Angie from Sawara, Chiba-ken, Japan - CC BY 2.0 File:Mattress Springs.jpg Uploaded by FlickrLickr Created: April 27, 2005
Spring is a time most people consider to be the 'clean-up-clean-out-clean-all' time of year, and I completely agree. I love any opportunity to organize and clean, and Spring is a perfect one!
I do the typical Spring cleaning, of course, where windows, cupboards, and closets get completely overhauled, but I also like to get down to the nitty-gritty as well. One of the things I noticed during our OCD Festival, as we like to call it, was our couch and chair in the living room......the usual vacuuming under and beating the dust from the cushions wasn't giving the fresh appearance it was supposed to. I realized it was because the cushions were 'sinking' some from wear, tear, and age......and some of the springs were broken. Well, we certainly are in no position to buy an entire new room of furniture so we had to figure something out.
First thought: slip covers. The more I thought about it, though, the more I didn't like the idea. It would freshen up the look of course, but the cushions would still be a little saggy and I also happen to like the design of our living room furniture and didn't want to cover it up.
I stood in my living room, sizing up the couch and chair, one hand on my hip, the other scratching my chin in deep thought for quite some time. It was driving me crazy trying to figure out how to give this furniture a lift......A-HA! That was it! Give the cushions a LIFT!
I marched into the garage (Adrian was in there working on all the other Spring cleaning projects I had given him, poor thing!) and asked if we had any plywood. The look on his face was priceless. Adrian prides himself on being a member of the Handyman Club (He insists there is a secret handshake) and said, "Of COURSE, Woman! Why?" (Picture this as he says it: sleeves-cut-off-t-shirt, khaki carpenter shorts, tool belt on, sweat beads over the brow, hands on the hips and stance in the way of Superman......there MAY have even been a slight breeze blowing through his cape)
So I inform him of my idea. I asked how long it would take to cut the plywood to fit both the couch and the chair and place it under the cushions. "Pshhh!" was his reply. Well, within fifteen minutes, 'Handy-Man' had measured, cut, and fitted the plywood to fit under the cushions! I wrapped them in old neutral-colored sheets I had in my blanket box, replaced the cushions, fluffed the throw pillows and it looked AWESOME!
I suppose a little sagging and drooping is to be expected as we age and each Spring comes and goes. That doesn't mean we're ready to be disposed of or replaced! When you're feeling a little down and broken, or like you need to be refreshed, take the time to appreciate your design and do something to give yourself a little lift......it could make the difference in where you sit in life.