How to make a couch with your own hands
A couch is a type of upholstered furniture. This is a small sofa on which a person can sit or lie down in moments of relaxation, if necessary, use it for sleep. Depending on the design, the couch can resemble an ottoman, a garden bench with an upholstered seat, or a beach lounger softened with a mattress.
The name comes from the French word for "sleep" and is especially popular in medical circles. Such a bed is available in offices, massage and beauty salons. Analogs with textile decorative trim are used in interior design. You can make such a piece of furniture yourself, there are a lot of options.
Varieties
At the furniture couch, the headboard does not have a fixed shape, sometimes it is not provided at all. The frame is made of wood or metal. Furniture fabrics or leatherette are used for upholstery. In the salons you can find fantasy models upholstered with natural leather, eco-leather is also popular.
Couches are made stationary and folding. Transformers in the form of chairs are equipped with built-in compartments, pull-out or roll-out storage systems. In such a sofa-couch, you can clean bedding for a day, a good option for a small room.
Some modifications are equipped with height adjustment of the base, have armrests, a kind of backrest. The couch has long become a universal piece of furniture, appreciated for its small format and the possibility of comfortable rest. Classic apartment modifications can be found for children, teenagers and adults. Such furniture is installed in living rooms, children's rooms, kitchens, verandas, glazed balconies and loggias.
Design features
It is worth considering the main types of couches:
- couch-ottoman has a rigid base with a removable one-piece mattress or flat pillows;
- ottoman couch - an analogue of the previous model, supplemented with flat cushions for the back, moves to the wall;
- couch-bench - a narrowed and shortened model with a horizontal surface and small side handles-backs;
- canapé couch is an analogue of an ottoman with a raised headboard and a curly incomplete back.
The list can be continued, these are far from all encountered or self-made modifications.
Important! For self-production, choose a model that will perfectly fit into the existing interior, complement it.
How to make a couch with your own hands
When decorating interiors, an element for a comfortable stay is often lacking. In this case, a small sofa or couch will save the situation. It is difficult to find the desired option in a furniture store, it is easier to make a do-it-yourself couch from lumber, which are always available in any construction market.
The first step is to make a drawing. It is enough to sketch out the structure of the frame in two projections, to determine the main dimensions. For clarity, it's nice to make a three-dimensional drawing.
A schematic drawing will help you select materials in the right volume, facilitate the process of preparing the frame elements, and simplify the assembly of the structure. To determine the size, it is better to arm yourself with a metal tape measure, thoroughly measure the empty space so that the finished furniture fits successfully.
Features and design of the couch
It is not necessary to make an ottoman, there are many other options. You can assemble a bed for the kitchen from the cabinets, supplement them with a mattress. A do-it-yourself sofa-couch is a modification with armrests and a small back.
Thinking over your version of upholstered furniture, you need to decide:
- make armrests or do without them;
- completely sew up the sides or limit yourself to a small bar for the armrest;
- a backrest is needed or pillows will replace it (it depends on the place where the couch is installed);
- you immediately need to decide on which legs the furniture will stand, there are a lot of options: square or with a bevel made of bars or ready-made from wood or metal;
- how the frame will be draped, you can make the bed and all the elements bordering the base soft.
It is advisable to immediately think about how the storage systems will look. The simplest option is boxes equipped with wheels, they are easier to assemble than transom structures.
The design of the future couch is thought out with reference to the rest of the furniture, taking into account the functionality of the room. A small couch-couch with drawers is more suitable for the kitchen or hallway. For the living room or nursery, it is better to make an ottoman with legs.
When the wall decoration is prone to abrasion, is not designed for frequent contact, you will need a backrest, armrests that limit contact. If the wall decoration allows, you can limit yourself to pillows.
Required materials and tools
The frame is formed from 50x50 bars. It is better to purchase them in advance and keep them for a month at home, periodically turning them. Then the wood will dry to optimum moisture content without deformation. Plywood is suitable for sides, drawers, backrests, but it is better to purchase furniture boards. They are made from various types of trees. You can choose products with a beautiful texture, which is enough to emphasize with stain and varnish.
You will need hardware, fasteners, the frame is additionally reinforced with metal corners or plywood triangles. It is advisable to purchase foam rubber and fabric for drapery immediately, taking into account the format of the draped elements.
For work you will need:
- roulette;
- marker for marking;
- ruler with corner;
- jigsaw for sawing panels or plywood, it can be replaced with a hacksaw with frequent fine teeth;
- sandpaper or sander;
- drill driver with a set of drills, bit nozzles;
- screwdrivers;
- hardware;
- stapler for attaching foam rubber and fabric.
Note! When choosing a furniture board, it is better to give preference to hardwoods with dense wood. From conifers, pine is the best option.There are fewer knots in it than in spruce, the wood is not as loose as in fir.
Detailing
For ease of assembly, detailing is carried out, each element of the future structure is drawn separately. Detailing will help:
- determine the same parts and their number;
- provide the necessary fasteners;
- think over the installation process, the sequence of connecting the elements;
- calculate the required materials for each type separately.
Important! You should not neglect detailing, this procedure will save you from unnecessary costs for the purchase of materials, speed up the assembly, because you will have everything you need at hand.
Step-by-step instruction
The process of assembling a wooden couch is quite simple:
- First, the prepared lumber is marked, sawn to fit the desired format.
- The parts for the base are folded separately, the frame elements too.
- They begin to sand the wood, gradually reducing the grain size of the abrasive nozzle or skin. Remove burrs, level the edges, achieve the desired smoothness.
- After grinding, the frame is first assembled, then the base is formed.
- The finished structure is additionally sanded, the joints are cleaned.
- Start finishing: painting, varnishing.
Some craftsmen prefer to paint and varnish individual structural elements, and then proceed to assembly. To make the surface even, after the first layer of painting with a fine sandpaper, remove small fluffed wood fibers. Instead of paint, you can use wood stain, it will give the wood the necessary shade.
Note! It is advisable to pre-treat the wood with a special impregnation, it is better to choose a universal one that protects against fungi and fire.
How to draw a couch
Sometimes, to create a full-fledged piece of furniture, it is enough to give the existing frame softness. In this case, foam rubber of medium hardness will become a full-fledged filler. Too soft will sag right away. The plate is cut to size, with allowances on all sides from 3 to 5 cm for the bends. The filler is fixed from below so that the edge does not cause discomfort.
After fixing the foam rubber, they begin to decorate with fabric or leatherette.
The secret of the drapery is simple, the fabric is pulled from the center to the edges of the frame. First, the upholstery is fixed along one longitudinal side, it is better to start with the front of the structure. Then they are tightened with tension on the opposite side. Again, they start from the center, move to the ends. They are draped last. The ends of the drapery are securely fixed, the excess is cut off.
Following the sequence of actions, it is easy to turn a rigid frame into a soft, comfortable couch for the kitchen or nursery. For decoration, use accessories or buttons, complement the model with pillows made of drapery fabric.
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