hassock re-upholstery: introduction

First of all, what is a hassock?

It’s a footstool, and quite possibly a vintage word – I had never heard the word “hassock” until I found mine at my favorite rummage sale. I enjoyed this post’s theory on the disappearance of the hassock: did La-Z-Boy recliners play a role in its demise?? In any case, footstools, ottomans, or hassocks are small, quaint items of furniture for resting your feet.

vintage hassock examples - yellow and orange

clockwise from top left. yellow pleather: VintageLooks; yellow pouf: fezart on etsy; yellow wool: PDX Picker; orange pleather: RetroMama65 on etsy

In my opinion, what may make a hassock a hassock, rather than an ottoman, is the legs. And I do have a fondness for furniture with tapered wooden legs. Those tapered legs, along with the end-of-the-sale $5 price tag, prompted me to scoop up this green pleather hassock a few years ago.

hassock before upholstery

Years? Yes, I’ve left my ripped, mediocre-green-pleather covered hassock untouched for years, all because of that one big scary word: re-upholstery. I’ve refinished furniture, I’ve upcycled clothing, but I’ve never dealt with upholstery… and it’s always sounded so difficult!

hassock upholstery fabric

I had some fabric planned for the project, but a trip to Toronto, Ontario’s King Textiles in February changed all that. It’s a beautiful, fully stocked fabric store, and this wool caught my eye. I love the multi-colored “blubs” and the fact that it’s multi-colored while retaining some sophistication. Perfect hassock material.

Armed with a ripped hassock cover and some gorgeous fabric, all I was lacking was a bit of gumption. Finally, I jumped right into the project, big-scary-words and all. I’m reupholstering this hassock, and over the next few posts I intend to share the process with you… because it’s not the least bit scary.

This post is the introduction to my mini Hassock Reupholstery series. More coming soon!

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2 Responses

  1. Kathy says:

    Hi Sam!
    It was great to meet you during your travels this summer! I’m enjoying your blog. You’re inspiring me with your projects. Now I’m off to check out your mitered corners!

  2. The first step is always the hardest, but the satisfacttion of doing it cant be beat. I look forward to seeing your results.

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