Like New OR EVEN BETTER
Choices to consider in recovering furniture
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
There are numerous reasons why people recover their furniture. If pieces are in good structural condition they do not need to be tossed out, and can be made to look like new or even better than new either by reupholstering them, having custom slipcovers made, or if a budget takes precedence, by buying ready-made slipcovers.

At top, an old, large wicker lampshade is being prepared for covering with a silky fabric and then will have an unusual fringe trim fitted around its base. There are no idle hands at the Sestrimski's JPS Sewing Service, including those of Desislava Paulova, a talented seamstress.

When making the choice, there are points to consider. If Furball the cat has been allowed to rip the corners of your not-sovaluable chairs and sofa down to the frame while sharpening her claws, investing in upholstery is not for you. The same holds true if your sweet dog Rose takes over the couch when left alone at home, if you have little Janes and Jimmys who spill food and drinks or if you rent your home. On the other hand, if you have well-crafted or antique furniture, and particularly if it features handsome wooden frames and legs, a slipcover is not the appropriate look.

PHOTOS BY ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent

Nantucket is home to many talented people skilled in upholstery and sewing custom slipcovers and also has options through Marine Home Center's decorating shop. Though these are the aesthetically preferred options, ready-made slipcovers are available through various retail outlets at far lower prices, but also have a looser and subsequently sloppier appearance.

JPS Sewing Service is run by Daniela and Svetozar Sestrimski, who employ seamstress Desislava Paulova, who has studied fashion design and fine arts. Daniela learned to make slipcovers while working for three years at Nantucket Sewing and Design Center. She and her husband studied upholstery in South Carolina, and Svetozar also worked for several years as a finish carpenter, giving him excellent knowledge about reinforcing and repairing furniture framework. The couple opened their island business five years ago.

The path to recovering, at least with JPS, begins with their assessment of what is being considered for work. While it may be less costly to leave the original stuffing and material in place, the Sestrimskis prefer to replace everything and rebuild from the frame. That is especially the case if furniture is smelly and dirty.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent An assortment of the tools of the trade for upholsterers who often repair as well as recover furniture.

"Like every human being, you want to save money. The difference between upholstery and [custom] slipcovers is about 50 percent on the time, but it is twice more difficult to make a slipcover because the sewing must be perfect," explained Svetozar Sestrimski, noting that their slipcovers have the same tailored look and fit as upholstery with zippered openings they position according to the room placement of furniture and the lighting that will fall to it. "The customer makes the decision. We just give advice of what we think is best for them. It's all about what the customer wants."

While most of the JPS clients prefer upholstery, for some it is better to have a covering that is removable for cleaning. Whether the customer buys their own fabric or orders it through JPS, if it is a washable material the Sestrimskis insist it is pre-washed before being sewn into a slipcover to reduce the possibility that it will shrink during later washings and not refit the furniture. If a customer chooses a thin fabric, JPS can apply a backing to make it more durable while not altering the look of the fine material.

Also, if a piece is very heavy and large and on an upper level of a home, JPS can measure and cut material coverings for slipcovers at the site rather than bring the furniture to their shop. Upholstered pieces must be picked up and brought to the work studio. Part of the upholstering process is stripping away the existing fabric then repairing and cleaning the furniture frame to prepare it for new materials, which can require several hours. With antiques, they have found that sometimes the existing fabric has been holding the old frame in place and once removed, reveals structural frailties.

Fabric prices for either upholstery or custom slipcovers range, according to quality, from $50 to $80 per yard with the best and most durable quality costing more than $100 a yard. If material is less than $30 a yard it will tend to stretch easily, be hard to work with and not hold its shape despite the time and work involved for the piece. On average, a chair with a skirt may require nine yards of material or as little as seven yards with no skirt. Sofa yardage depends on the number of cushions, which each need about a yard and a-half of cloth. The cost also depends on the material's pattern and how it needs to be cut to offer the proper appearance with accurate matches of design and symetry.

The Sestrimskis recommend that when people buy new furniture they consider having slipcovers made fairly quickly to protect the original upholstery. Slipcovers might need replacement every 10 years or so.

"I try to do my best all the time," said Daniela Sestrimski, finishing the second in a pair of matching chairs that she was reupholstering while the studio phone rang with more client requests. "It's like a piece of art. It's fun for me."

Marine Home Center also has design services including custom slipcovers that are made by a number of local seamstresses including Tuki Bunlert of Moon's Upholstery, who has been in business almost five years. Bunlert sews the custom slipcovers and employs a man to do the upholstery with an ability to cover most anything from furniture to car seats.

Bunlert said her customers usually choose and buy their own fabrics, but she has samples people may pick from that she will order. She, too, inspects pieces before work is done to estimate yardage required and recommends that fine furniture and antiques are reupholstered rather than slipcovered.

She carries a line of Sunbrella fabrics that are usable indoors and outside and are both easy to clean and fade-resistant. For slipcovers, when asked for her suggestions, Bunlert recommends 100 percent cotton material because it is thick, durable, wears well with active family lifestyles and is washable, though she said all slipcover fabrics should be pre-washed before design to avoid shrinkage.

"They (customers) like my slipcovers," said Bunlert. "They look the same as reupholstered, and sometimes you can't tell the difference."

If you choose to buy furniture from Marine Home Center, you may have it upholstered in an inexpensive muslin and then spend more on custom slipcovers to protect the item in a costlier fabric of your choice. New to Marine just a couple of months ago is a line of furniture from Vanguard called the American Bungalow Collection.

Though MHC has carried this furniture for five years, the company recently introduced a line upholstered in stain and dirt resistant microfiber that comes with velcro-closing slipcovers which can be removed at whim. The microfiber already in place on the Vanguard line costs the same as if someone has a new piece from another line upholstered in muslin, explained Jill Lentowski of the MHC decorating shop.

"So if you took that [slipcover] off it's not going to look awful in your living room," she said of the microfiber upholstery. "You may want to change for a summer look or if you have renters."

Prices for the slipcovers range according to the size of the furniture with an average three-cushion sofa costing $800 regardless of the chosen fabric because that sized piece needs about 18 yards of cloth for a covering. Marine also has thousands of material samples to pick from for slipcovers, and Lentowski said it is considered the largest fabric showroom in eastern Massachusetts accessible to the public. The decorating shop staff serve as consultants and offer fabric samples clients may take home to see if they have chosen the color and pattern that truly fits their environment and the piece being covered.

Among many other options, Cheryl Emery's Nantucket Sewing and Design Center above The Hub does upholstery and custom slipcover work. She has a large line of fabrics to choose from in her shop that may be viewed without appointment, and also does specialized upholstery jobs such as for private

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