"Kevin knows his stuff an all around good guy. Very professional."
Eric H on January 2021
"Kevin knows his stuff an all around good guy. Very professional."
Eric H on January 2021
Upholstering questions, answered by experts
Yes, you can reupholster antique furniture, and it’s a great way to extend the life of your pieces and keep them looking fresh and new for years to come. In fact, since reupholstering furniture is significantly more affordable than replacing it, reviving antique furniture can be a cost-effective way to keep that family heirloom usable for much longer. It’s usually a good idea to leave antique reupholstering to a professional, as they will have the tools and expertise to ensure the piece isn’t damaged and looks professionally finished.
As with any project, weighing the pros and cons of upholstery can help determine if that is the right choice for you. The ultimate question is whether it’s worth reupholstering instead of buying new furniture. Here are a few of the benefits and disadvantages of reupholstering a piece of furniture.
Pros:
Preserving a family heirloom
Maintaining high-quality furniture in good condition
Reinventing an old piece of furniture
Keeping a piece of furniture from going to a landfill
Cons:
Spending (possibly) more than to buy a new piece of furniture
Finding out the frame is beyond repair
Waiting for the reupholstery work to be done
It is possible to reupholster directly over old material in some cases, and it can save you a bit of money. If you are going to go this route, make sure you use a darker color than you had previously. Otherwise, you might see the old fabric beneath the new material. You should also keep in mind that reupholstering over old material is only possible with certain materials. For example, reupholstering over leather usually isn’t possible. You can ask your professional to see if this is an option for your piece.
Paying to reupholster a piece of furniture means you want to hire the right upholstery service, especially for a piece that’s expensive or carries a lot of sentimental value. In your search for the right upholstery company, be sure to:
Ask around to see if friends or family know of any upholsterers
Find reviews of the company or individual
Look at the photo gallery of their work to see if they work on furniture like yours and if you like their work
Check qualifications and references
Ask the upholstery service if they work on furniture like yours, what their schedule looks like, how they handle payments, and how long the job will take
The average time it takes to reupholster a piece of furniture is around eight hours, but it varies significantly based on the piece. A professional can usually reupholster smaller furniture units like dining chairs or small ottomans in two to three hours, while an entire sofa might take several days or up to a week. Antique furniture tends to take longer to reupholster because greater care needs to be taken to preserve the piece. Your timeline might be a bit longer if you need other repairs done, like sanding and refinishing wood components.
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