How Expensive Is Reupholstering And Is It Really Worth It?
Time for a facelift
Every once in a while as a homeowner, you get the urge to change things up in your home. Maybe you have outgrown the colour scheme in your living room and you can no longer stand the colour blocking aesthetic that you once loved. It could be that a piece of upholstery is not ageing very well and is compromising the general aesthetic in your space.
Whatever the case, this desire is completely natural and one of the most important services you may have to get in this case is reupholstering. While it makes a huge difference to a space, a lot of people consider it an expensive luxury.
So how expensive is it really to get your furniture reupholstered? What factors determine the digits you end up with on that final quote? And after all is said and done, how do you ensure that the investment was worth it?
Why would you need to have your furniture reupholstered?
First thing’s first, let us take a look at why anyone would like to get the furniture reupholstered. You might be here but you are still not convinced that it is really something that you want to do. Well, here are the 3Rs that are the main reasons why you might want to consider investing in the service.
- Redecorating
In this case, the upholstery fabric is removed from the furniture and replaced with something that is more fitting for the specific space. Maybe the colours do not match the new rug and curtains that you got. It could be that the patterns on the couch are not complementing your living room’s new aesthetic. Whatever the case, this makeover is ideal as it allows you to have a more cohesive décor unit.
- Repurposing
The most common here is where old wooden chairs are transformed into padded couches and seats. It is a great way to hold on to a piece that has some form of sentimental value. You could turn grandma’s old stool into an ottoman or even that old family porch chair into a couch.
This is usually a little more complicated and expensive as it involves installation of padding and basically redesigning a piece of furniture into something completely new. But boy is it worth it.
- Restoring
Finally, you could consider investing in reupholstery as a way to restore furniture. This is particularly useful when the fabric has been damaged with time either due to ageing or continuous use. There really is no use continuing to suffer that eyesore of a couch with all its burn holes and running fabric fibres. Just have it completely redone and you will end up with something that you genuinely look forward to going home to every evening.
What influences the cost of reupholstering?
- The type of service
Are you getting a couch restored, a stool repurposed or is it plain and simple redecorating? The answer here is very important as it determines just how much you will end up getting. Typically, repurposing and deep restoration are significantly more expensive. This is because a lot more labour and material may be required in these cases.
- The size and number of the furniture
This is pretty straightforward. The more the furniture you need reupholstered the more expensive it will be. And the bigger the piece the more it will cost. This, again, is all about labour and material as mot companies charged based on man-hours and the cost of resources that they incurred.
- The furniture’s design
Simple furniture like footstools and ottomans are generally cheaper to upholstery. This is not only because of their size but also because of their pretty simple design. A couch, on the other hand, has many curves and corners and may take a little more effort and time. This makes them more expensive to have reupholstered.
- Special upholstery designs
If you want things like decorative tacks and buttons or contrast ribbing on your upholstery, it might cost you more. These add great aesthetic value and truly change the whole vibe of the piece of furniture. So, if you are willing to splurge a little they are definitely worth the price.
- The type of upholstery fabric
Upholstery is a very delicate process. Pull too hard and the fabric rips. If on the other hand it is not tight enough you may end up with a floppy looking piece. The skill used is determined by the type of material. Some materials are more fragile and therefore need to be handled more gently in the process and this makes them expensive. These include options like sisal and acrylic.
The material also determines the cost based on its market value. For example, if you want your couch reupholstered with wool or patent leather then it will definitely cost you more than something like polyester.
- The state of the furniture
Generally, furniture that is in good condition is cheap to work on. However, if you have issues like a broken couch leg here or a loose backboard there then it will cost you more. This is because the crew may have to fix the pieces themselves to ensure that the frame is strong enough to handle the upholstery.
So how much is it?
All these factors considered, upholstery costs anywhere between $300 and $800 or even more on average for a 3-seat couch. The specific price for different furniture and designs depends on the company that you choose to work with. So do your homework and find out what options you have near you and which ones best suit your budget.
Get your upholstery regularly cleaned to maintain the aesthetic
Your couch is now fresh and pretty and you cannot wait to have guests to show it off to. However, a few months from now it might not look the same. There may be dirt here or a stain there but either way, it will not be as aesthetically pleasing. This is why you need to have a professional upholstery cleaning crew on standby for a deep cleaning session. That way you get to enjoy the results for a long time while also maintaining the upholstery’s structural integrity.
