Seat me Up!

---

I already knew it, but now I'm realizing it even more, that there's a little itch in me that just won't let me rest. We’re in the middle of renovations, moving, and so much more… Why? I’ve told you several times already, but alright, here it goes again. We had to move houses within the same neighborhood due to official requirements. And ever since then, it’s been nothing but expenses upon expenses. That little bug in me keeps pushing, asking what we’re still missing and how we can make this house more livable and comfortable.

_{One of the three Frames of a Two-Seater Sofa}

So, here’s the situation: in this new old house we’ve recently moved into, we’re quite short on furniture, especially seating. In our last place, I managed by putting a bed in the TV lounge, and it worked fine. I have my own 7-seater sofa, which I’ve placed in the drawing (guest) room. And then we have a total of 5 seats in the TV lounge and we are five members in total. So where should we put the extra one/ones if they visit and want to sit with us in our lounge??? So to cut a long story short, we have limited seating in this house since there’s no extra bed, nor would it fit in the lounge even if we had one. What to do now! ‍

Solution? We need a new sofa/sofas. I searched online: Nothing good in our price range. Let's get it made. We can find a carpenter cum upholster here: that’s something the polish guy (when I was getting our doors and old furniture polished) had already told me. The issue is, getting a sofa made is quite expensive, and the wood quality in this small, town-like area isn’t great either. So, we decided that I would source the material myself and just pay for the labor.

_{The Upholster has attaching the Coils/Springs to the frame as a part of suspension system}

The first step was to decide how many seats we should have. After much debate, we settled on making a total of six seats as a set of three two-seater sofas or couch-style seating.

So here you have Part 1 of the sofa-making process. And I don’t feel any shame in saying that even though I’m sourcing everything myself, this sofa is turning out to be a bit more expensive—but the quality will be much better. That’s because I’m having it made right in front of my eyes, in my own home. I’m using top-quality Molty foam—because in our country, the name 'Molty Foam' speaks for itself. Anyway, the most exciting and pride-worthy part is that I got the fabric for the sofa upholstery from the thrift market a.k.a landa bazar.

Here is an interesting fact about Landa Bazar. Landa Bazar refers to local markets in South Asia, especially in Pakistan and India, known for selling secondhand, surplus, or discounted items, including clothing, shoes, household fabrics, and more. These markets are popular for their affordable prices, allowing shoppers to find quality items—often imported or branded at a fraction of the usual cost. Another fun fact: The term "landa" conveys the idea of thrift or secondhand goods and is thought to come from "London," reflecting the origin of many imported items when these markets first became popular. Even though items now come from all over, the name "Landa Bazar" has stuck as a go-to for affordable, diverse finds.

_{Recycled tyres as Tyre Patti for the suspension system of the Sofa is added}

I found some brand new fabric there, and I also bought some fabric in the form of used curtains... Yes, good, thick fabric. The samples of the fabric that the upholstery/poster showed me were very thin. They looked fancy, but they wouldn’t be durable.

I have such a passion for watching things come together in my home that I start waiting from the morning for the work to begin. You could say that I stand right next to him during the process. I’ve taken it upon myself to handle his tea, snacks, and meals so that he can just focus on his work. I feel a special joy when there’s work happening in the house.

_{Burlap (rough cloth) being expertly attached to the frame before adding cushions and upholstery to secure the cushioning materials}

Aside from that, I also got the rough fabric that was meant for the frame from some old curtains, which I got at a very low price. So, I saved quite a bit with that! The only upside, it wasn't rough at all ;)

And the remaining fabric that’s going to be used for the upholstery is so beautiful that the upholsterer (people here keep calling him 'poster'; maybe it's a shorthand for upholster) kept saying, ‘You’ve got some really good cloth!’ Although he was a bit upset at first that I wasn’t buying from his recommended place, he has now mentioned at least ten times that I’ve picked out some fantastic fabric. The only issue is that I couldn’t find enough of the same fabric, so I’ll have to do some mix and match. But I really don’t mind it. The more (variety), the merrier!

_{Shaping comfort: adding sheet foam and cotton batting (recycled fabric threads) to provide the perfect cushioning before finalizing the sofa's design}

By tomorrow or the day after, my sofas will be ready, insha'Allah. I’m feeling a bit too lazy and tired to take pictures of my beautiful upholstery right now, but I promise to share the final look with you soon.

I hope that it turns out just as I imagined. Well, I didn't really imagine it; I'm not that creative. I just searched. Oh, did I share the picture of that design with you? That should have been the first picture. Anyway, it was this: ⬇️

_{sr: amazon.ae}

... And I think the frames have been made according to these designs. I am 90 percent sure. And for the rest 10 percent I am not bothered much. What difference does it make. I want some simple, comfortable couches!