Updated at: 18-05-2022 - By: Helen Skeates

How much money do you have to spend on reupholstering your loveseat? Many families have passed down love seats from generation to generation. The cost of reupholstering a loveseat will be discussed in this piece.

A reupholstery process can be pricey if you don’t know how to budget for it. Keep your commitment to our cause despite this. In most modern homes, the closest thing to thrones is a love seat.

Reupholstering a loveseat is an excellent long-term investment in your home’s furnishings. It helps the environment by reducing the amount of waste that must be disposed of in landfills. Non-recyclable garbage is collected and buried in the ground at this location.

Reupholstering your reclining loveseat may be possible if the frames can be examined. If nothing is seriously broken and they appear to be in fantastic condition, it’s probably worth the risk to upgrade them. Reupholstering your furniture can also be done by visiting an upholsterer in your area.

Learn When to Reupholster a Couch

Probably the most common piece of furniture in our houses are couches. There’s no place we spend more time than at home, whether it’s ordering takeout, binge-watching our favorite shows on Netflix, or simply catching up with friends over a glass of wine. It’s understandable that our cherished perch would eventually begin to appear less than cheery.

Reupholstery 101: My Thrift Store Loveseat Redo {Part 2–Tutorial}

There is no simple solution to the question of whether or not it is worthwhile to reupholster your couch. Prior to embarking on what could out to be an expensive endeavor, you should give serious consideration to several factors that will affect your best course of action.

However, reupholstering an old sofa may actually cost you more money than purchasing a new one, despite the fact that you’re rescuing your sofa from the garbage and selecting for the more environmentally friendly choice. Aside from that, reupholstering your couch won’t guarantee that it won’t be unpleasant again. If your piece has structural issues (or just extremely poor wear and tear), fresh fabric may not be the answer.

In the end, reupholstering your couch is only worth it if you have a specific reason to do so. Here’s what you need to think about before making a decision.

If the Couch Is a Family Heirloom

Your sofa may be worth conserving if it’s been in your family for a long time and holds special memories and memories for your family. There are some things that cannot be replaced, and a couch that has served your family for centuries is one of them.

Make sure to examine whether or not you want to preserve the original style of the piece (like using a similar fabric or upholstery technique) or update it with a more contemporary look before reupholstering an heirloom sofa. The type of upholsterer you choose may be influenced by your personal style, such as an antique preservationist vs. a modern furniture builder.

If the Sofa Is a Valuable Antique

With a sofa that has been around for more than 100 years, it makes good financial sense to reupholster it. A new sofa will not be able to match the aesthetic value of your piece.

Reupholstering restores an antique in this case. Attempting to repair a piece on your own is not a good idea in this case. Hire a professional to reupholster your couch, even if it’s more expensive than doing it yourself.

If the Sofa Has Good Bones

If your sofa is of great quality or has an interesting frame, reupholstering it makes sense. Solid wood pieces or ones with interesting curves and lines are usually always worth preserving. Reupholstering your current piece may really be less expensive than purchasing a new sofa of equivalent quality and style when all these aspects are taken into account. Additionally. You may have a perfectly nice sofa that can be revived with a few yards of fresh fabric below all that wear and tear.

If You’re Eco-Conscious

Reupholstering your couch may be the most environmentally friendly option for homeowners who are concerned about their impact on the environment. Tossing a large piece of furniture into the recycling process while still using new materials (such seat foam and cloth) is a win-win situation.

How Much Does It Cost to Reupholster a Couch?

Re-covering your sofa is not the same as re-upholstering it. Re-covering is more of a cosmetic surgery than anything else. Replacing the cushioning and springs, fixing the frame, or restaining any wood may be part of the reupholstering process. Reupholstery is more structural in nature and necessitates a significant amount of labor and material replacement.

The cost of reupholstering a piece of furniture is difficult to predict because each piece of furniture is unique. This means that when it comes to pricing, the major factor is going to be the cloth you choose. If you’re looking for a certain style of fabric, you should expect it to cost anywhere from $12 to $200 per yard (particularly if it’s a designer piece). In addition, if the fabric is extremely difficult to deal with, many professionals will charge more for reupholstery. The best way to get a decent estimate of how much it will cost to reupholster your sofa is to acquire quotations from at least two or three different upholsterers.

