How to Have Furniture Reupholstered

When you want to add new life or a little excitement to a room in your home, a great and cost-effective way of doing so is by reupholstering. Rather than getting rid of old, worn-out furniture and having to go through the hassle of picking out something entirely new, why not freshen up what you've got? Here are some tips for having your furniture reupholstered.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Old furniture pieces
• Upholstery fabric

1. Research different reupholsterers. You want to get a few different quotes or estimates to find where you can get the best deal. However, you also want to be satisfied with how your furniture is going to look, so in addition to the best rate you want to get a look at each upholsterer's work. Go and visit each one you are interested in and get a firsthand look at some of the pieces they've already done.

2. Once you've chosen an upholsterer, have him take a look at the piece of furniture you want redone. In some cases, reupholstery may not actually be a time or cost-effective choice. If the frame of the piece is in bad shape, if there is any warping of the wood, if the springs are beyond salvaging or if there's been water damage or mold, you may end up having trouble restoring the piece (at least without spending buckets of money). If a piece of furniture is if of great sentimental value it's probably doable to fix it, but otherwise you might be better off starting from scratch. (Don't be put off by a chair with some peeling paint or an ugly skirt, though--those are things that are easy to fix.)

3. Now for the fun part--picking out the fabric! Go to a fabric store that sells upholstery. You are going to be looking for different textures, colors and patterns that match the overall décor of the room your piece of furniture will be in. Keep in mind how the piece of furniture is going to be used; certain fabrics may not be ideal for the type of upholstery you'll be doing. If reupholstering a sofa, for example, take into account that the couch will likely get a lot of traffic and most likely some spills and stains, and choose a fabric that can withstand these or be cleaned easily. Fabrics with some texture often disguise stains and wear better than something smoother, which is why chenille, velvets, woven fabrics and nubby cottons and synthetics are popular choices. If you've got pets, embroidered fabrics won't be ideal, since tiny claws can do a lot of damage to needlework. And delicate fabrics such as silk are a risk when it comes to upholstery; they're not easy for the upholsterer to work with since they are so thin and delicate, and they don't wear well. If you decide you absolutely must have silk, only upholster pieces that don't really see a whole lot of action, like an infrequently used side chair. And if you're using any sort of thin or delicate fabric, make sure the upholstering backs it. (If you aren't sure whether a fabric will wear well, you may want to get your upholsterer's opinion.) Also take into account the cost of the fabric, which is typically priced by the yard. If all you're reupholstering is the seat of a small dining chair you should only need one yard and can go for something a little more pricey, but if you're thinking of reupholstering a sofa, bear in mind that you might be multiplying that price by twenty yards or more.

4. When you find a few fabrics you like, take home cuttings to test against the rest of your space. Once you've made a decision on the fabric, it's time to figure out how much you're going to need. Every piece of furniture is different, so there are a few hard and fast rules. The best thing to do is have your upholsterer calculate the amount you'll need; they're the experts, after all. If possible, you can even have them order the fabric for you; they may get a discount and be able to pass some of that on to you, but even if they don't it'll make your life easier to leave the matter in the hands of the professionals.

5. There are a few more details to consider when upholstering. First of all, make sure both you and your upholsterer agree on which way the fabric will run on the piece (and which side will be facing up--with some fabrics it's hard to tell which side is meant to be exposed!). Certain fabrics, like many velvets, look completely different depending which direction they are viewed from, so it's important to make sure you know exactly which way they will appear on the piece of furniture. You may also have to decide whether you want a welt or not (this is the piping that runs along the edges/seams of many upholstered pieces). Welting creates a more tailored look appropriate for many furniture styles. If you do opt for welting you can choose a self-welt, in which the welt is created using the same fabric as the body of the piece or a contrasting welt, which is when the welt is made with another fabric. Self-welting is much more common, but a contrasting welt is also a good way to add color or interest to a simple piece. You might also consider decorative options such as tufting, buttons, nailheads, casters, skirts or trim, all good ways to add even more interest to your piece. And don't forget that you don't have to choose only one fabric; mixing fabrics on the same piece is a popular decorator trick. You could upholster the front of a chair with one fabric and the back with another, the frame of a sofa with one fabric and the cushions with another, or even create a stripe down the middle of a loveseat with a different fabric. Be creative with it and your piece of furniture will emerge with a whole new look!

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the piece is in decent structural shape before you reupholster.