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By Mitchell Chapman

Thinking of having a chair reupholstered? No worries, you’re covered!

Many people have at least one piece of furniture in their home that they want to have reupholstered. Maybe it was the chair you inherited from Uncle Dan, or that old tattered French Provincial sofa that was Grandma’s.

Design magazines and Pinterest boards are full of inspiration for custom upholstery. Here are some things to consider when having furniture reupholstered:

1. The frame

You would not want to invest in reupholstering a poorly constructed frame. The best frames are made of kiln-dried hardwoods, glued together using dowels with corner blocking. The frame should feel solid, not wobbly. The legs should be rigid, not loose. Some frames can be reglued by the upholsterer to tighten up joints, but good frames that have suffered neglect or some abuse may need to be repaired by a woodworker. A good rule of thumb to follow is, if the chair or sofa is heavy, then it probably has a good solid frame.

2. The seat

There are a few types of seat support to consider. The most common types in older furniture are the coil spring seat and the no-sag spring seat. Coil spring seats are usually eight-way hand-tied with special jute cording. This kind of seat lasts around 40 years and provides the greatest support. No-sag or sinuous spring seats came about as a less time-consuming way to support the seat. This kind of spring looks like a continuous letter “S.” It provides good support but does not last as long as a coil spring seat. Some antique furniture was simply webbed with jute and then built up using animal hair. Very few upholsterers today reconstruct seats using animal hair. New jute webbing replaces the old webbing, and foam is used instead of animal hair. Usually Dacron or cotton will cover the foam.

3. The fabric

There is much to consider here. This is the fun part and can be the most expensive, even costing more than the labor. I personally follow a two-step approach to fabric selection. First, I strongly believe you should select the fabric that works best in your overall design. Don’t be steered toward a fabric just because it will “last a long time.” If you are going to spend a lot of money having a custom-upholstered piece of furniture, get it done in fabric you love!

Second, pick a fabric that will perform with the furniture piece you are recovering. What I mean by this is if the chair is curvaceous, then pick a fabric that has some stretch to it. This allows the fabric to more easily cover those curves and round shapes. You will want to factor in durability and cleanability, especially for high-traffic furniture used by children or pets and for dining. Keep in mind that if you do not buy the fabric from the upholstery shop, there may be a “cutting fee” of $15 to $25 per yard.

4. The cost

Extraordinary repairs to the frame, new springs or seat support, replacement of dirty or unsanitary padding, cost of the fabric and the size of the piece all are factored into the overall cost. A short internet search shows these estimates may be a good indicator of cost:

• HomeAdvisor.com lists these price ranges for sofas and chairs (includes fabric cost): chairs $400 to $800, sofas $1,200 to $3,500.

• WashingtonPost.com surveyed East Coast upholstery shops to get these labor-only estimates: sofas $700 to $1,200, dining seats $45 to $90.

Most times an upholstery shop will have you email them a photo of your furniture for an estimate. This is the easiest way, but keep in mind that a photo does not always show the true condition of the piece and is not a substitute for an on-site quote.

Newer furniture often is not well-made and therefore not worthy of reupholstery. The best-made furniture, in my opinion, was from the 1950s to the ’80s and was manufactured by Drexel Heritage, Henredon, Baker and Widdicomb. These furniture frames can often be altered to give the piece a more modern look if that is what you desire.

Hopefully you are inspired to get your custom-upholstered project done. Start the process by shopping for fabric and get a good estimate. Strong communication with the upholstery shop is critical, especially when discussing details like welting, trim or nail-head finishes.

Mitchell Chapman lives in Montesano and enjoys DIY renovations, interior design and home furnishings. He’s been an “armchair” interior designer for more than 25 years. He can be reached at GraysHarborHome@outlook.com.

Many people have at least one piece of furniture in their home that they want to have reupholstered. This solid old chair, seen before and after, was one of those. Photos by Mitchell Chapman For The Daily World