Alternatives to Reupholstering

For those who don’t want to invest in a new piece of furniture but are fed up with the current fabric, slipcovers may be an option. A simple method to update the look of your couch without having to shell out for a full makeover is by purchasing a custom-made cushion cover from a site like Etsy. If your sofa is in good shape but you’re bored with the pillows, you might want to try switching them out. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get an entirely new feel in your home.

Approximately How Much To Reupholster A Loveseat

On average, reupholstering a loveseat costs between $600 and $4,000. Despite that, the actual costs will vary based on a variety of factors, and this range reflects that. A leather recliner, for example, will cost a lot more to reupholster than a plain fabric chair to reupholster.

In the same way, a chair with a lot of features will cost more than a standard recliner.. According to Home Advisor, the cost of reupholstering a leather chair can range anywhere from $880 and $2,000. Reupholstering leather can cost anywhere from $40 to $200 per yard, depending on its quality.

In addition, high-quality leather will require specialized fasteners to keep it in place. Reupholstering a fabric chair will cost you roughly $100 in materials. It is possible that you already own some of the tools and cloth needed to make this project.

Reupholstering a couch should cost at least $100. Taking the recliner to a professional will almost probably cost you an additional $200-$500 in labor, which is why you should do it yourself. So, despite the fact that $300 may seem like a good deal, it may wind up costing more than buying a new chair.

The cost of reupholstering a loveseat may be less than purchasing a new one. If you have a strong emotional attachment to what you have, you can still do it, but it is more cost-effective to replace it. You can make a decision on your own.

Factors that Affect Approximately How Much To Reupholster A Loveseat

Textile

Knowing the right amount of fabric to use while redecorating a reclining loveseat is essential. Therefore, these materials might set you back more than $500. Quality and type of materials affect the final pricing.

Leather is a great material to use if you want something that will last for a long time. However, cotton and wool are incredibly soft and cozy. Textiles like velvet and linen, which are far more expensive, provide a touch of class to your home.

Re-Upholstering an Antique Sofa – Remodelicious

Condition

Do you know if the upholsterers will find it easy or difficult to make a change to your chair? If you were to buy a used and damaged chair, the price would be more. However, if you have a lovely reclining loveseat, you can expect to pay less than the other person in this situation….

Labor and Service Costs

If you’re thinking of getting a loveseat reupholstered, don’t forget to factor in the cost of labor. For a successful upholstery project, you must hire an experienced upholsterer and pay a fair price for their services. There are some repair businesses that charge as much as $800 for their services.

Transportation Fees

The cost of transportation should also be taken into account. It comprises transporting your reclining loveseat to their place and returning it there. Of course, you won’t have to lift a finger to get it.

If this is the case, the upholstery service will bring it to you. Any damage to their vehicle that occurs while relocating your chair will cost you money. You should keep this in mind as a result.

Why not splurge on some additional features for your reclining loveseat? You could, for example, add padding, filling, or other embellishments. Your reupholstered loveseat will last longer if you use this method.

However, keep in mind that the more features you add, the more labor costs you’ll incur. You’ll also have to pay more for the additional features you want to add. Because your new loveseat is so much better than the old one, it will be worth it in the long run.

What is the average time it takes to reupholster a couch?

It might take anywhere from five to twenty-five hours to reupholster a couch. Depending on how busy they are, a professional could complete it in a few of weeks. Expect to pay a rush fee if you need it now.

What to remember when you reupholster a loveseat

The first step in reupholstering a loveseat is to figure out roughly how much it will cost. Don’t forget to include the products you’ll need in your project cost estimate. If you’re unsure how to reupholster your loveseat, you may want to consider hiring an expert to do it for you.

How to Reupholster a Couch: 8-Step DIY Tutorial

Reupholstering a couch is an interesting and challenging job that can help you give an old couch a new look, regardless of whether you want to give your vintage sofa a makeover or refresh an old sofa in your living room that’s now threadbare. In addition to saving money, reupholstering gives you the reputation of a do-it-yourself upholsterer.

What Do You Need to Reupholster a Couch?

