Of Love Seats and Ottomans

If you’re thinking of having a sofa reupholstered, it’s important to do your homework. First, is the sofa worth redoing? Chances are that if it has a hardwood frame or is more than 15 years old, it’s worth keeping.

Once you’ve decided to plow ahead, for the sake of economy stay away from labor-consuming stripes and plaids on reupholstery and slipcovers.

At M.H. Designs in Northridge and Simi Valley, reupholstering a typical sofa will cost about $375 in labor charges plus fabric (you’ll need about 16 yards). These shops have a wide selection of fabrics, some carrying healthy discounts. The best value is the in-stock selection of discontinued patterns, which are 70% off the original retail price.

In ordering from books, Waverly, Kravet and Barrow are 30% off, with Pacific Hide and Leather discounted 40%. Slipcovers are still in, and you can figure $250 labor for a standard sofa with two or three cushions. A slipcover for a chaise runs $200, for a love seat $188, and plan on $60 for an ottoman.

If that old sofa is disposable, M.H. Designs also makes custom furniture.

A seven-foot hardwood-frame sofa starts at $799; for sofa and love seat it’s $1,599. Wallpapers that retailed for $30-$40 are $2, fabric remnants start at $2. If you’re having trouble making a decision, interior designer and owner Marty Helpman is on hand at the Northridge location; Jeannie Jesse, also a designer, presides over the Simi store.

M.H. Designs, 19328 Londelius St., Northridge. (818) 718-9091. Hours: Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays or evenings by appointment. Also at 21 W. Easy St., Suite 107, Simi Valley (805) 584-2600. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WEEKEND SUPER SALES: The Ultimate Outlet reports an overage of velvet dresses from a major manufacturer that retailed for $49.99 to $69.99. They were discounted to $29.99, but now the price on about 200 of these dresses has been slashed to $10. Sizes: S, M, L.

1509 Mission St., South Pasadena. (626) 403-1848.

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Through the end of the month, it’s 25% off everything in stock at Seymour Fashions, a local manufacturer of women’s apparel. In the sale area, sample designs carry 70% tags, while $40 jeans in several discontinued colors now sell for $20.

7040 Darby Ave., Reseda. (818) 705-1911.