Stripping the Furniture
Restoring a piece of furniture is a true craft. The first step for any artisan is carefully removing the worn-out materials, such as the old foam, to prepare the piece for a fresh start.
| The artisan removed the old foam from the chair. | نزع الحرفي الإسفنج القديم من الكرسي.naza'a al-hirafiyyu al-isfanja al-qadima mina al-kursiyyi |
Selecting the Fabrics
Once the piece is stripped down, it is time to upholster it using fresh materials like velvet or linen.
When expressing intentions or reasons, you will often use helper particles before a present tense verb. Use أن (to) when saying what you want to do, and لكي (in order to) when explaining the purpose of an action.
| I want to upholster this sofa with green velvet. | أريد أن أنجد هذه الأريكة بالمخمل الأخضر.urîdu an unajjida hâdhihi al-arîkata bil-mukhmali al-akhdar |
| She bought linen fabric in order to renew the lining. | اشترت قماش الكتان لكي تجدد البطانة.ishtarat qumâsh al-kattân likay tujaddid al-bitâna. |
Frames, Staples, and Springs
Before the new fabric goes on, you have to repair the underlying structure. This means inspecting the wooden frame, replacing broken springs, and ensuring you have enough staples.
| The man cleaned the old frame. | نظف الرجل الهيكل القديم.nazzafa ar-rajulu al-haykala al-qadeem. |
| Do you have staples and springs? | هل عندك دبابيس ونوابض؟hal 'indaka dabâbîsu wa nawâbidu? |
When pulling apart old furniture, you will often need to carefully extract the existing hardware from the wood.
| The girl removed the staples from the old wood. | نزعت البنت الدبابيس من الخشب القديم.nazaʿatil bintud-dabâbîsa minal khashabil qadîm |
When an indefinite noun is the direct object of a sentence, it takes the accusative case. In written Arabic, this is often marked by adding an alif at the end of the word. You will see this applied to both the noun "a spring" (نابضا) and its matching adjective "broken" (مكسورا).
| We found a broken spring inside the frame. | وجدنا نابضا مكسورا داخل الهيكل.wajadnâ nâbidan maksûran dâkhila al-haykali |
Finally, when adding the finishing touches, artisans might combine different fabrics or textures to create a beautiful, custom design.
| They chose blue velvet in addition to white linen. | اختاروا المخمل الأزرق بالإضافة إلى الكتان الأبيض.ikhtârû al-mukhmala al-azraqa bil-idâfati ilâ al-kattâni al-abyadi |
