Thinking of taking on an upholstery project? Building or rebuilding furniture? If so, then you’ll need to know and understand at least the basics of furniture anatomy.
Arms, legs, seats, springs, cushions, fabric – these are just some of the upholstery supplies that you are going to need to have and know a bit about in order to make sure you will end up with a finished and functional piece.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look into different types of seats and the associated parts that you’ll need when constructing or fixing them.
Parts for Sofas and Chairs
Sofas and chairs share very similar requirements, and whilst there are many different types of both, you can basically apply the same parts and logic to each. Here’s a look at what you’ll typically find with seating furniture…
Frame
A frame is needed for many types of furniture and seated furniture is no different. The frame is the skeleton of the sofa, and it provides structure and strength to add material, seats, cushions, etc onto afterwards. Frames are usually made from hardwood such as oak.
Springs
These will be added within the frame, and add bounce and support to a seat. There are various different types of springs, such as serpentine springs (or zig zag springs as they are also known).
Cushioning (and Filling Material)
Cushions, or cushioning, are essential in creating a comfortable seat and backrest or back cushions.
Their firmness will depend on what filling material you decide to use. This may be something such as foam. Cushions are usually removable so you can easily clean them, with many having zips so you can add more foam or filling (or remove and replace if it’s too much or has flattened over time).
The level of firmness you use will depend on personal preference and intended usage. Something that gets a lot of use or traffic may need firm and resistant materials.
Seats will generally be firmer than backrests, as they take the majority of a person’s weight. Whilst backrests will usually be softer, making them comfortable to rest against and being easy on the spine. Backrests may also be adjustable if the chair has a reclining feature.
Arms
Arms for sofas and chairs will vary widely. Some may be wide, some narrow, shape and padding will be different for each, whilst some furniture designs may not even have arms at all.
Rolled arms are a more vintage style, whilst modern looks have a more square or straight design.
As with cushioning, it’s all about preference and the use of the chair or sofa. If you like resting your arm, plan on leaning on the sofa arm for sleeping or relaxing, balancing things such as phones, laptops, or may even need extra room for the occasional person to sit on an arm as a spare seat, then you may want to factor what works best for these things into your sofa choice or design.
Base or Legs
There are many options for bases or legs, depending on the type of chair you are working with. If a single seater, you may want a pedestal base – perhaps something that swivels?
Sofa legs vary in height, you could have something close to the floor, or something taller which may be easier to get up from if a user has back issues. The extra height from longer legs could give a bit of extra under sofa storage space too, if needed.
You could also consider castors for furniture, which will add wheels and manoeuvrability to a sofa, table, or bed. If you like or need to be rearranging your space often, this will make things a lot easier and prevent damage to flooring.
Legs may be made of wood or metal, with various different shapes available. There’s also the option of adding a “skirt”. It involves attaching a piece of material that hangs from the bottom of the chair or sofa, this is a more traditional or vintage style so is a great option if you’re going for that look.
Final Thoughts
Understanding how furniture parts work and how they can vary will help you end up with a piece that looks and functions to your expectations. So, with the information above, you should be able to build or buy a new sofa or chair with confidence.