When a piece of furniture is reupholstered, the old fabric is removed and replaced with new fabric. Your reupholstery job will require the following tools and materials:

  • A tool for removing staples
  • Staples and a staple gun.
  • Screwdriver with a flat head
  • Pliers
  • Sniper’s choice
  • fresh material
  • Pencil and notepad
  • Spools of thread and needles (optional)
  • Cord or trim (optional)
  • Adhesive for textiles (optional)

How to Reupholster a Couch

DIY reupholstering a couch or loveseat is a time-consuming and tedious undertaking that necessitates careful note-taking. The following is a step-by-step guide to getting started with your new upholstery project:

  1. Investigate the couch. Get to know the piece of furniture you’ll be reupholstering so that you can easily recreate it at the end of the process. What are the essentials missing from my kitchen? Is there a cover for this chair? Are the buttons tufted? If so, can you see the stitching at the seams? There doesn’t appear to be a skirt. You can save a lot of time in the future by taking notes and taking pictures.
  2. Remove the bottom cover of the device. The dust cover is a piece of cloth that is sewn to the bottom of most couches and serves as a barrier between the couch and the floor. Because it is usually the last piece of fabric attached to the couch, it is best to remove it first while reupholstering the piece.. Remove the staples from the dust cover with your staple remover and place them in a safe place. (You can use needle-nose pliers or a flathead screwdriver if you don’t have a staple remover.)
  3. Remove the upholstery fabric by cutting it into little pieces and throwing them away. It is possible to see how the upholstery on the couch was stretched and attached to its frame after you remove the dust cover. Before you remove the upholstery fabric, inspect the layering (often the piece on the back of the couch). Next, use your staple remover to lift the staples gently, then discard them. It’s essential to take notes and photos as you remove each piece of upholstery so that you can easily place the pieces back together later. Knowing how and where the fabric was stretched and fastened, as well as if any special considerations were made when removing it, as well as what sequence you removed the pieces in, as well as where they fit, will be vital information (such as cardboard pieces below it, or tack strips alongside the staples). When attaching the new fabric, you’ll need to reproduce these features.
  4. Apply the new fabric on the couch. Attach your new upholstery fabric in the reverse order you removed the old fabric, following your notes as a reference. The last piece you removed must be the first item you attach. To reattach the fabric to the frame, use a staple gun. If you’re unsure of anything, look over your notes and images. You don’t want your couch to drape awkwardly or appear wrinkles because the fabric is too loose when you reupholster.
  5. The dust cover must be reattached. The final step is to reattach the dust cover to the couch’s bottom. The dust cover will hide all of the staples underneath and keep the couch appearing clean.
  6. When necessary, add some trim. If the couch had corded trim to hide the staples, you should obtain a cord of the same color (or buy a plain cord and sew a fabric cover for it). Add a completed look to your couch with fabric glue.
  7. Embroider pillow cases. Sewing new cushion coverings is also necessary if your couch has back or seat cushions. Using the same method you used to dismantle the upholstery, cut (or unzip) the covers and use them as a template to cut the new fabric. To save money, you can re-use the zippers from your old couch cushions. Use a sewing machine to replicate the stitching on the old pillows for this phase.

We Got Three Drastically Different Upholstery Quotes for One Sofa

Something must be said about that old, neglected chair in the corner of your room, the one with the wonderful form and solid construction, but the awful stripes on the fabric, which you’ve been wanting to fix up for years. There is more to recovery than you might have previously assumed, and you’re going to find out why.

Not to mention more reasonably priced. Prices for furniture upholstery can vary widely based on factors such as how much work is involved, the quality and quantity of materials used, and the skill of the upholsterer. As a result of having many options, you’ll have a lot of leeway in adjusting your project to match your budget.

As an example, we requested A&B Upholstery in Costa Mesa, California for their quotes on three fictitious upholstery projects involving the same conventional eight-foot sofa in order to illustrate our point. A&B is a family-owned and operated firm with over 30 years of experience in everything from spring recovery, refilling, and retying to complete frame construction from scratch. A&B’s work and prices are on the more expensive side due to the high percentage of interior designers that use their services for unique projects. For example, A&B’s Ana Melissa Madrid states, “We wouldn’t cover an IKEA furniture.” Our upholstery will likely outlive the couch, so there’s no use in investing in it.

Our starting point for this exercise was an illustration depicting a simple, non-tufted sofa with three seats and three back cushions. They used conventional sofa dimensions: 82′′ wide x 34′′ high x 34′′ deep x 21′′ seat height to compute the cost.

