10
Jul

Guide to Re-upholstering Furniture in Melbourne

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‘Is it worth re-upholstering this piece of furniture?’

With the price of Chinese imported furniture these days, we are often asked ‘Is it worth recovering this piece of furniture?’. ‘Should I recover my Sofa or buy a new one?’ In this guide to re-upholstering your furniture we list the questions you need to ask if you’re considering new upholstery to bring back to life a treasured piece of furniture.

Here are a few key things to consider:

  1. The furniture needs to have good bones.
  2. If you have got an old piece of furniture or more recent furniture purchased from reputable manufacturers (like Jardan, Arthur G, Molmic, Jimmy Possum etc) then the answer is yes. If you have a couch or a chair that is a Chinese import, then it may not be worth the investment.
  3. If you like the style or shape of the piece, or it has sentimental value, it is worth reupholstering. We love transforming older pieces of furniture and giving them a new lease on life. Re-upholstery of bar stools is rarely cost effective.
  4. You must love the furniture as it is – once you start changing the shape of arms, height of back, seat position etc then you are probably better off buying new.

What can I do to transform my furniture with re-upholstery?

A piece of furniture can be totally transformed with a fresh cover of fabric, some repairs to the webbing or springs and some new foam. You also must make sure you select the right material. Our Brighton showroom has thousands of fabrics to choose from ranging plain linens, velvets, small patterns, large patterns – you name it, we have it.

How do you choose the right material for re-upholstery?

You must consider the use of the fabric to determine what grade upholstery fabric is needed. Some questions to ask yourself are:

  1. Will the sofa/ chair have light use or heavy use?
  2. Do you have a pet that sits on the furniture or small children with yoghurt covered fingers? Perhaps the fabric needs to be easy to clean or washable?
  3. Will the sofa/ chair receive a lot of sunlight so therefore some fade resistance is required.
  4. If you select a fabric with a pattern, consider the size of the pattern repeat. Small pieces of furniture suit a smaller pattern repeat and some shapes pieces of furniture may not suit a striped fabric.

Custom made bench seats/ custom made window seat cushions:

In Melbourne, custom window seats are increasingly popular. Bench seat cushions can be made in any dimension and custom shapes depending on your requirements. Typically bench seats are made 70mm – 120mm high, depending on the required height of the seat and how significant you want the cushion to look in the room. We also use many different high-quality foam densities for a soft or firm finish. We have thousands of fabrics to choose from in our Brighton showroom.

What does Nicholls Interiors offer in furniture upholstery?

We offer a bespoke reupholstery service. You are welcome to meet one of our Interior Decorators in our Melbourne Bayside showroom. We can assist you with your fabric selection and then provide a quote for the update of your furniture. We collect the furniture from your home and re-deliver it looking brand new. Some pieces only require a recover and others may need re-padding, stripping and polishing of the timber etc – we can advise you on all of this.

How do I arrange for a quote to have my reupholstering done?

Simply email us a photos of your pieces (front on and side on), sharing with us the rough dimensions of the piece (length, depth and height) and we will get back to you as soon as we can with a quotation for the labour and an indication of what meterage of fabric will be required. We will then coordinate with you a convenient time to select suitable fabrics for your job. Alternatively, if you are in Melbourne, visit our Brighton showroom with a photo on your phone or hardcopy and we can assist in person.