DIY About to Reupholster a European Style Couch...

Before we made our last move we found this beautiful couch on KSL classified ads (it's a glorified Craigslist). When you look for used furniture, you usually should look for something study. You can tell it is by picking it up and lifting it up higher and one end and then doing the same on the other side. If it isn't wobbly and feels solid, it's a great piece.  This couch really doesn't fit that. It's not an antique and isn't made to last like couches used to be. However, it's a "new" old couch. It was not really used much at all. We also were looking for a piece to go in our parlor/living room where we invite guests (and where the kids don't go). So, after we saw the price we dived in and bought it along with two other Victorian style chairs. Our first real purchase of furniture.

We love this couch. We just aren't too crazy about the fabric. It's not ugly. It is just a little too floral for my taste and I wanted something lighter so....

Here I go I'm about to rip apart this beautiful couch to make it even more gorgeous...I hope. Since the first step in reupholstering is to take a lot of pictures (so you can see how it's put together) if you're curious about the process here's the before pictures...I have yet to find out if I took enough...Be forewarned, I started getting sloppy with my camera. I soon switched from manual to auto to get done quicker. Honestly, I wasn't planning on posting any of these, but I needed to have a lot of space on my camera so I could take some pictures of a couple of adorable newborns. I figured why not back up the photos on my blog and use it as a reference in case my computer completely crashes. If these help you as well, great! If they won't go ahead and stop reading now. I won't be offended.

Above: Here she is in her floral glory. You can see a swatch of the fabric I chose in it.

I'm in love with the wood by the way...Anyhow, here's a view of the arm and front of the couch.

 Here's the side of the couch. Notice the piping and trim...

Still trying to capture every detail so I'll know how to piece it all back together again. 

And the backside...there isn't any trim along the bottom except on the legs... 

Right here:

We'll see if these pictures come in handy:

Here's how the fabric was tucked in along the curves in the back along the top:

See how piping all lines up on bottom and the seat back...

Without the cushions:

Some of the trim faces up along the top on the front:

Fabric tucked in on the top

And a couple more shots...

Backside of cushion

Notice the side cushions pop out on one side...

Seam on back:

Fabric? Check. Pictures documenting what it should look like? Check. Guts to start ripping the couch apart? .... We'll see!