Rebecca Baker, Australian

We were keen to reupholster an existing sofa, as the original chenille-type fabric was looking tired and dated. It hadn’t worn well in our house as we don’t use air-conditioning, and the girls were increasingly commenting that the sofa felt ‘slimy’!

The design of the sofa itself is classic and fairly timeless, so I wanted to update it with new fabric rather than purchase a new piece that mightn’t fit with our colonial house. Pure linen is tough and seems to withstand the humidity and general outdoorsy lifestyle-muck that constantly makes its way into our house, and I also like the relaxed and organic feel of linen.

I knew that owner Anne-jean at House of Anli would be able to bring in upholstery linen at incredibly good prices, and her husband Panagiotis managed the whole process from quote to delivery. I really appreciated the attention to detail in following up on and confirming the specifications, and in keeping me informed of progress. The turnaround time was also super-fast – it was less than two weeks from pickup to delivery of the newly upholstered piece.

We reupholstered the whole sofa with a removable cover in 100 percent pure Belgian linen, and had four matching back-cushion covers made. The sofa, with its new upholstery, now fits in perfectly with our home and lifestyle.

Don’t assume you can’t transform a piece of furniture you’ve grown to hate into something you will love again. I was very close to getting rid of my existing sofa in favour of just starting again with a new piece, but in reupholstering it I’ve ended up with a fully customised piece that I couldn’t get anywhere else. House of Anli #03-17 Tanglin Mall, 163 Tanglin Road 6235 3851 | houseofanli.com