BEHIND THE SEAMS

Above Photo Courtesy of Your Choice Chairs

How reupholstering transforms your beloved furniture

Perhaps at one point in time you found THE couch: the one that perfectly suits the layout and design of your family room; and then, life happened. General wear and tear, stains, pets, the children! — all of it can lead to a point of decision: is it better to search for a brand-new piece, or should you consider reupholstering the existing one that works so well in your home? Fortunately, local experts Chris Curd of Your Choice Chairs and Geobany Lemus of Geobany’s Upholstery take us  “behind the seams” to understand how their craft can update your style while preserving beloved pieces for years to come. 

Photos Courtesy of Your Choice Chairs

When to reupholster?
When embarking upon a reupholstery project, first assess if it’s well-built or holds special value. “Reupholster when the fabric is starting to tear,” Lemus says. “You should consider if the piece was well made … [if] it was not made with good wood, I would not spend money reupholstering it.” Curd adds, “People have antiques that have been in the family for years, and they want those redone for sentimental purposes.” 

FABRIC DURABILITY

When choosing reupholstery fabric, consider the furniture’s use and purpose. If the piece resides in a family room where children and pets play, choose a durable leather or synthetic fabric that cleans easily. Choosing a fabric “depends on the use of the furniture,” Lemus says. “If the furniture gets a lot of use, you would want to get a strong fabric that would have a thick backing. If the fabric is for dining room seats, you would want to use a fabric that is stain resistant to make it last longer.” Curd expands, “If pieces are going to be used daily, get a durable, thicker material that has a high rub count that will last for day-to-day use.” 

The Wyzenbeek test measures a fabric’s durability. In this abrasion resistance exam, a machine rubs the fabric and then calculates the number of double rubs it takes before the fabric frays. The higher the double rub count, the greater the fabric’s endurance and performance.

What to reupholster?
Experts staunchly believe that antique and vintage pieces are built better than modern ones, making them prime candidates for reupholstering. Curd notes, “A lot of your newer stuff is not made like the older stuff. Some of the older pieces I’ve reupholstered three times. But your newer frames that are presswood can’t be reupholstered over and over.” A piece in good condition also reduces the cost of its reupholstering. Lemus says, “Any piece is eligible to be reupholstered, but the price on the reupholstering depends upon the condition of the piece.” Furniture items to consider for reupholstery can be couches, dining chairs, ottomans, small benches or stools, accent chairs and more.

Photos Courtesy of Your Choice Chairs

Stylish options
Reupholstering affords the ideal opportunity to take fresh eyes to your décor. Try a different color, go from a solid to a pattern or change the pattern motif. Ensure your fabric style complements your furniture’s size and shape: for example, a large-scale, bold pattern suits a spacious sofa but can overwhelm an accent chair which needs a smaller design. 

Mixing patterns and textures and adding decorative finishing touches infuse contrast and pique visual interest. “You can get as creative as you would like when reupholstering a piece of furniture,” Lemus explains. “You can add a skirt, a contrasting welt and nails. You can do the inside part of the furniture in one fabric and the outside in a different fabric. You can add another fabric just for the welting as well to give it more contrast.” 

Design elements to choose from

• Adding nails
• Contrasting welting
• Double welting
• Varying types of fabric
• Adding a skirted bottom
• Pattern mixing

Fabrics — where to source?
Many reupholstering experts choose fabrics based upon durability, colorfastness, fabric content and how easily it can be cleaned. Fabric content comes in natural and synthetic varieties. Natural fabrics include cotton, silk, wool, linen and leather — lauded for their luxurious texture and sophisticated appearance. Synthetic fabrics include polyester, polypropylene or olefin, nylon, acrylic and rayon; these are known for their durability and affordability. Photo Courtesy of Your Choice Chairs

Curd emphasizes the importance of sourcing quality fabrics — “durable and thicker material from a reputable manufacturer,” he says. Revolution Fabrics and Sunbrella Fabrics are noted purveyors of performance fabrics. Options can run the gamut from storied Scalamandré, which offers exquisite fabrics that have even graced the White House, to a Central Virginia treasure in Forest like Moore and Giles, which is a national distributor of fine leather. The Second Yard, Bargain Barn Discounted Fabrics and Schoolhouse Fabrics all sell quality fabrics at reasonable prices.

Photos Courtesy of Your Choice Chairs

To reupholster or no?
For Curd, the answer is clear: “As far as reupholstering, it is better to reupholster than to buy new these days. You’re going to have better quality as far as upholstery goes, and that chair will last you a lot longer than the new stuff.” 

The reupholstering timeline
Reupholstering follows a specific timeline. First, send a picture of your furniture to your reupholsterer who can quote the yardage needed (often using a Fabric Yardage Calculator) and order the fabric. Always request a fabric swatch and live with it to ensure it complements your aesthetic.

The process
Step one: Strip the upholstery, remove the old fabric pieces and use them to measure the new fabric. “After we pick it up, the furniture is torn down,” Curd says. “The old fabric is taken off and used to make patterns to apply the new material.” 

Step two: Restore the frame and replace batting, springs and webbing as needed. “If there’s any padding that needs to be replaced or freshened up, we add that,” Curd says. “We check for any broken frame issue before starting the chair.” 

Did you know? Batting is the soft padding material between the foam and the outer fabric. Webbing is the woven fabric strips, either natural or synthetic, which form the base layer of the seating. 

Step three: Attach the new fabric. “After patterns are cut out and sewn up, we start applying the new material,” Curd explains. “We make sure the corners are tight, and the pattern is matched up.” 

Step four: Add welting and other finishing touches. “Your welting or piping is the material [the] customer picks out that is folded around a cord and sewn together,” Curd says. “It’s functional and decorative. Some chairs have double welts, which are two pieces of cording sewn together with the customer’s material. Double welts give it a finished look.” ✦