Give a new life to your sofa

Rhea Purnita Paine Rhea Purnita Paine
MR. ANCHAL'S RESIDENCE, NEX LVL DESIGNS PVT. LTD. NEX LVL DESIGNS PVT. LTD. Living room
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A living room without a sofa is like a garden without trees, without a sofa a living room looks empty. So it is important that the sofa looks nice, as it is naturally the centre of attention in every living room. However, with use every sofa takes a beating and regular wears and tears end up making it look worn out over time. A sofa is also a considerable investment and most people don't want to invest in a new one until it is very old. But just because there are no funds to buy a new sofa doesn't mean your sofa should look drab. Spray painting is a cheap and easy way to make that old sofa look as good as new. Here are some tips to help you give that old couch a new life.

Picking a sofa

First and foremost pick the sofa you want to give a makeover. Whether you want to brighten up an entire sofa set or a couch like this one, make sure you pick an over used, almost about to be tossed away old sofa at home or one from a second hand sale close by for your first try at spray painting. This way even if things go a bit haywire you don't have much to lose. Fabric covered sofas are easier to spray paint as opposed to leather or vinyl covered sofas which are generally paint resistant and require a different kind of treatment.

The desired effect

Next decide the kind of colour and effect you want to give the old sofa. It is better to stick to simple colour changes like moving from grey to blue-green here, or beige to yellow, rather than drastic colour changes like purple to red. Choose a colour that is in the same colour scheme as your sofa, is somewhat neutral or goes with your existing colour scheme of the living room. Don't paint the sofa a completely odd colour as then spray painting the sofa would lead you to change the decor of your entire living room.

Paints

Next you need to pick up the paints. For a sofa with a fabric upholstery you'll need industrial fabric paint to cover the surface evenly. Don't use regular spray paints because they will end up making the sofa fabric flaky and destroy the sofa. Make sure the paint that you are using is suitable for the exact fabric on your sofa, different fabrics like—cotton, velvet, silk require different kinds of paints. Sometimes adding a textile medium to an acrylic or latex paint also works.

Right tools and right clothes

Paints are of no use if you don't have the right tools. Apart from fabric paint you'll need spray cans, brushes, rags, paint thinners and gloves. Also don't forget to put on a respiratory mask while spray painting the sofa to avoid breathing in the paint fumes. Opt for loose overalls or old faded shorts and T-shirts or any old clothes you don't mind getting paint on while undertaking the sofa spray paint work. The more comfortable the clothes, the lesser you will have to fret while painting the sofa.

The process

To get a smooth and lustrous colour coating on your sofa, first get your sofa steam cleaned. The cleaner the sofa, the better effect a fresh coat of paint will have on it. Also sew up all rips and tears before painting the sofa, as just painting the sofa won't fix them and painting over the tears can make them look cracked and ugly. Break the process into parts. Start with a test run on an unseen part of the sofa first, and if that goes well start with the back of the sofa and then move on to the sides and front. Use spray cans for the overall surface, but fine paintbrushes for corners.

Final touches and result

Wait three to five days before adding the next coat, you need this time to figure out if the paint is properly sticking to the sofa and if you are getting the desired result or not. Like mentioned above spray paint each part of the couch until the sofa has a second layer. If you want to add more layers wait for a few days in between every coat. Stop painting your sofa when you feel you have achieved the desired colour and smoothness of texture. After it dries rub it with a towel to scrub off excess paint and your newly spray painted sofa is now ready to use. If you enjoy doing things yourself at home, here are some tips to create your own interior style.

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