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| $500 Lounge Room Makeover |
| Here are some inexpensive ideas to give your lounge room a facelift. |
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The lounge room of this house, which belongs to three young bachelors, was in need of a thorough clean-up before any real improvements could be made. The sofas were old and dirty, so we disguised them with some simple throw-overs. These were made using cotton drawsheeting, a tough fabric that can handle a lot of wear and tear. To make these simple covers, all you'll need is the fabric and sewing thread.
Makeover for the Sofa :
To calculate the amount of fabric for these couches, you'll need to take several measurements.
1
Measurement A: To work out the length of each corner, start by measuring you sofa from front to back, taking the tape measure from the floor up to the cushions, up and over the cushions, then up and over the back of the sofa, all the way down to the floor again. Add 15cm to the total to allow for seams, hems and the tuck in at the seat.
2
Measurement B: For the width, measure from side to side, from the floor up over the arm, along the seat, up over the other arm and down to the floor. Again add 15cm to allow for seams, hems and tuck-in at the back of the seat.
3
The seams run from the front to the back. Depending on the width of your sofa (measurement B) and the fabric width, you may need two or three lengths of fabric. Work out how many times your fabric width fits across the width of your sofa to decide how many lengths you need.
4
Multiply the number of lengths needed by measurement A. For example if you need two lengths and measurement A is 2.4m, you will need to buy 4.8m.
5
Cut the fabric into lengths and stitch the lengths together to give a large rectangular piece. NOTE: The seams run from front to back. Place full widths in the centre of the covers. If you have a narrow length, split this in two and stitch it at the sides. See Diagram A.
6
Trim each corner into a curve as shown in Diagram B. This will ensure a neater finish when you put your couch covers on and make sure there are no corners draping down onto the floor.
7
Sew a narrow hem around the outside edge.
8
Now you can throw the cover over the sofa. Tuck in firmly around seat cushions. If you wish, fabric can be bunched under each arm and tied with cords or ribbons.
The sofas were brightened up with some colourful scatter cushions. We bought ours for $10 each.
Makeover For Curtains, Table, Wall Hangings :
With the new sofa covers on, the old pink and white curtains didn't go with the new look. We replaced them with a set of blue voile ready-made curtains with tab tops that allow you to thread them straight onto the existing curtain rod without the need for curtain rings.
The cane box that sat under the television was replaced with a new table that cost $29. The harsh bare light was softened with some paper lanterns and the two plain lamp bases and shades were dressed up with some red paint. We painted small red squares, made easy with the edge of a sponge brush.
Wrapping paper was turned into cheap but effective wall decorations, simply by trimming them to fit into some glass frames that cost only three dollars each. To hang them, we used some Command Adhesive Picture Hangers made by 3M. These are great for renters because you can remove them without marking the surface. There's a huge range of hooks for items of different sizes. The picture hangers are available in two styles: sawtooth and wire-backed. They hold pictures weighing up to two kilos.
To finish off the look, a $30 mirror, found in a second-hand shop, was hung on the wall.
Makeover for Lamps:
1
First, cover the base with a couple of coats of paint.
2
Mark eight points on the lampshade equal distances apart on the top and bottom rim.
3
Add some fabric medium to the paint and brush the paint on in small square sections.
4
Finish off the base with a clear sealer.
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Materials
Fabric or paper lampshade
Acrylic paint
Fabric medium
Paint brush
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More Info
Thanks to Suspenders Cleaners, who cleaned the lounge room before our makeover. For further information call James Agostini on 0418 224 111.
3M Command Hooks available from hardware stores and variety stores. For further information and your nearest stockist call 3M directly on 1300 363 797.
Scatter cushions from Freedom Furniture.
Blue voile tab-top curtains from Target.
Black square Lack coffee table, lamp bases and shades from IKEA.
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Disclaimer
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