To be clear, all pricing mentioned here are estimated and will vary widely from project to project—and one should visit their upholsterer for a more exact quote. The bottom line is that you should get at least two quotes and convey your budget. “We don’t refuse anyone away based on their financial situation,” explains Madrid. “We have a lot of potential.”

Project #1: Sofa recovered in a solid, inexpensive fabric.

Approximately $1,175-1,375 is the estimated range.

The upholstery project’s most unpredictable element is the fabric. Ana Melissa, the owner of a firm that allows customers to bring in their own textiles or purchase them at a discount, adds, “You could go with a $10 per yard cotton at the craft store or a $200 per yard old Hermes print.” In terms of upholstery-weight and yardage, the only real limits are that the fabric must be large enough to cover your furniture (around 15 to 20 yards for an eight-foot sofa). At roughly $20 per yard, we expected a low-quality, basket-weave solid cotton.

Printing requires more yardage and more time and ability to cut and align, which raises the price.

Project #2: Sofa recovered in same solid, inexpensive fabric and cushions refilled.

Quote: $1,575-1,975

We utilized the same $20 basket-weave solid cotton used in Project #1 above to fill a whole sofa with $450 worth of goose-down filling (in addition to the same $20 basket-weave solid cotton).

Consider merely partially re-filling your old cushions to save money. For as long as the filling isn’t deteriorating, Ana Melissa thinks she can keep portion of it and just add a little something new.

Project #3: Sofa recovered in an expensive fabric and cushions refilled.

Quote: $4,300-$4,600

A&B once worked on a project for a high-end design business that required them to cover a sofa in mohair for $200 per yard (you can do the obnoxious math on that). A high-quality linen might be a better option than mohair for your project. These days, vintage textiles are becoming very popular. It can be difficult to get enough antique fabric to cover an entire item, explains Madrid. A tiny portion of an old or damaged fabric can be worked into a larger section of brand new fabric, but occasionally we can get creative in this way.

Re-Upholstering an Antique Sofa – Remodelicious

This bid included everything: high-end handwoven Belgian linen ($160 per yard) and high-grade goose-down filling ($150 each cushion) for all of the cushions.

TIP: Good fabric can be found at a discount from thrift shops and your local wholesale fabric warehouse.

FAQs

Is it worth it to reupholster?

Yes, reupholstering your furniture is always a good idea if your furniture’s frame is not cracked or damaged. When you buy a piece of furniture from a local shop, you’re helping to keep it out of the garbage and supporting the people who made it. Rather than purchasing new furniture every time your fabric is damaged or worn out, this is a more environmentally friendly option.

How do I calculate yardage for upholstery?

Make an accurate measurement of the sofa’s front. Before you begin, remove the cushions from your chair and measure its arms and seating area. Once you’ve got your numbers, multiply the result by 36 to get the yards in feet. Upholstery fabric typically comes in widths of 54 inches.

How much material do I need to cover a 2 seater sofa?

For a two-seater, 10-15m is normally required. An average 3-seater sofa will require anywhere from 11 to 18.5 meters of space, depending on arm length, back height, and any other special features. A huge corner sofa will require 30m of fabric for all the cushions and the sofa’s structure.

Can you reupholster a fake leather couch?

You may reupholster a vintage chair or couch with faux leather or vegan suede if you want to give it a new lease on life. If you do, you can save money and get more use out of it.

Can you reupholster over existing fabric?

If the old fabric isn’t darker than your new fabric, you can even cover it up with fresh upholstery.

Is it hard to reupholster?

Upholstery is a daunting task, but it’s more difficult than it appears. With its basic design, robust frame, and adequate padding, a thrift store arm chair is a great starting point for an upholsterer.

How long does it take to reupholster a couch?

Reupholstering a couch might take anything from five to twenty-five hours. Professionals can take up to a month to finish it, depending on their workload. You’ll have to pay extra if you need it right away.

How much fabric do I need to reupholster a couch?

For a 6-foot-long, 2-cushion sofa, you’ll need a minimum of 12 yards of cloth. For a 7-foot sofa, that would be 14 yards. With more than two cushions, you’ll need an additional 1.5 yards of fabric per cushion, which works out to about 20 yards of fabric for a sofa with six cushions that is 7 feet long.

How do you measure for upholstery fabric?

Measure the width and length of the chair or couch’s back by running a tape measure along the back from seam to seam. For each seam, add 1 inch. By dividing the whole length measurement by 36 inches, you may convert this number to yards.