Renovation of mattresses

The restoration of all the mattresses was an important issue during the renovation of the yacht. During the first sailing, we noticed that they were completely crushed; we slept directly on the wood! 

So we started to inspect them. The first thing we noticed was that the fabrics were well-washed and some torn. Then, we observed that the foam was "wrapped" in a skai cover perforated on the sides to protect them.

Overall, the fabric covers and foams were in too bad shape to be reused, but the skai covers were largely reusable. So we looked for a way to renovate these mattresses.

The first solution was to buy foam and fabric to make the mattresses identical. So we asked for quotes for the foam to know the cost of the purchase. The result? Between € 1500 and € 2500. So we looked for another solution, less expensive and more intelligent.

To do this, we approached a company that is used to working with foams. Le groupe Lagarrigue specializes in the design and manufacture of custom-made prostheses and orthoses. They work for patients who need specific medical equipment to live. Interestingly, in the process of making corsets, wheelchairs and other support equipment, they cut foam blocks to create the patient's impression. This has two advantages: to produce equipment that is as close as possible to the different morphologies and, for us, to also produce a lot of reusable foam chips.

When Leo visited the office, an idea was born lorsqu’il a découvert tous ces copeaux : « et si nous remplissions les housses en skaï pour recréer artificiellement un matelas ? ». The Lagarrigue site in Toulouse producing several cubic meters of chips per day, the available quantity would be more than sufficient.

Also, skai is a strong enough material that it would not tear when we filled it with shavings. All we had to do was put more or less shavings inside to adjust (regulate) the hardness of the mattress. The only thing left to do was to re-cover the skai mattress with a fabric that the company would give us to completely renovate the mattresses. The idea seemed good, it was necessary to try.

Since we didn't know how to sew, Nicole, Leo's grandmother, worked on making the mattresses. She was an excellent seamstress and was able to help us with this.

The first step was to remove the cover from an old mattress, keeping the fabric cover. The skai cover had to be cleanly unsewn to remove the foam.

Once the mattress was in pieces, we discovered a problem during a laborious chip stuffing test: the perforated leatherette was letting the chips out. Nicole sewed a garden gauze fabric along the holes, allowing air to escape but trapping the shavings.

Once the gauze was sewn, Nicole and Leo stuffed the first mattress with shavings until they had the optimal consistency. Between 1.5 and 2 cubic meters were used. Nicole then closed the skai cover by sewing it by hand. The mattress was functional.

To validate this prototype, Leo slept on it for a week. The result is super conclusive! The mattress is comfortable and fits perfectly the morphology of the person who lies on it, To validate this prototype, Leo slept on it for a week. The result is super conclusive! The mattress is comfortable and fits perfectly the morphology of the person who lies on it

A total of 6 mattresses and 3 or 4 cushions were made in this way. Nicole also re-covered the mattresses with the fabric provided by the Lagarrigue group. It is neoprene, water repellent and a super yellow!

The final result is excellent. The mattresses are comfortable and have been renovated for zero cost by reusing the waste chips of the Lagarrigue company. This principle of up-cycling corresponds to the values and principles of the association: to recover materials or products that are no longer used to create objects or products of superior quality.

We sincerely thank the Lagarrigue group for its investment, for the material and the expertise that they brought to us. We also thank Nicole who devoted a lot of time and energy to this important part of the project.