Reupholstering thoughts. or tips. or just words about it.

I just wrote a big 'tips to reupholstering flea market chairs' post, then my interweb crashed.  Screw those webs.  and the inter things between them.  So annoying. 

But I'll do it real quick like.  

Here's what to look for:  good lines, good bones, vintage vibe and cheap. 

The chairs I got at the Rose Bowl on Sunday:

Clearly the color is questionable. I could make them work, but not easily (and I don't plan on it).  These chairs were $300 for both, so in my mind I figured in $150-$200 each (ended up $180) to get re-upholstered, which makes them $700 plus cost of fabric = $850.  Not nothing.   But they are a good investment because they are:

1. totally unique.  vintage, my friends.  No one else will have one.

2.  They have integrity, good bones, super strong yet simple,

3. modern shape that lends itself easily to an update.  

4.  its a pair...which is worth a lot more than a couple singles, they are worth the investment.  

5. they are comfortable (even though the reupholsterer will replace all foam) and

6.  they are large scale, so are bang for their buck.  

And I love the shape: modern, masculine, high back to contrast with a low-back sofa.  and screaming for the perfect throw pillow.

So these guys:

Are effing adorable.  Their scale is small, yet quirky.  They have these cute little pocket/tufting thing on the side that i'm going to pimp pout with some brass buttons. you know it. They were $50 each and at $150 a pop to reupholster they become fairly cheap custom chairs.  They have this adorable cartoon element to them, that when recovered in a sophisticated and masculine color, they will become 'those' chairs that people want to sit in.  I mean, can't you see them as characters in 'Beauty and the Beast', their tufting are the eyes, the arms are the..well....arms....

You've all seen my sofa:

I saw the lines, i saw the color and I was like BOOM, done and done.  No need to reupholster.  thank god. ANd $900.  holla.

Here's what I would do to find a reupholsterer:

Take pictures of your piece and shop around.  Go to the fancy places and go to the what looks like kinda shady places.  If you have the time and patience, have the cheapest place do a sampler piece - a bench or stool or ottoman.  Sometimes the cheapest places give you the worst quality and sometimes, well they are just underpriced and give you a great price with great quality.  So you take a risk, but once you find the right place you are set. 

Put everything in writing.  I mean everything.  I'm not talking about contracts, i'm talking about exactly how many tuftings (is that a word?) you want, or what kind of piping you want (all around or just the front or just the back, etc.).  I've made this mistake a bunch.   For instance, for Ian I had this headboard upholstered and the bench reupholstered.  The headboard was supposed to have box piping on the front tops and sides, with lots of tufting, not just 10 in the middle (don't tell Ian, he hasn't noticed).  And the bench was supposed to have piping around all edges and not so much foam and NOT dark mahogany legs - he was supposed to strip them and leave them natural.  

I got what I paid for.  It's not terrible, but its not exactly what I wanted. I think in this case the headboard was $350 (including wood) and the bench was $100 to reupholster. 

Reupholster in classic colors.  Sorry, but you'll regret it.  I love me a crazy pattern, you know it, but I tend to save those risks (at least for myself) for the throw pillows.  Don't hold me to that, by the way, on the show i might get all ikat on that chair.  You won't go wrong with grey, white, grey-ish blue, navy, black, charcoal, taupe etc.  I love a hot pink floral, but if you aren't a millionaire then save your trends for your throw pillows and invest your pieces in simple always-in-style colors and fabrics.  just sayin.

If you guys live in LA, I know that 453 Modern Vintage has a guy that does really really great reupholstering work.  And Staci's store has awesome vintage furniture and accessories.  She's on Fairfax, south of Wilshire in Little Ethiopia.  Really fair prices for awesome stuff.  

Pepe's on Sunset in Echo Park does cheap, and fast but he's who I had a miscommunication with.  I would still got back to him, but i would put things in writing.  

Diamond foam and fabric is awesome, but a pretty penny.  If you buy their fabric they'll give you a deal, but their fabric isn't cheap either.  

here are the prices that I try to stick with  - chairs under $250, wingbacks or large club chairs can go up to $450 (but I try to stay under $400)

sofa's - $1000.  Can be slightly less or more depending on tufting. And normally chairs take about 6 yards of fabric and sofas 15, so calculate that in.  

If you can get a great chair in the exact fabric you want for under $400 (including the reupholstery and fabric) then its a good buy at a flea market.  Most chairs even at crate and barrel and room and board are around $599 so you are already spending less than retail, and getting something totally custom, that you designed in a way.

Hope that's helpful.  

Comments

[akemi]

Looking forward to seeing how your flea market scores get tarted up, I've been wondering who you worked with.

[misa]

this IS helpful! everything i know about reupholstering has come straight from "sarah's house," which i can hardly rely upon because canadian $ do not equal american $.

[Kelley]

Thank you SO MUCH for this - I have an amazing sofa from the '60s -it's low, tufted, rounded arms that was once a beautiful cream color, but the owners never moved it (or sat in it), so the sun has turned some of it bright white. It needs a refresher, for sure, but I've been so intimidated on how to find a reupholsterer (is that a word?). I'll use your tips. Thanks so much!

