Clients frequently ask for guidelines when considering whether to re-upholster an existing piece of furniture.  We recommend asking yourself the following questions:

Is the piece of furniture a family heirloom?

Do the scale and proportion fit your space well?

Is the furniture comfortable?

Do you have specific fabric requirements?

Is the furniture more than 20 years old?

Do you love the furniture?

If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, your furniture should be re-upholstered.

Many clients bring their chair seats into the Ikat showroom to be re-upholstered.  Dining chair seats, kitchen chair seats and barstool seats are often attached to their bases with four screws.  We recommend that you number each seat and it's' corresponding base before separating them.  It will make re-assembly much easier after we return your newly upholstered seats to you.

To maximize the life of the cushions on your upholstered furniture, flip them every other week. Be sure to vacuum the decking area on which the cushions rest. Cushions on benches, chairs, window seats, and indoor outdoor furniture should also be flipped routinely.

From a visual standpoint, fabrics with a stripe, small geometric pattern, or that are solid, will look the same on either side when turned over. A floral or paisley pattern, however, may appear to be "upside down" when it is flipped. Therefore, Ikat has a solution for making reversible floral and paisley cushions when we reupholster.

 Toss pillows should also be reversed for even wear of the fabric. Down forms should be plumped as well. When you reverse your pillows, you may notice zippers at the bottom of the covers, but Ikat is also able to make reversible pillows to eliminate this problem. Just ask!

 Many clients are light-sensitive and ask for "blackout" draperies and Roman shades for the bedroom. Some fabrics present a problem for this application because of "light holes" or areas of light that show through the stitching in the fabric. Ikat has perfected a manufacturing technique that creates beautiful blackout draperies and roman shades without the unwanted light holes. Speak to an Ikat decorator about our special blackout window treatments.

To maintain the fresh appearance and longevity of your draperies, vacuum them carefully. Cover the wand or crevice attachment with the footed section of pantyhose to prevent the delicate fabric from being suctioned into the tool.