You would need to get proper density foam professionally cut

Hacking or just hacking up my couch

I am becoming cheap canada goose uk increasingly unhappy canada goose outlet with my couch an Ikea Varnamo (which is a discontinued https://www.mild-und-leise.de model) purchased about seven years ago. Picture here for folks unfamiliar with this particular sofa.

It’s in fine structural condition, and I don’t care about the rips and scratches canada goose outlet in usa in the upholstery as it’s wearing a microfiber slipcover 24 7 these days, but the curved arm rests are really beginning to bug me as they make the whole thing take up way more room than anything reasonably should along the wall I have it up against (which is really the only logical place for a couch in my house).

Moreover, the thing has terrible back support. It always has, and honestly the only reason I got it in the first place was because it was cheap and (at the time) I was too poor to afford anything else (we got it on super discount as they were discontinuing the color). I am just not a fan of the “large floppy pillow backrest” configuration. Both my canada goose outlet shop partner and I would really like a firmer backrest, and I would also really like a seat length that allows my knees to bend in the right place. Right now they dangle uncomfortably unless I curl them up to the side and put them ON the couch, which Canada Goose Outlet has its own issues (mainly of the “ow, my foot’s asleep” variety). I have never reupholstered anything before, unless you count going at my dining chairs with a bolt of tweed canada goose clearance sale and a staple gun, but canada goose outlet reviews I have a fair bit of experience building simple wooden things like shelving units (“from scratch”) and plenty of carpentry related tools.

What I’d like to do if I go the modification route is remove the existing canada goose uk black friday fabric cover, “square off” the armrests so that they’re rectangular canada goose and not round, and build up the backrest into a single, much firmer unit to canada goose outlet replace the three squishy canada goose outlet online cushions that are making my back muscles writhe in pain as I sit here typing this. Obviously I wouldn’t be doing this to save money (though I’d prefer to keep things under $500ish if possible) it would be more of a creative endeavor coupled with a desire to perhaps save a good bunch of basic materials from the landfill. ft., which has me thinking in space efficient geometric terms).

I haven’t found much in my search so far, aside from a lot of instances where people just changed out the fabric and padding. I am hoping this is just due to inferior search skills and not because Extreme Couch Modding is in fact a ridiculous canada goose black friday sale impossible thing no reasonable person actually does, but I am prepared for the truth, no matter what it may be.

Alternately, if anyone has recommendations for couches in the $300 $800 range that offer good back support, reasonable seat length canada goose outlet uk sale for both a 5’3″ person (me) and a 5’10” person (my partner), and fabric options that could survive a household that includes 4 rowdy but generally well behaved cats (as in, they run and leap all over the furniture but mostly prefer to scratch their scratching posts as opposed to my couch), please feel free to offer those as well. Basically I want something durable, more firm than squishy, and more modern / industrial than traditional or floofy in design.

posted by aecorwin to Home Garden (6 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite

My Mom has done far more radical things than that to furniture in cooperation with various craftspeople (she is not a carpenter). Like taken a couch and made them into chairs or taken chairs and completely remade them to the point that you would never, ever know there were made from the same materials. So it’s certainly possible.

posted by fshgrl at 10:54 PM on February 19, 2012

I REALLY support your initiative!

All of your ideas are sound. You would need to get proper density foam professionally cut for the backrest problem.

The issue with ALL of this is that the cost of the foam (effing pricey!) and the cost of the new fabric might be as much as a new couch, with heaps more effort. I live in LA, where fancy people are constantly trying to unload their nice near new furniture because they are re locating back to NYC canada goose store or overseas. If you cheap canada goose do not live in a city like this, foam may be cheaper, fabric also, and you could maybe bring this prject in canada goose coats for under $200.

To shave existing foam, an electric meat knife, the type you carve turkey with, is your friend. Spray adhesive to get the new foam to stick (about $8 a can.)

Good luck!

posted by jbenben at 11:00 PM on February 19, 2012

Apartment Therapy How To: Totally Rebuild A Love Seat

“Step Three: Re frame the couch. I didn’t like the shape canada goose black friday sale of the original canada goose outlet jackets couch canada goose outlet new york city so I cut the canada goose outlet nyc arm rests straight to square them.

posted by newpotato at canada goose outlet parka 4:51 AM on February 20, 2012

To answer your second question, I got a Bauhaus sofa that sounds like it meets all of your requirements: clean lines, firm back, not too expensive, good depth for short people, etc. It has survived almost 7 years with 2 small children, 2 dogs, multiple cats. It’s starting to get a bit work, but I’m not surprised. I think I got it at Macy’s I’m sure I paid less than $700 back then.