To Reupholster or Not to Reupholster, That is the Question

One of the questions clients ask most frequently is whether they should reupholster an existing piece of furniture or buy something new. Reupholstering can be expensive, in some cases nearing the cost of buying a new piece. However, if a client answers “yes” to any of the following questions, I always recommend reupholstering.

Ask: Does It Have Sentimental Value?

This is the easiest of all the reasons to retain a piece of furniture and reupholster it. The personal provenance or origin of a piece of furniture can’t be replicated. Your grandmother’s chair evokes a memory and carries a story with it. It adds soul to your space. Who wants a room filled with one manufacturers matching pieces?

Vintage or patina elements are what make a room interesting, warm and approachable. So if your favorite aunt’s chair is ripped, wrinkled or covered in an ungainly pattern, don’t throw it out, select a fabulous fabric and reupholster. You and your heirs will be glad you did.

We have all heard the expression “they don’t make them like they used to.” Well, they still make great quality furniture but you have to pay to get it.

Competition in the industry has led to an increase in mass-produced furniture made with less stable items such as engineered wood and staples in order to keep the pricing affordable. Typically, these pieces don’t stand the test of time and are not worth reupholstering.

However, if you have a well-made piece of furniture, the cost of reupholstering will most likely be less than the cost of purchasing a new high-quality piece. An interior decorator can help you select a fresh new fabric, as well recommending subtle changes to remove outdated details and update a piece.

How do you know if your furniture is high-quality?

Check for solid, sturdy hardwood frames with quality construction to include dovetail or dowel joints. Typically, well-made furniture will have weight to the frame and the legs will be held on with screws or dowels as opposed to only glue. Spring coils are another indicator of a high-quality piece.

Right: These lovely Hepplewhite-style chairs belonged to a client’s grandmother. The client was going to replace the chairs because she wanted something updated for her new Old Town Alexandria, VA home. Instead we selected a vibrant flame stitch offering a fresh and fun contrast to the traditional shield back carvings . We also reupholstered the host chairs in a coordinating fabric. (Photo:Felicia Evans for Jen Leonard Interiors)

Ask: Does Shape & Style of the Piece Work?

If you love the unique shape of your furniture and can’t find a suitable replacement, you should consider reupholstering. Or if you love your furniture but want to change the color, mood and style of room without changing a footprint, scale or layout that already works, reupholstering is a great option.

Left: A stylish antique chair recovered by Smalldoor Design in a fun and fresh Osborne & Little print.

Below Right: Designer India Hicks covered her mother’s Napoleonic bergeres in a fabric from her famous father, designer David Hicks’ fabric. (Photo: Flower Magazine/India Hicks: A Slice of England)

Below Left: Rich green Lelievre Paris velvet adds a modern vibrancy to two reupholstered antique chairs in designer Jane Pendry’s Paris living room. (Photo: Vogue)

Ask: do you care about the environment?

Reupholstering is another way of “going green.” Instead of throwing furniture into a landfill, you can reduce waste and reuse the frame and springs of an existing piece of furniture. It is another reason, to always purchase the highest quality furniture you can afford so that it is durable and will last longer. (Photo: Designer Parker Kennedy Living)

The Process

Once you have decided to reupholster, contact an interior decorator in your area to help with the fabric selection and finding a reputable upholsterer. A decorator can help you select the fabric that best suits the needs of your household as well as the best pattern and color to enhance the style of your room.

It is a big decision and investment, so getting some professional advice will help you avoid costly mistakes.

Below are some more of my favorite examples of the impact reupholstering your existing furniture can have in your home. Enjoy and if you liked this post, please subscribe and forward to friends and family who might enjoy it too!

Examples of Great Upholstery:

Left: Artist and Ceramist Christopher Spitzmiller who creates fabulous lamps, in the living room of his prewar Manhattan apartment featuring an inviting circa-1775 Louis XVI bergere reupholstered in a Stark Fabric. (Photo: New York Social Diary)

Center: One of the most famous reupholstered sofas once belonged to Lee Radziwell, Jackie Kennedy’s stylish sister. The sofa was custom made at De Angeles in the 1960s and eventually gifted to her daughter-in-law, Carole Radziwell (of Real Housewives of New York fame). When the original tiger fabric was in disrepair after 60 years,Ms. Radziwell reupholstered it in icy-blue. Below see the fabulous original version. (Photo: AD)

Right: Lee Radziwell’s famous silk velvet tiger. It has been photographed for fashion and interior books. It is perhaps one of the most famous sofas of recent time.(Photo AD)