Maybe the new year has you craving a change and reupholstery is on your to-do list. If so, may we suggest a refresher for yourself before starting on the furniture? Reupholstery can be a great idea, but it’s not an idea to pursue without preparation.

We asked Alejandro Gonzalez of Oak Cliff’s Tlazo Home to walk us through a primer for a successful reupholstery experience. Gonzalez has years of experience as a designer and sells new home furnishings with an emphasis on Latino artists and designers, plus a handpicked collection of refurbished vintage pieces.

Gonzalez says reupholstery isn’t a quick or inexpensive option. “But it’s a worthwhile project, because at the end you have this piece of furniture that looks like new and you have given it a new life,” he says.

Grab a notebook: Class begins now.

Lesson one: intro to reupholstery

When should you consider reupholstery instead of buying new?

The first deciding factor is often sentimental value. A piece you love, something with a history that’s been handed down in the family, may be a perfect candidate for a fabric update.

Beyond that, the primary consideration is the underlying construction of the piece. “If it’s of good quality, then it is worth reupholstering,” Gonzalez says.

Not sure about the quality? Gonzalez suggests checking the price of a replacement piece at the store where the furniture was purchased. If it would cost less to buy new than to re-cover, the piece may not be a great candidate for reupholstery.

Dining chairs or other pieces with exposed wood frames or carved wood elements get special consideration. Gonzalez says they’re more frequently worth updating because of the materials and craftsmanship involved.

“Just throwing it away seems like such a waste,” he says.

Lesson two: fabric shopping

Before you head into the visual stimulation of a fabric store, have an idea what you’re looking for: Solid or patterned? Floral or graphic? Contemporary or vintage? Bold or understated?

Start by looking at the existing fabric and considering what you’d like to change and why. Gonzalez says to ask yourself: “What is it that I’m not liking?” Is the current fabric worn out but still a color or pattern you love? Or are you planning to switch up the whole vibe of a room and looking for a fabric to lead the way?

If you’re working with a designer, he or she will have access to high-end fabrics available in the Dallas Design District. But there are options for shopping on your own, too.

Gonzalez recommends Childress Fabrics and Uptown Fabrics, or the shops in the “mini fabric district” off Harry Hines Boulevard, particularly Wherehouse Fabrics and Best Fabrics.

Walk right past the quilting cottons and garment-weight material. Upholstery fabric can’t be too thin or too stretchy.

Fabrics are rated using a double-rub test in which a fabric sample is run through a machine and rubbed until it shows signs of wear. Gonzalez suggests choosing fabric with at least a 30,000 double-rub count for residential upholstery. (If you don’t see this information on the label, ask.)

When you think you’ve found the perfect fabric, buy just a cutting to take home and drape over your furniture. Live with it for a week or so, watching how it looks as the light shifts. If you’re still happy with it, you’re ready to find your upholsterer.

Lesson three: the expert

You shouldn’t have a problem tracking down a skilled upholsterer in D-FW. “This is an amazing design hub,” Gonzalez says. He recommends looking first for a shop in your own neighborhood. Fabric stores also may have in-house services or recommended shops.

Having trouble? Check out one of his two favorites: Hernandez Upholstery on Reading Street or RL Home Designs & Upholstery in Oak Cliff.

If you have a fabric cutting, take it to the shop along with photos of your piece to start the conversation. Be sure to check how the furniture will get to and from the shop — will they arrange transport or do you?

You can bring rough measurements, but the upholsterer will handle formal measurements and decide how much fabric the job will require. Don’t buy anything but a sample before choosing and consulting with an upholsterer.

The yardage needed will be determined by measurements, the size of any pattern in the fabric and an overage allowance.

Lesson four: final decisions

Be ready for more decisions once you’ve chosen a shop to do the work. For example, if your fabric has a pattern, you need to choose what direction you want it to run.

You’ll also have to choose a filling. Ultra-soft 100% down is comfy, but it’s also higher maintenance. After “you sit on it, you’re always going to have to fluff,” Gonzalez says.

He often chooses a 50/50 combination of dacron batting and down. If your piece is boxier by design or you prefer cleaner lines, you may want an even higher percentage of dacron. The choice will impact both the feel and look of your furniture. “A lot of upholstery demands clean, strong lines,” Gonzalez says.

If your piece has wood elements, your upholsterer will likely either have a restorer on their team or recommend someone to handle that part of the work.

