Getting started with the ideal piece and the ideal fabric can be difficult if you do not know which one to start with.

The Proper Upholsterer A title, a website, and a business card. That was that Chairloom co-owners Molly Andrews and Tracy Jenkins were armed with in 2006 if they challenged themselves to create a one-stop outlet for high quality, affordable furniture reupholstery. Eight years after the duo's Ardmore, Penn., upholstery studio would be the go-to source for breathing fresh life into vintage pieces. With Alika Potts rounding out the team custom tv installation . Chairloom has grown beyond its original collection of six reupholstered chairs to fill an entire showroom with fabrics, samples and jobs at different stages of completion. Their most recent mission: to reupholster an entire living room set for your Finch family -- a family of five -- and their two pets.

The Right Pieces "The clients for this project are local to Philadelphia and they'd come to a stage in their lives in which they had been ready to refurnish the living space in their house of 2 years.

The Living Room Suite They had a sofa that had reupholstery that they had obtained from neighbor's yard sale and a set of chairs which had belonged to the client's grandfather. They also embraced a seat from Chairloom," Andrews shares, "An unusual arm seat that was among our favorites"

Unique Textile Options In the Chairloom studio, customers can search the hottest John Robshaw, Hable Construction, and Virginia Johnson fabrics for the best colour and texture to grow their bits. "The armchair that we added for this particular family was sanded and reupholstered in a patterned John Robshaw to get Duralee textile," says Andrews. The chair was among the studio's many "labour of love" jobs which are sourced by Chairloom to be offered to clients for "adoption."

A Abundance of Samples Chairloom's creative trio prides itself on having the ideal fabrics easily available for customers constantly. "The blend of textile admiration for artists such as John Robshaw, Hable Construction and Virginia Johnson, and a passion for intriguing yet affordable antique classic furniture was why Chairloom started," remarks Jenkins. Years of experience matching bits with patterns has contributed Andrews and Jenkins and eye catching for producing the right connections.

Picking The Right Fabric For choosing the right fabric for bits, Andrews and Jenkins advise initial considering the item and what it'll be used for. Accent pieces which get minimal usage are ideal candidates for a handprinted fabric. For pieces that must withstand daily wear and tear, there are an abundance of gorgeous and extremely durable textiles to select from, proving you do not need to sacrifice design for function.

A Curatorial Eye A trip to an upholsterer can be an overwhelming procedure. Getting started with the ideal piece and the ideal fabric can be difficult if you do not know which one to start with. All these are often the types of questions asked by clients, and over the years the creatives in Chairloom have become uniquely qualified to offer good answers. "Our design philosophy and personal aesthetics touch every aspect of Chairloom. We don&'t drive our personal taste on our customers, but our taste is very much part of our company DNA -- we do not keep samples of textiles or inventory furniture unless we find them to be equally beautiful and of high quality," says Jenkins.

A Fabric Consult Andrews recalls,"The customer invited us to her newly painted living room for a color and cloth consultation. We followed that having a meeting in our showroom to look through fabric options." This initial conversation is key to the achievement of each bit, ensuring that the last layout fits the client's vision.

Color Choices When reupholstering a set of bits, like this living room outfit, colour is always an important consideration. For this project, the Finchs opted to get a navy blue and light gray color palette to the makeover of their five pieces. "Our curated collection of fabrics helped our customers find what they were searching for. They knew we would have some exciting alternatives for them and came to suggestions." After the cloths were decided, the next thing to consider was that the state of these seats.

Yard Sale Finds "This yard sale sofa was very tired and in need of new cushions at the very least," says Andrews.

Saving Heirloom Details "The set of household chairs were a reupholstery needs to,"; Andrews mentions. "The clients chosen to replicate the nail heads on such heirloom chairs, in addition to the button depth and elaborate stitching."

Structural Upgrades With springs in need of repair and ripped cloth, this side chair was needing some structural updates to keep it complete. "The client must consider use, comfort and endurance, as well as style they enjoy. We urge that every bit be structurally solid -- we have discovered several lovely pieces that we passed up to perform structural defects. The entire point of the work is to breathe new life into great old bits that have everything going for them except, perhaps, an unfortunate outer coating."

The Upholstery Process When it comes to giving vintage furniture a new lease on life, the structural components are as important as the fabric. There are some of details to think about when choosing the completing for an upholstery project.

Tools of the Trade For the set of side chairs, brass nail heads have been utilized to match the vintage nail heads that adorned the pieces before reupholstery. Batting is used to material and fix any seating issues. And customers can also choose new legs or wheels to reinforce seating.

The Big Reveal The gray and navy color palette joins all five distinct pieces. The end result is a curated, coordinated living room package.

A Transformed Living Room Set A good upholstery project will result in both function and form -- the arm chair is both beautiful and durable.

Blue Velvet The tufted seats are given fresh life in a thick velvet. At Chairloom, the tufting and nail head finishes were reconstructed to keep much of the classic feel of every chair while updating them using a fresh colour and gorgeous fabric.

Attention to Detail A ideal reupholstery means getting the details. Here, the same gray-and-white fabric on the chair was used to create piping to define the chair's edges.

Welting Stitched welting on the newly-neutral couch was intentionally done to create a long-lasting piece which can stand up to everyday use by children and pets.

Joyful Clientele For the team at Chairloom, an effective outcome implies a satisfied clientele, In this situation, that means a happy Finch family having a gorgeous new living area. "We think that a client's character and taste should drive the design process," says Jenkins.