of our clients. I will post before and after pics as soon as it is complete.

Please do, Elite! Certain people have a passion for furniture... You obviously do!

nice, we are doing a biedermeier sofa at the moment with our silk, keep you updated

and finally finished, comments? have to find the pictures of "before"

BEGUM...I want that!!! Total love here!

This has been a very interesting thread. I am an old soul at heart & love the old school craftsmanship of everything from homes to furnishings to...ahhh...old cars!

About 7 years ago, I treated myself to a custom Basset sofa. What a piece of crap! Within about 3 years it was already beginning to sag! I am 5'0" & weigh about 108 & live alone.

Can anyone explain this?? They're supposed to be a great furniture maker. Right.

Now I'm on the hunt for a sofa real close to the one above my post. I'd love to find one already refurbished. And yes, I'd pay a pretty penny for it in a heartbeat!

@underendx..I totally agree with keeping these historical pieces!

@dclostboy...I find myself agreeing with you quite often here...

@nwmess...love your sofa!!

@joannpb...I hear ya! Good posture these days is another dying "form". People used to actually sit ON the sofa...not IN it!

begum...beautiful restoration! I especially like that the fabric is reminiscent to the era of the piece.

nwmess...the restoration is good, would have been better if the pleats in the back had been done too.

On the third picture I'm looking at the bottom where a couch skirt would attach, and it looks like it's either pointed or the wood has settled or something. Is that part of the design, something you added, or just a quirk?

@Katherine G.R. it is part of the design.

@ Bungalowmo, then you just have to buy it ! Come on hollday to europe, see it with your own eyes, get in love with it, and take it home!. Life is as simple as that !. Not Only the Sofa is a peace of Art, also the fabric, is 100% pure handwove Benarashi Silk from Dhaka, Bangladesh. You just can't get a better quality. Culture, tradition, luxury, everything in one piece ...

Gypsyrose17,
To each their own. I wanted something with clean lines, something that would look good in my living room with existing furnishing which include two original Knoll chairs, a Mies Van de Rhoe coffee table, and a few pieces I have designed for myself. I also think you mean you like the channel back of the sofa as it was never pleated.

nwmess...you are correct in your choice, I tend to think of refurbishing as to the original details, and thank you, channel back is the appropriate term in lie of pleats.