Finally, be ready to decide on finishing touches. From nail heads and piping to tape and blind stitching, you choose how seams and edges will be either decorated or hidden.

This is where you can really lean into the joy of creating a custom piece of furniture. But it’s also where you need to speak up. “They can’t read your mind,” Gonzalez says. “You have to give as many details as possible.”

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One of the most intriguing matchups in college football history will take place Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami as the hometown Hurricanes face the Indiana Hoosiers for the national championship (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+).

Indiana, led by coach Curt Cignetti and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, are an undefeated 15-0 this season and looking to win the program’s first title. It’s one of the biggest turnarounds in college football, as the Hoosiers entered this season with the most total losses in the sport.

Miami (13-2), meanwhile, is a five-time champion that was previously a powerhouse. But the Hurricanes’ last title came in 2001, and until recently they have fielded teams that have failed to meet expectations.

Who will come out on top Monday night? NBC News’ Rohan Nadkarni, Andrew Greif and Tim Rohan, along with NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry, break it down from every angle.

Besides Fernando Mendoza and Carson Beck, which player are you most excited to watch?

Greif: Tie! The Hoosiers’ receiving tandem of Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr., because if either can get open, it will tilt the game in Indiana’s favor. Neither’s production, as gauged by pure receiving yards, stands out. But they show up when it matters most. Sarratt’s 15 receiving touchdowns lead the country, while Cooper’s 13 rank third. Mendoza clearly looks for both in the red zone and for big plays.

Auerbach: Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami’s star running back, has carried this offense through the College Football Playoff, as he’s totaled nearly 400 rushing yards over the past three games. He’s the key to me for the Hurricanes to have a chance to win this game, because not only is it important for their offensive line to set the tone/bully the Indiana defensive front, it’s critical that the run game eats clock and helps Miami sustain long drives. Indiana is very good at that, and Miami will need to match it.

A reliable rushing attack will also help set quarterback Carson Beck up for success. He’ll have to take some shots down the field in this game, and everyone knows a quarterback’s best friend is a great run game. If the Hoosiers force the Canes to be one-dimensional, it’s going to be a long night for Beck and Co.

Perry: For Indiana, there are so many impact players that come to mind. Stephen Dailey was one of the most productive defensive linemen in the country this season before his injury. Aiden Fisher is a tackle machine whose leadership you can feel when you watch him play, and DeAngelo Ponds is a lockdown corner that can change the game.

However, Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones always shows up. He plays behind the line of scrimmage, and his sack and tackles for loss numbers prove that. He’s a great blitzer and he finishes plays at the point of attack. Against a Miami team that has run the ball well this postseason, I think he could be the difference for the defense.

On the Miami side, I’ll take a different approach. It’s not just one player, but a group. The Hurricanes’ offensive line has to own the line of scrimmage, so my eyes will be on them. They’ve been great this postseason, and their ability to pick up Indiana’s stunts and blitzes will have a direct impact on their ability to win the game.

Now, these guys are big! Left tackle Markel Bell is 6-foot-9 and 340 pounds with light feel and long arms. He’s kept pressure off of Beck all season. Their right tackle, Francis Mauigoa, is a 6-foot-6, 315-pound projected first-round pick. Oh, and their head coach, Mario Cristobal, is a former offensive lineman and offensive line coach.

The guys in the trenches tend to be an afterthought, but Miami knows that the team goes as the offensive line goes.

Nadkarni: Rueben Bain Jr. is the type of defensive player who can swing the game in Miami’s favor. After racking up four sacks in the Hurricanes’ first two playoff games, Bain tallied several pressures in the win over Ole Miss. That is exactly the kind of effort that will be needed if Miami is going to pull off an upset Monday night.

The Hurricanes’ strength all year has been their play in the trenches on both sides of the ball, with Bain playing a major role in terrorizing opposing offenses. If he can create an extra possession for the offense with a strip sack or make Mendoza even the slightest bit uncomfortable in the pocket, that is a major win for Miami.

Rohan: Pat Coogan. Yes, Indiana center Pat Coogan. Rose Bowl Offensive MVP Pat Coogan. I’m sure others will pick a wide receiver or running back, but Coogan and his fellow Hoosier offensive linemen figure to be the key to the game. Can they keep Miami’s elite defensive line in check and allow Mendoza time to work?

