Is My Furniture Worth Re-upholstering
I often get asked by clients if I think their piece of furniture is worth re-upholstering. I totally understand their hesitation. After all the cost of re-upholstery is not usually less then buying new. It is however often less then buying a new piece of the same quality. The market is full of cheap furniture that won’t last more than a couple years. Custom re-upholstery allows you to decide on the perfect fabric and details. You will have a finished piece that no one else has. It will be better then new, it will be custom designed just for you. If you are trying to decide if it’s worth it to you here’s what I tell my clients.
Ask yourself three questions,
Does it have sentimental meaning to you?
Is the frame well constructed?
Is the style, size or functionality perfect for your space?
You don’t have to have all three to make it worth it. Any one of these reasons can make re-upholstery a good option. If you do happen to have all three it’s a no brainer. Lets dive into each one.
Does it have sentimental meaning to you?
Did it belong to someone you loved and you want to honor them by restoring it to its former glory? Or perhaps you want to update it to combine their memory with your style. Was it the first piece of furniture you ever bought for yourself and it’s been with you through it all? Any one of them is reason enough to me to reupholster. I am very sentimental and although not every piece in your home needs to spark joy its good to have a few pieces that do. Our home should be a unique reflection of those who live in it. This reason, is it sentimental to you, is in my opinion the most important reason. Working on pieces that have meaning to my client makes the job for me. It completes me.
Is the frame well constructed?
They just don’t make them like they used to. A older piece often times will be constructed so much better then a new one. Look for things like solid hard wood frames with doweled joinery. Are the legs built into the frame and not just screwed on? Does it have coil springs. Hand tied coil springs are considered the gold standard in upholstery. You can tell if it has coil springs by checking the bottom to see if there is webbing attached to the bottom rail. Typically if they went to the expense of installing coil springs the frame is well made. While your looking under there pull back the dust cover and see how thick the wood frame is. the thicker the better. Is it corner blocked? The above chair did not have coil springs but it did have a nice thick hard wood frame.
Is the style, size or functionality perfect for your space?
I’ve re-upholstered several pieces for people that weren’t necessarily built as well as we’d have liked. They may have had plywood construction or elastic webbing for the seat support. The thing they had going for them was they fit the clients space and style perfectly. In some cases it was just that they were so stinkin comfortable. A recent project that comes to mind was a pair of swivel chairs. They were totally unique, the perfect size and when you sat in them it felt like they were hugging you. They may have had plywood construction but they were solid. It was a winning choice to reupholster them. Another thing to consider is how much use will the piece gets. We all have those pieces that rarely get used but function more as a piece of decor/art. This is where re-upholstery is such a good choice. It can allow you to create that statement piece that truly reflects you. If it rarely gets sat in who cares if it has coil springs.
Hopefully this helps you think through your decision as to if you should re-upholster or buy new. Find an Upholsterer who will take the time to go over your concerns and help you make a good choice. Just in case you need one more reason don’t forget that you will be saving something from the landfill and that’s something you can feel good about.
-Michelle