Upholstery Furniture



Re-upholstering is away to keep a piece of upholstery furniture that you love, which is worn but its hardware is in good condition. When you re-upholstering furniture you can even modify the shape of the piece.

The first thing is to find a qualified upholsterer. I can vouch that all upholsterers are not the same. Go to the upholstery shop and look at the pieces on the floor that have just been done and are waiting for delivery. If more than one upholsterer works in the shop ask who did what pieces. It may be that they all do good work, but if you see a piece that looks shoddy you do not want the upholsterer who did that job working on your furniture.

My brother gave me a sofa of his when he was moving. It had what I thought was the ugliest brown floral print fabric on it. Every day when I passed it I thought, “I cannot live with that fabric.”

Since I worked for an upholstery and drapery business, I got one of the upholsterers to re-upholster the sofa for me. I picked out a nice contemporary striped fabric and he changed the shape of the cushions giving them rounded edges.

The next time my brother and his family saw the sofa they didn’t even recognize it. They were amazed. So don’t throw away that ugly piece recycle. Remember though that re-upholstering is custom work. So weigh the cost of buying new versus re-upholstering.

A quick option is to purchase a ready made slip cover or throw. The problem with throws is that they tend to move and you must constantly be adjusting them.

Upholsterers can also make slipcovers for you, if you want something removable. This is also a custom item but it will be made to fit your sofa or chair and you have more options when it comes to fabric patterns.

When purchasing the fabric for your upholstery you have to consider the style and mood of the room. Your furnishings must harmonize. First consider whether the fabric will be the dominant pattern in the room or complimentary. If it is the dominant pattern will it be floral, abstract, stripe or solid. Will it be traditional or contemporary. What is the color scheme. Be sure to buy upholstery weight fabric which is more durable than regular drapery fabric.

Ultrasuede is luxurious and sophisticated enough for even the most formal rooms, it's looks belie the easy care of the material. Many stains will come off quite easily with a damp cloth.

Leather is not only great for minor spills that are quickly wiped off, it also wears well. It will gain a beautiful patina with time and use. Leather does not collect pet hair as a cloth couch or chair would, and crumbs and dirt will wipe off easily.