Miami’s defensive front is uber talented, led by Bain and Akheem Mesidor. The Hurricanes’ front seven stifled No. 2 Ohio State a few weeks ago, when Miami sacked quarterback Julian Sayin five times and intercepted him twice. The Hurricanes’ pass rush could pose real problems for the Indiana offense, unless Coogan and the rest of the Hoosiers’ line can neutralize it.

More impactful for college football: Indiana winning the national title after years of losing or Miami returning to glory?

Auerbach: Indiana. This is the same program that started the season with more losses than anyone else in the history of college football! I love both teams’ trajectories and paths to get to this point, but there’s no comparison in the history of college sports for what the Hoosiers are trying to do in a sport in which they’ve basically never had success.

For so, so long, college football was dominated by blue bloods; it was set up in a way that was largely designed to keep Davids far away from Goliath, at least when it came to determining champions. There was never really a path for a team like Indiana to do this. There was never a path for a team like Indiana to attract enough talent to compete with the sport’s elite teams. Now there is, thanks to NIL/revenue sharing and transfer rules that allow players to have immediate eligibility.

Other teams have flipped rosters quickly and seen their win total increase year over year, but Indiana is doing this so much better and so much faster than everyone else. It’s truly the dawn of a new era. I really think an Indiana national title would be a seen as a clear dividing line between college football’s past and its new world order.

Perry: The reality is that either team winning would have a big impact on the sport. Let’s look back at the last couple of years. The ACC has had a bit of an existential crisis. After the most recent round of conference realignment, there were questions about top ACC schools being poached. There were questions about a TV contract that is way short of the Big Ten and SEC. There were questions about revenue distributions, and the ACC restructured how it distributes money to the top schools to keep them happy. And on top of all of that, there was a growing sentiment that the ACC, along with the Big 12, was on a rung below the Big Ten and the SEC in terms of their ability to win a championship in football.

So, an ACC team winning the title feels big. But for it to be Miami feels monumental. It’s a storied program that was once the pinnacle of the sport. Everything about “The U” was cool! It was one of the teams that made me fall in love with college football. Seeing them back on top would restore one of the titans of the sport to prominence.

Nadkarni: Indiana winning the national championship would be a great counterpunch to the idea college sports are in a bad place. Yes, much-needed guardrails need to be added to the current structure regardless of the outcome Monday night. At the same time, the idea that college football specifically has become a lawless jungle that only benefits the wealthy would be turned on its head if the Hoosiers pull off an undefeated season and take down storied program after storied program.

Indiana is proof coaching matters. It is proof the transfer portal can benefit schools other than blue bloods. Every team had a chance to hire Cignetti or recruit these players. Heck, Mendoza grew up a Hurricanes fan in Miami and the school ultimately passed on him multiple times. There’s a lot of work to be done in college football, but an Indiana win would prove the playing field is more level than many believe.

Rohan: Indiana, by far. If the Hoosiers are victorious and complete their Cinderella run, it’s a win for the underdog. It gives every mid-major program hope that they can find their own Cignetti, pluck their own Mendoza, and rise to the top of the sport. If Indiana loses, people won’t forget this team — but will these past few years feel the same? As Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher said recently, “We know it won’t mean anything unless we walk away with a win in this game.”

Greif: It has to be Indiana coming out of nowhere to do this, right? Of all big-time sports in the United States, college football employs the most caste-like system, where success, money and power has traditionally, and almost without exception, been wielded by the biggest, most tradition-rich football programs and everybody else fights for scraps. As a longtime loser, where basketball was more of a priority than football, Indiana’s rise defies decades of precedent. And if Indiana can do it, you had better believe there will be a ripple effect of optimism among other have-not universities wondering why they can’t, too.

National championship pick

Perry: Indiana 24, Miami 14.

I think this is going to be a close matchup. These are two teams that are built well on both lines of scrimmage. Each team has an experienced quarterback. They are both violent and aggressive. They can create havoc on defense. Truly, they mirror each other in many facets.

But the difference to me comes down to consistency. I just trust that Indiana will be what its been all year. A team that plays with elite discipline. A team that doesn’t make mental errors. A team that doesn’t commit penalties. And a team that doesn’t ride the emotions of the game.

Miami has been its best version this postseason. Even still, it’s hard to ignore its midseason inconsistencies. Penalties can creep up like they did in its semifinal matchup with Ole Miss. Against a team like Indiana, whose superpower is discipline, Miami is harder to trust. So give me the Hoosiers to secure the Big Ten’s third straight title.

Nadkarni: Indiana 38, Miami 24.

