Purchasing furniture, just like buying a house, is an investment or at least it should be.  Generally, when a home is purchased, there is an intention to live there for a while, if not a life time.  Therefore, time, preparation, careful thought and consideration goes into the home buying process.  This same process should be applied toward purchasing furniture.  Let’s examine why.

A house requires interior and exterior maintenance over time and years of use, just as a furniture will require maintenance.   Well-loved furniture is a witness to many chapters of our lives, from early morning coffee, sippy cup training, four-legged family members, after work naps and much more.

When considering whether or not to re-upholster a well-loved piece of furniture or a family heirloom, here are some key factors to consider:

Fabric Selection- It is important to know that all fabric is not appropriate for upholstering.  Select a fabric that is fitting to your household needs. If you have children or four legged family members that frequent the furniture, consider a performance fabric, such as Crypton Fabrics.  This fabric is our top pick for stain resistance, odor resistance, and liquid resistance.

The cost of fabric is dependent upon your personal selection.  Upholstery fabric costs can range from $20- $200 per yard.  Fabric, and fabric alone, is a very large cost of the re-upholstering process.

Craftsmanship-  Upholstery is a skilled craft.  Creating patterns, cutting and matching fabric patterns, are just a few of the skills required to do upholstery.  A keen eye for detail is also required to create quality finished products.  At the end of the re-upholstering process, you should be presented with the equivalent of a brand new piece of furniture, re-built to last many years.  You have to determine if quality or costs is more important, or if you consider them to be equal.  The lowest price, does not mean the best quality, and good quality comes at a price.

Transportation Logistics- Pick-up and delivery services are costs that must be considered for re-upholstering.

The financial cost to re-upholster depends on each individual project, and no two projects are alike.  Quality re-upholstery can be expensive. In addition to removing all of the old fabric, it should include replacing old broken down foam, repairing damaged frame components, matching and retouching stain or paint, and replacing and/or tightening springs, at a minimum.  Re-upholstery, is not simply replacing the old fabric.  It is restoring the furniture to best quality, just as antique automobiles are restored.  Therefore, when pondering over whether to re-upholstering your well-loved furniture, first think about the value of the furniture itself, and what it means to you.

When considering a furniture purchase, think toward the future of what it will cost to “maintain” the furniture over the years.  Not every furniture project is a candidate for re-upholstery. Follow Us, to catch our post on Re-upholstery vs. Slipcovers.