Anyone had anything upholstered lately?

[nlh]

We dropped some things off at Goodwill Saturday and I made the mistake of going in. There was a small 1940's couch that I just couldn't resist. The frame is in excellent shape--no wiggles or looseness. Its not a complicated style (no tucks or buttons on the back) but it does have spring cushions that will need to be replaced and some very sexy curves. $65! Sold!

Anyway, I start calling around for estimates on getting it reupholstered. Slipcovering is not an option. The lowest price I've yet received after calling around extensively is $700 plus fabric. Now, no one has come out to look at it so these are ball park estimates but still. I'm in sticker shock and DH is about to put the boom on me. Is this cost typical?

TIA!

[lindrusso]

May I ask why slipcovering is not an option? Just curious. That's what I had done recently and I'm very happy with it. It was quite a bit cheaper than getting it re-upholstered.

If you think you have sticker shock at the upholstery price without the cost of the fabric factored in, wait until you shop for fabric! It can be as much as $25 a yard for upholstery fabric!

Anyway, I'd say that price sounds like it might be in the ballpark. I say that because my lady charged me I think $250 to slipcover my couch and upholstering is a lot more complicated.

Alysha :)

[KristinK]

DF's parents recently had some furniture upholstered. I have $1000 in my head as the price they paid (plus fabric) for their sofa - but it's likely that I could be remembering incorrectly.

[Jasmine-Rose]

Do you have any interest in learning to do it yourself? Perhaps you could find a place that has classes. I think they usually want you to bring your project to class. That might be fun and it would surely cost less.

Good luck - I hope you don't have to give it up. I sounds lovely!

[Chefzhat]

N - that sounds about right. It's expensive. Can you figure out how to do it yourself? Or go to www.surefit.com?

Debie

[sneezles]

That price is probably right on target. I had a 3 cushion Ethan Allen sofa recovered 5 years ago(the sofa itself was 30 years old) and I could have bought a new sofa for the same or less. The labor involved is fairly intense. The old fabric is removed very carefully to use as the pattern.
I had had a chair-and a-half frame built for $40 (including the ottoman), the fabric cost $45/yd (chennile) and then there was the trim...a "friend" did the upholstery work and both pieces cost me $1,200 after I had paid for the frames and the material. Tears me up to see all these wonderful chairs in catalogs that cost the same amount I spent just on fabric!!!!!

[funnybone]

Originally posted by sneezles
Tears me up to see all these wonderful chairs in catalogs that cost the same amount I spent just on fabric!!!!!

I have some Dining Room parsons chairs that are the most comfortable ever. Our guests always comment how they just want to sit in them for hours. They are white on white and just turned 16 years old. :D With moving several times, they have seen better days (although they really are not all that bad for their age). I want to get them upholstered, but I can replace them for way less money (but the new ones just would not be as comfortable). :( It's time consuming thing and the labor is expensive.

[Jasmine-Rose]

Okay, I got curious. I found this Wake Tech Upholstery Classes (http://www.waketech.edu/conted/schedules/sew.html) on the Wake Tech website. They have Upholstery I and II - each costs $85. You're required to bring the furniture, material and supplies. The first class starts 1/27 :eek: , and the second session ends 4/27 (meets Tuesdays 6:30 - 9:30).

[fci5767]

Originally posted by Jasmine-Rose
Okay, I got curious. I found this Wake Tech Upholstery Classes (http://www.waketech.edu/conted/schedules/sew.html) on the Wake Tech website. They have Upholstery I and II - each costs $85. You're required to bring the furniture, material and supplies. The first class starts 1/27 :eek: , and the second session ends 4/27 (meets Tuesdays 6:30 - 9:30).

That seems really cool. Wonder if I'm too uncoordinated to learn to upholster something?

It says to bring the furniture- guess they are talking a chair, not a sofa or anything:D

Beth

[Jasmine-Rose]

The website said a chair or an ottoman but one might be able to talk them into something else. I agree that it sounds cool. Sweetheart's mom took upholstery classes and the first thing she worked on was an upholstered rocking chair. It's in the bedroom I use when we visit them in Chicago and I really like it!

I'm sure you're not too uncoordinated to do it. I think it sounds like fun!

[sneezles]

Originally posted by fci5767
Wonder if I'm too uncoordinated to learn to upholster something?


Beth,
My undrstanding is that if you run a sewing machine you can upholster! Carry on, Dude!

[Kay Henderson]

A couple of thoughts:

1. The upholstery class. Here in my part of the world, it would by offered by adult education of the local school district.

2. If you have a local discount fabric store (for me, I'm thinking of "$2 a Yard Fabrics" in Reno, NV), perhaps you can cut a deal that you supply your own fabric and the upholsterer provides the labor. We recently did this with cushions for our sixty-year old dining room set.

Kay

[hlao23]

About the upholstery class: My mom took one several years back. She loved it. She recovered 2 wingback chairs and a fold-out sofa.

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by funnybone
I want to get them upholstered, but I can replace them for way less money (but the new ones just would not be as comfortable). :( It's time consuming thing and the labor is expensive.

Is it just the seat that's covered with fabric? If so, they are quite easy to re-cover. I have done my kitchen chairs twice now. However, if the fabric goes up the back too, that's a bit more complicated. However, if they have pretty clean lines, I'll bet a nice slipcover (with just a short skirt) would be pretty easy to do if you have any sewing experience at all, though if they are very tailored, it would change their styling a bit.

Alysha

[nlh]

Good morning, all! Thanks for the responses. We can't slipcover the couch because the cushions are made of springs (at this point) and on one side of the couch the springs are busted I think because it's a very different (and uncomfortable) feeling from the other two cushions. Also, the back on one side has busted springs. It really does need to be remade, I think. The frame is solid and doesn't move but those springs need to be addressed.

Have continued my search after I posted and I found a lady who said she'd take it on for about $540 before fabric. She told me of two local stores where all the fabric is $7 and under/yard. I just want a plain, khaki colored cotton duck on it and when I told her that, she said Wal-Mart had an upholstery weight muslin for $4/yard the other day and it was 60" wide. Heading to Wal-Mart at lunch to see it.

I also got to talking to a lady at Home Depot about it (I swear my mother channeled into me---I never talk to strangers in a store) and she said I have to get out of the city to find someone reasonable and she gave me the name/number of a person she used. I'm going to check this out also but since the above mentioned person was so nice and helpful, unless there's a significant difference, I'll just use her.

DH, I found out thought re-upholstering was basically slip covering. He didn't realize the couch would be completely remade. He's ok about the cost again. (whew)

Finally, you don't want to get me near a sewing machine. I can do many, many things but I can't sew a stitch. My mother can sew something (and have it fit/work) without a pattern! I, sadly, don't have the gift. Me and sewing machines don't mix.

Thanks again for the help.

Linda

[sneezles]

Linda,
Sounds like a great deal! The springs are probably not broken just iuntied and unless they are horribly rusted or bent out of shape they can probably just be retied.

[funnybone]

Originally posted by lindrusso


Is it just the seat that's covered with fabric? If so, they are quite easy to re-cover.

Unfortunately no, they are parsons chairs with a thick rolled back, upholstered legs and a thicker seat cushion than usual. I actually haven't found the exact ones I would replace them with, so that is what has stopped me from replacing them. I really should price them out for reupholstering so I can once and for all decide yes or no. I bet the prices are higher here than they would have been in PA.