It’s hard to go against the Hoosiers, who have only gotten better as the year has gone along. Indiana smacked up Alabama and followed up that performance by smashing an Oregon team it had already beaten this year. Like Miami, the Hoosiers are strong in the trenches. And unlike the Hurricanes, Indiana has an incredibly dynamic player at quarterback who can single-handedly win games. I expect Mendoza to be the difference-maker on a night the Hoosiers don’t feel especially threatened.

Rohan: Indiana 31, Miami 14.

In the College Football Playoff, Indiana has steamrolled two blue-blood powerhouse programs, Alabama and Oregon, winning by a combined margin of 94-25. The Hoosiers are talented, they’re well-coached, and they won’t wilt on the big stage. Miami’s defense keeps it somewhat close, but Indiana pulls away late.

Greif: Indiana 35, Miami 21.

I don’t believe Indiana is infallible. And if I’m the Hoosiers, I worry most about how Miami’s offensive and defensive lines could take over the game. And yet, I stand here as someone abiding by a simple rule: Until proven otherwise, I simply don’t doubt Indiana’s Cignetti. He’s authored the most stunning turnaround in college football history to this point, and that should make me, or anyone, wary to pick against them.

Auerbach: Indiana 37, Miami 17.

I picked the Hoosiers to win it all six weeks ago when the bracket came out. I’m sticking with this team because it has no weaknesses. Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner, is highly efficient in the pass game. The Hoosiers have a two-headed monster in the run game. They stop the run well and they defend the pass well. They rarely get penalized, and they rarely turn the ball over. They don’t beat themselves, which means I think Miami will have to be basically perfect to win this game.

The Canes are coming off a game in which they were whistled for 10 penalties (and they dropped four interceptions). They have to play a clean game to have a chance, and still that may not be enough.

Indiana may not be the most talented team in college football, but it’s the best team in the country. And I think the Hoosiers will hoist that trophy on Monday night.

After more than 10 years serving lasagna and bolognese in Marietta Square, Piastra has closed its doors. Come January 22, it will reopen as Asher & Rose, a specialty grocery and cafe shaped by local sourcing, prepared foods, and the same hospitality the restaurant was known for.

The name reflects the middle names of mother-and-son ownership team Betty Bahl and Greg Lipman. They had been contemplating a second concept when Burger’s Market shuttered nearby. The arrival of multiple new restaurants on the Square encouraged Bahl and Lipman to reimagine the space.

“Marietta Square is a food desert. There’s not a grocery store within a little over a mile,” Lipman says.

Renovations were minimal, as they kept the bar, maintained the private dining room for events and meetings, and even left some of the local artwork on the walls.

Courtesy of Asher & Rose

The eight-seat bar will shift from Italian-focused drinks to about a dozen craft cocktails, plus rotating beer taps, and a strong zero ABV lineup. There are 109 wines on the menu, with each available by the glass (with a two-glass minimum).

“When was the last time you went grocery shopping with a martini in your hand?” Lipman exclaims. “We’re taking the Disney philosophy for our business. When was the last time you had fun grocery shopping?”

Patrons can dine at the bar and ring up their groceries there, too. “We’ll still be serving food; it just won’t be Italian,” he says. Bottled beer and wine will also be sold on the retail side.

A counter-service cafe will serve house‑made pastries, including croissants and cinnamon buns, as well as local eggs, sausage, pork, and stone‑ground grits. A separate “all‑day menu” will feature Piastra favorites like spaghetti bolognese and rigatoni, as well as vegan roasted tomato soup matzo ball soup, muffaletta and miso salmon on house‑baked Japanese milk bread.

Courtesy of Asher & Rose

The grocery will continue the restaurant’s commitment to local sourcing, from cheese and chicken to beef and pork. Lipman says prepared foods comprise at least half the offerings.  Items range from mushroom ravioli to meatloaf, beef stew, lamb shank, fried rice, and dumplings, each with heating instructions. A Whole Foods-style prepared foods counter will offer fresh eats, in addition to the refrigerated and frozen sections. A variety of gluten-free offerings will be available with advance notice.

Lipman, who served as executive chef at Piastra and previously worked in pastry at Alon’s, will continue to lead the kitchen. Piastra general manager and lead bartender Jessica Lakos will fill those roles at Asher & Rose, too.

The team will collaborate with the Marietta Square Farmers Market through a weekly chef’s stage. The store will also host monthly “meet the maker” events to showcase local farmers, producers, and artists.

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