Could saving your sofa save the planet?

We’re all looking for ways to live a more sustainable life, and most of those changes – unsurprisingly – are going to start at home.

The hot topic of protecting our planet is hard to ignore. In fact, it’s never been more important to be eco-conscious. My career in upholstery wasn’t necessarily motivated by living a greener life. But, I’ve always known that getting your furniture reupholstered is more than simply a question of style. I love the fact that there are other huge benefits to renovating, restoring and reviving existing furniture.

Brand new isn’t always best

The statistics say that every year in the UK we throw away over a shocking 1.6 million tonnes of furniture. Most of it ends up going to landfill – which leaches chemicals and metals into the soil, or being burned in an incinerator – which contributes to global warming through the emission of greenhouse gases. Either way, it’s bad news for the environment.

Add to that the fact that the excessive production of cheap, churn-it-out furniture can lead to deforestation as well as a sizeable carbon footprint and it becomes clear our desire for up-to-date interiors is having disastrous consequences.

We live in an era where things aren’t built to last, and of all the furniture thrown away, only 17% is recycled. If you ask me though, a new, shiny, cheap sofa is never going to match up to a well-made classic that can be re-imagined and given a new lease of life.

Circular economy

Circular economy thinking has become a bit of a buzzword recently. Put simply, it can be defined as keeping resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them while in use, then recovering and regenerating them at the end of their useful life. Does that ring any bells? Spot on! This is exactly the principles of reupholstery – a craft that has been around for Centuries and has never been more relevant than today.

By recovering or updating upholstery you can give a piece that’s seen better days a new lease of life. People are beginning to understand that fast consumerism doesn’t necessarily make them any happier. Actually it has become more aspirational to own something of good quality that is going to last.

“In my eyes, everything has a purpose, just sometimes it needs a new vision. And that’s where I come in!”

To me, re-upholstering is always worthwhile. Never yet have I had a vintage or antique piece brought to me that hasn’t had ‘bones’ which are good enough to salvage. In my eyes, everything has a purpose, just sometimes it needs a new vision. And that’s where I come in!

Something like a sofa is an emotional investment. A staple part of the home and family life, it’s something that will be used a lot. Also, we’re not just re-covering a chair, we’re talking about so much more besides… Preserving a story, honouring a quality design, for instance. Is it a financial investment too? Of course. I can’t lie and tell you that an upholstery service comes cheap.

Choose Vintique Upholstery…

• I’ll help you choose a fabric you will adore. I promise.
• You can add design details and flourishes that will give your piece a new, unique character.
• We can adjust any aspects that need improvement. Seat too low? No problem, we’ll heighten it. Don’t like the legs? Let’s change them.

The end result is a totally personal and bespoke piece that I guarantee you’ll fall in love with all over again. Actually, people tend to love the new sofa even more than when they bought the original!

Chesterfield Picture Credits: Caroline Jones Photography.