An old and worn out furniture is usually not a good sight anymore. But if you aren’t ready to give up such piece to purchase a new one, a great solution is reupholstering furniture. With the proper reupholstering job of a sofa, chair, and the like, these pieces of furniture can be restored to their original look. And in most cases, you can choose the kind of reupholstery for specific furniture pieces to achieve far better looks for your belongings.
The Cost Of Reupholstering Furniture
The cost of reupholstering furniture is usually $100 to $1,000.
This price includes the fabric and materials as well as the labor for reupholstering the furniture.
Factors Affecting The Cost Of Reupholstering Furniture
Furniture. There’s a lot of furniture that can be reupholstered. This includes chairs, sofas, headboards, beds, ottomans, and a lot more. The furniture to be reupholstered greatly determines the cost of the job. Bigger furniture pieces are more expensive to reupholster as compared to smaller pieces. Besides the size, the design of the furniture has also a lot to say with the cost of the project. Furniture pieces with more complicated designs are also more expensive to reupholster.
Fabric. The fabric you choose for the reupholstery of the furniture will also affect prices. Cheap fabrics can start from $10 per yard. However, there are high-end fabrics (wool and silk) that can be priced for more than $100 per yard. So the more expensive the fabric of your choice is, the more expensive the total reupholstery job will become.
Upholsterer. Not all upholsterers price their services similarly. Experienced upholsterers will charge higher labor fees as compared to amateur ones. Moreover, the location of the upholstery shop can greatly affect costs. Upholstery shops in large urban areas have higher reupholstery prices as compared to those in small rural towns.
Additional Costs
If the furniture being subjected to reupholstery is not anymore in good condition, a repair may be necessary. Repairing the legs or adding fillers are extra costs already. Furniture repair costs vary depending on the condition of the furniture as well as the upholsterer.
For large pieces of furniture, expect to spend on shipping. Shipping costs can be high or low depending on the size of the furniture as well as the distance of the upholstery shop from your location. Usually, for sofas and beds that require a truck for transporting, you’ll spend up to $40 on shipping alone. Take note that you also have to consider transporting the furniture back to your house once the upholstery is completed. However, there are some big upholstery shops that offer free shipping.
Some people choose to the do the job in a DIY manner. They usually save a lot on the cost of labor. However, they have to purchase several materials for the job including hardware nails, cardboard, foam adhesive, hammer, tape measure, staple gun, and the like.
Tips Before You Decide To Reupholster Furniture
Get price quotes from several upholsterers first so you have an idea on the cost of the project. This can also help you choose an upholsterer in terms of the best services with the best deals.
When choosing an upholsterer, don’t focus on the price alone. An experienced and skilled upholsterer must be hired to ensure good quality reupholstery results.
Determine how much you have to spend for reupholstering furniture. Include possible repair and shipping costs. This will help you prepare your budget. Plus, there are times that the upholstery will turn out to be more expensive than buying a new piece. Hence, knowing the cost of the project beforehand can help you decide whether reupholstering the furniture is a practical idea or not.
When choosing a fabric for the upholstery of the furniture, always make sure that you pick one that complements the overall design, style, and color of your furniture. The fabric must also complement the rest of the room. Also, do not forget to choose a good quality fabric for the project. A durable fabric is essential to ensure that the reupholstered furniture will serve you a long time.
For do-it-yourselfers, make sure you know how to properly reupholster furniture. DIY jobs are not only meant for you to save money. It must also give you satisfactory and quality results. You may check out various websites giving step-by-step instructions on how to reupholster different kinds of furniture. You may also consider buying books for the same purpose.
Choosing A Fabric For Reupholstering Furniture
Whether you hire a professional upholsterer or you do the job yourself, you have your own say when it comes to the fabric for the furniture. Take note that the number of fabric options is really overwhelming. Hence, it will be a difficult task to pick the right fabric for the job. Here is a guide to help you in choosing the best fabric for your furniture:
- Your choice of fabric must be able to support how the furniture will be used. Say for instance the furniture is subjected to heavy traffic as well as direct exposure to sunlight. With such kind of furniture, you must choose a fabric that is durable, tough, and with high abrasion factor.
- The fabric of your choice must also complement the style of the furniture. A good fabric can successfully add character to the furniture.
- The fabric must also be appropriate for the specific room the furniture will be housed. If the furniture will be placed in a small room, make sure not to pick a fabric with an overwhelming pattern. Moreover, the color of the fabric must be considered. Your choice of color must match the atmosphere of the room.
Here are the different types of fabric for your selection. Choose one that is appropriate for your needs:
| Cotton | durable
easy to clean provides good resistance to wear and fading less resistant to wrinkling and soiling |
| Cotton Blend | sturdy
for everyday use best used if a stain-resistant finish is applied |
| Leather | easy to clean
tough develops softness and more character with age |
| Linen | stays clean
absorbs moisture suited for formal living rooms soils and wrinkles easily does not withstand heavy wear resist pilling and fading |
| Silk | soft and delicate
suitable for formal areas requires professional cleaning when soiled |
| Wool | durable
water repellent resistant to wrinkling, fading, pilling, and soiling warm in the summer and cool in the winter |
| Ramie | absorbs moisture
resists stain durable (up to 8 times stronger than cotton) |
| Hemp | durable
wrinkles easily warm and soft |
| Acetate | resists mildew, pilling, and shrinking
fair resistance to soiling, wrinkling, and fading not a good choice for furniture receiving heavy traffic daily |
| Acrylic | lightweight
resists wear resists wrinkling, fading, and soiling |
| Microfiber | easy to clean
durable lightweight highly-absorbent does not wrinkle and stain easily |
| Nylon | durable
soil resistant blended with other fabrics to make the strongest fabric tend to fade and pill |
| Olefin | fashionable
durable best for furniture receiving heavy wear low moisture absorption dry quickly resistant to chemicals, sunlight, stain, and abrasion |
| Rayon | wrinkles easily
durable |
| Vinyl | less expensive than leather
easy to care for best for furniture receiving heavy traffic such as family rooms and playrooms |
