Now that the once popular and sought after rattan has made its 2019 comeback in indoor/outdoor home furnishings and statement pieces, we have a feeling it might stay trending for a while. After all, this naturally renewable palm has made a name for itself over the years not only in furnishings, but handcrafts and more. So if you’re in possession of a rattan treasure-find that you stumbled on at a yard sale or even better, have received as a heirloom, this article is for you.
I remember holidays full of turkey, stuffing and apple pie. Generations around the table partaking in good food, tasty sweets and infectious laughter. Handmade napkins printed in holly dressed grandmama’s table that was draped in green poly crepe. In the room surrounding us, lights bounced off inanimate objects casting golden shadows on beige striped and cran-apple suede cushioned wing chairs while tie-backs in holiday splendor dangled on vanilla drapes. Assorted prints and textures added warmth and richness. And under the tree, Christmas gifts wrapped in traditional furoshiki styled fabrics of red tissue lame and festive plaid check.
As an uncertain economy and a desire to be more self-sufficient leads the hands of many consumers into the appealing yet often pre-mature world of DIY’ers, the need for a guided professional approach continues to grow. And while preserving one’s spending by doing-it-yourself certainly makes sense when on a budget, often times creatives wind up spending much more than planned in time and money. In the end, winding up frustrated, broke, and with an unfinished project still sitting there. From the results of improper measuring methods and careless evaluation of reupholstery needs, to poor fabric choices and underestimated project complexity, no matter what situation applies, learn to avoid the following do-it-yourself furniture reupholstery mistakes to increase your chances for a successful outcome.
With a fast-furnishing trend influencing consumer purchase of cheaply made and inexpensively priced home fittings, a demand for a more eco-sustainable, value-driven way of decorating our homes simmers on the back burner, awaiting its (re)turn to the forefront again. Enter the scrappers, grassroots DIY’ers, experienced artisans, seasoned wood-crafters, and novices of slow-furnishing in the making.
Like fast-fashion, fast-furnishing offers seemingly fashionable furniture that is quickly produced using cheap materials. Often times it is manufactured overseas where exploited workers from underprivileged countries are paid pennies to produce, and the price tags left hanging once stateside offer a great look at a great price, along with a guilt-free disposable mentality. What more could a style conscious consumer on a budget want, right?
When we consider some of the eco-friendly upholstering terms used by craftsmen in the field , there are certain ones that have served our planet long before the Go Green Movement began. Just as they have served us then, they continue to serve us now and into the future. If we let them. From RE-purposing and RE-finishing to RE-upholstering and RE-storation, at J&O-Summerdale Fabrics we are always finding old and new ways to make use of some of such life saving options when it comes to fabric textiles and furnishings. Below are the top four ‘R’s’ of Eco-Friendly Upholstering defined. We know they will surely continue to gain popularity on the tongue and use over time. After all, Mother Earth is depending on it.
Al Bundy had one in his garage where ‘No Ma’am’ meetings were held on the sitcom Married With Children. Doug Heffernan had one in his garage equipped with a big screen TV, beer fridge, and a couch where Doug and his friends watched football, baseball, boxing, and drank beer in peace away from his wife and father-in-law on the TV show The King of Queens. The ‘Man Cave’...a metaphor used to describe a male retreat space or sanctuary usually in the basement or attic of a house or in a specially equipped garage where women are banned and the fella’s call ‘home’. A space designated for guys to do as they please without fear of upsetting any female sensibilities of home decor. ‘The last bastion of masculinity,’ as described by Tufts University’s Paula Aymer where “No one is going to make you watch your p’s and q’s, ” according to writer Sam Martin. Whether all the above or just a room where a man can simply go and unwind from the day in his own undisturbed way, indulge in hobbies, play video games or watch tv with the ‘boys’, the ever cherished man cave varies in design and purpose revealing the most valued parts of each man and more. In Ode to man’s little piece of heaven here on Earth, the staff at J&O fabrics are sharing a few ‘man cave’ ideas and tips to help recreate them for yourself.
Most known for his TLC show Trading Spaces and his various HGTV shows including HGTV Design Star, Deserving Design, HGTV Urban Oasis, and Live in Vern’s House, as well as his columns in both HGTV Magazine and The Washington Post; international architect and interior designer Vern Yip is a sought after designer who has no intentions of slowing down. Based out of Atlanta, Georgia where he runs his Vern Yip Designs Firm, Yip continues to provide invaluable insight into creating environments that are simultaneously beautiful and functional.
Vern Yip Collection @ J&O Fabrics
As we celebrate Black History Month and the invaluable contributions of both African and African-Americans in areas of technology, entertainment, science, mathematics and the arts, we are reminded of their traditional roots in African textiles as well. From their colorful kente cloth from Ghana, bògòlanfini (mudcloth), and richly colored adire (indigo fabrics) from Mali, to their African lace of Nigeria, East African Kitenge and Egyptian cotton, African fabrics were hand-woven, painted, and dyed in tradition and meaning that sustains itself today. As well, we celebrate the symbolic Adinkra symbols of West Africa, storytelling wovens of Ghana, and abstract geometric shapes of the continent itself that can be found on printed cottons in many fabric stores and infused into the latest fashions.
Although largely a British custom, the old English rhyme “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” connected to weddings is said to attest to the human tendency to value continuity and new beginnings, unity and separation. Something old represents continuity; something new offers optimism for the future; something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness; something blue stands for purity, love, and fidelity; and a sixpence in your shoe is a wish for good fortune and prosperity. While various renditions of this tradition have been adopted into wedding ceremonies crossing both cultural and ethnic divides, it’s symbolic meaning has remained intact offering traditionalists and new-agers alike the opportunity to incorporate and make their special day as unique as the love the two of them share.
Dear Netfah,
I am somewhat on a budget yet need to replace the cushion on one of my living room chairs that my husbands’ 93 year old mother has decided to call home over the past year. The job seems simple enough and would save me some money, but a few pointers are needed if you wouldn’t mind. I guess an idea of what to cut with would be a start. Heard scissors would suffice, but I am looking to purchase a 4 or 5″ thick foam padding. Any suggestions?
~ signed Fugal Female
