How to Save Money When Buying Upholster Chair

30 Sep.,2024

 

Is It Worth The Cost To Reupholster A Chair?

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You have a chair you want reupholstered. Your first step was to call a local furniture upholsterer and ask &#;How much does it cost to reupholster a chair?&#;

The response you received might not have been what you expected. The number was higher than you thought it would be.

That lead to even more questions: What does the price really include? Is my chair actually worth the effort? What is involved in reupholstering a chair anyway? Should I try and do it myself?

Of course the best way to answer these questions is to do your research and ask your local upholsterer for more information. But I will try and answer these common questions here.

When an upholsterer gives me a quote for the cost for reupholstering a chair, what is included?

Let&#;s for example say the upholsterer quoted you $ to reupholster your chair. The breakdown of the cost might look something like this:

  • Fabric: $500 to $700 depending on the quality and price per yard
  • New padding and supplies: $100 to $200
  • Labor: $700 to $800 in labor includes tear down, minor frame repair, adding new support systems and retying springs and finally adding padding and fabric.

Is it worth the effort and cost to reupholster?

Reupholstering furniture is a great, environmentally friendly way to keep old furniture out of landfills. However, it is not always the most inexpensive choice. The truth is that reupholstering furniture can often cost as much as replacing it (and sometimes more).

For example, the cost to reupholster a chair cushion may be less than $150, and it&#;s unlikely you can replace the entire chair for that amount. On the other hand, repairing and re-padding the same chair can raise the price more than $1,100 to $1,500. In that case, you need to decide whether it&#;s simpler and cheaper to simply purchase an entirely new chair.

Here are some things to think about when deciding if it&#;s worth the cost to reupholster your chair:

  • How old is the chair? Has it been regularly used? If it has lasted many years, chances are it is well made and sturdy enough to last.
  • Is the frame solid, sturdy, and made from hardwood? When building high-quality furniture, manufacturers use hardwood for the frame and attach the joints using dowels and glue or screws. Inexpensive furniture usually has engineered wood and staples for the joints.
  • How much do you truly like the piece? If you love the style and cannot find a similar piece in a store, reupholstering is the way to go.
  • Is it a sentimental piece, or a family heirloom? You may just want to bring it back to life no matter what.
  • For more information about evaluating your chair and making a decision, check out my blog post on Upholstery DIY Flea Market Finds.

It is important to note here that there is a big difference between reupholstering furniture and simply recovering it.

Recovering vs Reupholstering Furniture: What Is The Difference?

Learning how to reupholster furniture means learning all the steps&#;not just shortcuts

Recovering furniture refers simply to the process of removing the old fabric and putting on new fabric. But leaving the old padding not doing anything else. More on this later..

Reupholstering furniture includes a complete tear down of the piece, removing all fabric, padding, and the support systems. This process ensures the end product not only looks better, but really is better. Once completed you have a brand new piece that is clean inside and out, and is ready for many more years of enjoyment.

Reupholstering My Chair: Can I Do It Myself?

Be prepared with the right tools for the job

The best way to get started learning how to reupholster is to have the right tools for the job. If you are going to reupholster more than one piece (I am willing to bet the upholstery addiction will hook you and you will do more than one) having the right tools will be well worth the cost.

You can check out my blog post about the right tool for the job for my suggested upholstery tools. And don&#;t forget to download your FREE PDF on tools.

Related articles you may enjoy:

Purchasing a little extra fabric to reupholster your chair is like buying insurance

Now that you have decide that your chair is a worthy candidate for reupholstery, you need to know how to measure your chair so you can buy the right amount of fabric (fabric yardages). In our online upholstery classes membership we have a video that will help you with this task.

For more information, please visit Upholster Chair.

Because you are new to upholstery, I would suggest you purchase two or three extra yards fabric. It is better to have extra than to run short because you made a bad cut. Imagine you need to recut a piece of fabric and now your fabric is no longer available for sale! It happens.

Tear Down: Yes, I did  just say epidermis. Gross!

Tear down is the first step and it is a DIRTY job. Not sure why reupholstering furniture has never made it on the show &#;Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe&#;, but it should have! Check out this video that we have created on Wingback Chair Teardown to help you get started.

Furniture Upholstery Can Save You Money

If you&#;re looking for a way to save money, then furniture reupholstery can be a great solution. Furniture Reupholstery, when done correctly and professionally, can save you money in the long run.

One of the biggest complaints about furniture is that it gets old and worn out. The colours fade, the cushions wear out and the fabric tears. Some people choose to replace their furniture every few years, but this can be very expensive. When you reupholster your furniture,  you can breathe new life into it without breaking the bank.

When it comes to furniture reupholstery, there are many reasons why it&#;s a better option than buying new furniture. If you&#;re in the market for new furniture and looking for ways to save money, then you might want to consider reupholstering your existing pieces instead of buying new ones. 

Options For Your Home and Business

One of the main reasons why people choose furniture reupholstery for your home and business is because it saves them money over time. If your old furniture is still in good condition but has an ugly fabric on it, then reupholstering is a great option for saving money. Instead of buying new pieces every so often, they can just have their old pieces redone at a fraction of the cost. This is especially true if you need to replace only one piece at a time instead of an entire set. The cost of reupholstering depends on a number of factors, including the size of the piece and the type of fabric or leather being used. 

Quality Materials

Buy Fabric in Bulk. This can save up to 50% off retail prices by buying enough fabric for several projects at once. See if your local fabric store has sample sales where they sell remnants at discounted prices. You can also find discounted fabric online if you&#;re willing to wait for shipping times or pick it up at a warehouse location yourself.

Another way to save money is by doing the work yourself. If you have the skills, then this is a great way to save money on your project. You can find all kinds of upholstery tutorials online that will teach you how to do everything from recovering an armchair to recovering a sectional sofa.

Professional Services

Finally, if you want to make sure that your project is done right and looks great, then it&#;s best if you hire someone who has experience with this type of work. Professionals know how to make sure everything fits together properly and they know exactly how much fabric will be needed for each piece of furniture that they&#;re working on.

When you reupholster old chairs and sofas, however, you can choose from hundreds of different materials at affordable prices. You don&#;t have to spend thousands of dollars on brand new furniture when an old chair or sofa can be transformed into something beautiful and functional at a fraction of the cost!

Repair Everyday Damage 

In addition to buying new furniture every few years, many people also choose to upgrade their existing pieces as they get older. This can be especially true if they have kids or pets who are constantly spilling things on them or tearing up their fabric with scratches and dents from claws or paws. If you find yourself doing this frequently enough that it adds up over time, then reupholstering your old furniture may be a better option for you than buying new ones each time something happens.

If you want to make sure that your house always looks fresh and new, then reupholstering furniture is one way to do this. You don&#;t need to worry about buying brand new furniture every time something needs replacing; instead, just give old pieces new life by reupholstering.

Interested in Reupholstery Services

Reupholstery services also have an advantage over buying new pieces because they come pre-made with fabrics that match your style perfectly. You don&#;t have to worry about going through all the trouble of finding exactly what you want in a colour scheme either; they will do that for you!

Here at Alan Henderson Upholstery, our team have been offering our services to North Yorkshire for a number of years and are experts at what we do. Get in touch with us today to find out more about what we can do for you. 

Alternatively, check out the rest of our services! We also offer bespoke furniture and reupholster furniture in schools, restaurants, cafes, bars, and more! 

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Plastic Chair.