Vocal Voices

Has anyone had any experience of having an item of furniture reupholstered?

I have a 70+ year old rocking chair of my mum's that has started to look its age....she had it recovered about 20 odd years ago in a sort of mink coloured dralon type fabric, but now the rubber slats underneath the cushion are starting to perish and it's a risky thing to sit in!

I enquired about having it done, a guy came out this evening to give me a quote. So - to recover it all, tidy up the wooden arms/rockers and feet, and replace the rubber slats.......


What do you think I was quoted?

£200

I hate to think.

Nooooooooooo idea!!! Amaze us

Was it loads or really cheap? Must be one or t'other

My ex FIL was a Master Upholsterer. He died aged 84 a few years back, but when I first knew him he was in his late 50s and he would have charged £150 to £200 back then.

The one thing I would say is that he would tell the customer if it was worth it or not - from an economic POV. Sometimes memories are more important than the actual worth of the object. Gal, if you think that it is worth it look for more quotes and then decide. Ask questions.

We paid what seemed quite a lot some years back to have two chairs and a couch from my family reupholstered and recovered, and have had it recovered again by the same people. We have realised that we will never get the same quality in modern furniture, so when we move again, we will get them covered again and take them with us. So I reckon you might have been quoted somewhere around £300 but it could be worth it - see if you could buy something very similar for the amount you have been quoted.

£272.....good guesses

I think the actual material, though not to my taste, is ok tbh, it's the lats and the wood that need attention. But I thought while I was on I'd bring it up to date a bit.

But not to sit in the conservatory as it does now, we'd need to use it properly to justify the expense.

Yes that's a fair old whack if you don't use it much

I went to night school to cover something myself.

Pain in the ass to cart it to and from the class each week but very satisfying to complete it.

And it didn't cost me anything like that (though we did once have our old sofa and armchairs upholstered and that was close to £500 -5 years ago.

Not beyond an average person`s ability to DIY. I have made one and upholstered several in the past, just a few tools and a modicum of stitching
ability. A roll of elastic webbing , material and perhaps new padding from somewhere like C & H Fabrics some spare time and you are away.