[bussbuss]

that was incredibly helpful! thanks so much!!!

[Happenstance]

This post could not have come at a better time. I have two small tufted chairs, similar to the one's you have here that I need to get reupholstered badly. But I had no idea where to start as far as where to go or pricing. Now I'll feel a bit more confident when I take them somewhere. Muchas gracias!

[Betsy]

Love your sofa!! I saw one just like it at a thrift store in Alabama a few years ago for like 20 bucks but it totally reeked of cat pee so I didn't buy it. Sadness. At the time I was really poor and reupholstering was not an option but I've always regretted not buying it. If it hadn't been used as a litterbox for the past 40 years, it would've been mine!

[hannah]

this is very helpful and love that you share your sources. do you have any nyc recommendations, since you used to live here?
i have had great, but pricey, experience with martin albert and terrible (they just covered straight over the previous fabric without stripping it or anything!) experience with taking a chance on a hole in the wall brooklyn shop that was just around the corner from me. A real get what you pay for moment.

Thanks!

[Josette]

Very helpful, thank you! But I do feel sorry that craftsmanship can be bought for so cheap.

[Carrie]

So helpful, thanks! I had no idea where to start.

[Marci]

Really enjoy reading your blog...Obviously you have great style and are very talented. But you come across in such a way that I feel like I am catching up with a friend. It's very refreshing.

I decided to comment today in order to beg for a part two. Giving the fabric a "use classic colors" mention just isn't going to cut it! I've got four chairs in my garage right now awaiting inspiration.
Advice on selecting fabrics would be very helpful--especially affordable fabrics. (You really think it will only cost $150 in fabric for both of those chairs above? )
thanks
marci

[Laura]

I really enjoy reading your website. Your tips are super helpful and perfect for someone trying to find their own style on a budget. Thank you!

[G]

Thanks for this post! Doing final preparations on moving, next step is all the decorating fun! I definitely wanted to scour the local flea markets (also an LA gal, Fairfax & Rose bowl baby!) and look for some cute pieces, but the upholstering sounded kinda scary.. these are great tips and thanks for the LA suggestions!

[Loretta Fontaine (APPLESandRUBIES)]

Emily- Do I have bad taste, because I think the fabric on those Rose Bowl chairs looks pretty cool already?
Loretta

[julie]

You are not kidding about the put everything in writing bit. It is so true. I have an upholsterer and they are such lovely people but I've had two things done and everytime there is something I'm not happy with. I had to get them to completely re-do a vintage office chair they had upholstered for me just last week. In their defence I had them use fabric from sofa covers to reupholster it (thinking outside the box, I loved the fabric). However their was a cut-out in the back of the chair and one side was a completely different size to the other - aargh! I'm not sure if I should have put that in writing "please make sure each side is even and is a mirror image of the other?". There was also a mini patchwork section, I have no idea what was going on there!! It looks good now, thank goodness, but I don't know if I should continue with them or risk another upholsterer. By the way the prices for upholstering in the US seem so much cheaper than in Australia.

[Liz]

Yay! Thank you thank you thank you! Such great tips....

[Elisa @ What the Vita]

This is great, THANK YOU for the prices! I've always struggled with deciding whether it's worth it to buy a thrift chair and then pay the costs for re upholstery - would it just equal the costs of a brand new chair from CB? Now I know how to figure out the answer to this - thanks!!

[Gini Lawson]

I just bought your couch and a matching chair - SCORE! from craigslist in Seattle. They both need to be reupholstered, but your sofa inspired me. I had looked at the listing three times in the last few days, CERTAIN that I had seen that shape before, and lo and behold, your post today reminded me that it was YOUR sofa I remembered. I loved it when you unveiled it and I love it now. And I'm going to love mine and its chair when I get them into the house! BTW - I think I will NOT reupholster them in the same fabric.

[Christi]

I WISH I could have things re-upholstered for those kinds of prices. Living in a rather smallish town in the midwest, upwards of $1,000 (NOT including fabric) for a sofa. :(

[Victoria]

Thank you for this post! It really IS super helpful! I've been kind of afraid of the upholsterer and I hate sewing slipcovers myself!! I'm pretty excited to start actually re-vamping some of the furniture I've had sitting around :) Seriously, great post! I love the rest of your blog, too :)

[alison g.]

You know, I never caught an episode of Design Star, although I did keep up via the BEST recapper (Jenny via MFAMB), so I had only a nominal chance to see just how fantabulous you are. But you are. Truly. Kick ass. Nice to "meet" you!

[eileen]

holy crap, this is the most useful post EVER. thanks for the tips, prices and sources. you are the best.

[Darilyn]

I have a chair that I have been wanting to reupholster for a very long time and haven't known where to start. The tip about the classic colors was very helpful.

[Jane @ The Borrowed Abode]

This is super helpful! Thanks for all the detailed info, especially what to expect on pricing. Just like other commenters, I have a few pieces I want to reupholster but had no idea what to expect. :)

[KP]

you must have some SERIOUS connections to be able to get those chairs done for $180 a piece. foam alone could $100 for those chairs.
good info, though.

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