The million dollar question we all ask ourselves when a favourite piece of furniture such as your Sofa, Occasional Chair or Dining chair starts to sag, rip or show general wear & tear, is “Should I Re-upholster it OR buy something new?”

There are pro’s & con’s when it comes to making your choice to re-upholster. One fairly big plus is that it is environmentally friendly as it reduces Landfill. On the con side, it is not always a cheap alternative. In fact, sometimes this process can cost nearly as much as purchasing new!

So to help you make your decision, here are some questions I always like to ask my clients when considering should we or shouldn’t we re-upholster:-

How often do you use the piece of furniture – is it daily, weekly or just for looks?
Is the piece sentimental or a Family Heirloom?
Does it have structurally good bones to work with? Has it lasted for many years?
Is the frame made of hardwood & still appears strong & sturdy?
How much do you actually love this piece?
Finally, how much are you willing to invest in the piece?

If you have said yes to all or most of these questions, then I think you’ve found your answer! Now the fun begins and we set about giving your old furniture a new lease of life!

Next step is finding a suitable fabric to upholster your piece in. You will need to consider the amount of use the furniture will be getting. Let’s look at your Sofa for an example. It may be the Sofa from the Formal Sitting room that is only being used a handful of times a year. The wear and tear is going to be low so you may consider a fabric that has a Low - Medium Martindale Rub rate. Whereas, if it is the Sofa from your Family or Rumpus room and you are using it every day, then this is classed as a high traffic area & you will need to invest in a fabric with a High Domestic to light Commercial Martindale Rub rate.

If your furniture has lost its firmness and comfort, this will be repaired at the upholstery stage. Any tightening of springs, new padding around the frame required and what seat & back cushion fillers will be used are all details I am able to guide you thru.

The final product is a piece of furniture that is unrecognisable and given a new lease of life!

**In some circumstances, you may need a whole new upgrade, for instance moving house. You may find your existing sofa is too big, or not large enough for the new Living space. Maybe the style you had in the previous home, doesn’t work in this new one. Not to worry, I can help you with the design & selection of any new pieces required. But we’ll save that discussion for another day……….

Don’t hesitate to contact me with any enquiries

Take care until next time,

Re-Upholstering: To Do or Not to Do…

Mirrors - The Hidden Light