Chair Reupholstery Process and Price

 I’m a big fan of thrifting and taking high quality items that have been pre-loved and giving them a new home. I’ve never gotten new upholstery on an older piece of furniture. I thought I’d try it out so I could share the process, cost, timeline, and lots of other details. So if you’re wondering about the chair reupholstery process and price, this post is for you!

chair reupholstery process and price

benefits

One time, I heard someone say that they liked the idea of getting a piece of furniture recovered because they could find the perfect piece and pay for it. Then, they could save up for the fabric. Last, they could save up for the labor to do the work. It’s a great way to break the cost of an upholstered piece of furniture into a few chunks.

I love that notion! I also really like the idea of taking something old and giving it new life. It’s an environmentally friendly way to keep old furniture out of landfills. 

Right now, with lead times on new furniture getting longer and longer, recovering an old chair or sofa might make more sense than going new. Especially since older things tend to be built better.

Plus, it’s great to perfectly customize something for your style and lifestyle.

Now that we talked about why to reupholster something, let’s get into the how.

where to find a chair to get reupholstered?

For this project, I really wanted a Louis style chair for my desk. Since I was picky, I turned to Facebook Marketplace for my search. Going to thrift shops, estate sales, antique stores, or recovering something you already own are great places to find furniture to get upholstered.

The first chair I bought for this project, I found on Facebook Marketplace and it was listed by an antique shop owner. So I went and paid $25 for it. But, I made a huge rookie mistake and didn’t sit on the chair or look under it. When I put it in my car, I saw the bottom had strange metal stretchers.

Then I brought it home and sat on it and the back legs just buckled- it wasn’t sturdy AT ALL. And it would have been a tricky repair job- the base of the back leg supports were completely broken.

Before starting a reupholstery project, make sure that the chair or furniture piece is structurally sound.

I ended up buying a second chair for this project that is extremely sturdy. This time I paid $40. I also got this chair on Facebook Marketplace.

getting a quote to reupholster a chair

I chose to get my chair reupholstered with Calico. One thing I loved about them is that when I found the chair, I used this link to request a reupholstery quote. I filled out the information on the form and made sure to include a picture of the chair. 

Then I received an email that quoted the labor for the chair would be around $475. Plus it gave me the timeline for the upholsterer- at that time, they were 5 months out and then it would take 2 weeks for production.

Note, each piece of furniture will have a different price depending on the size, style, fabric selection, and factors like tufting, skirting, welting, and other details. On Calico’s website, this page goes into more detail on how they calculate pricing.

The email also noted that when placing my order (and getting in line for the upholsterer), I’d pay a 50% deposit for the labor and fabric. Then once the chair was complete, I’d pay the balance.

Since this is my first time recovering something, those details were super helpful! I set up an appointment via email to go into the showroom and pick out fabric.

how many yards of fabric are needed?

From my email quote, the manager at my location of Calico Corners recommended that I get 2.5-3 yards of fabric. 

For my chair, I ended up wanting a different fabric on the seat, inside back, and back of the chair. So I ended up needing 3 yards of fabric. It would have saved a little money to only do 1-2 fabric options, but I figured that if I was going to get something upholstered, I might as well really go for it!

tips for selecting upholstery fabric

I headed into the showroom for the appointment to select fabric. And I’m not going to lie, it was fun! I thought I’d go through my process of finding fabric for upholstery on a chair.

There were so many really gorgeous fabrics! They were mostly displayed by color, so it was pretty easy to find the pastel pinks and mints that would work best for me.

I loved how each fabric had a price and noted the recommended use. One piece of fabric I was considering for the seat cushion was only recommended for light use or pillows. So that steered me away from picking it and made my decision easy. 

Tip- make sure to select upholstery fabric so it’ll hold up to continued use.

It was nice that the pieces on all the samples were clearly marked. This helped me select fabrics that would work for my budget.

I walked around the showroom and pulled any fabrics that I liked. Also, I was intentional about picking fabrics that felt like me. There were some really gorgeous options, but they were more fancy than I normally go. Though I loved them, I wanted to stay true to my style.

I ended up liking the above selection of fabrics. The scale works nicely together- the floral is large-scale, the stripe is a medium, and the solid has texture in a small scale. By going with three scales (large, medium, and small) it keeps it interesting.

When selecting the fabric, I also considered color. The room the chair was going in has mint, pink and white in it, so I selected the stripe first to pull all those colors together. The floral does the same. Tip- select fabric with colors that compliment your room.

Last, I wanted at least two different textures to keep things visually interesting. The stripes have some raised velvet stripes, the floral has a linen feel, and the pink solid has a nubby texture. I think the textures work nicely together.

pattern mixing tips

Since I was pattern mixing, I followed the guidelines to use one solid, one geometric, and one organic or flowing floral pattern.

I ended up liking the above selection of fabrics. The scale works nicely together- the floral is large-scale, the stripe is a medium, and the solid has texture in a small scale. By going with three scales (large, medium, and small) it keeps it interesting.

When selecting the fabric, I also considered the color. The room the chair is going in has mint, pink and white. So I selected the stripe first to pull all those colors together. The floral does the same. Tip- select fabric with colors that compliment your room.

Last, I wanted at least two different textures to keep things visually interesting. The stripes have some raised velvet stripes, the floral has a linen feel, and the pink solid has a nubby texture. I think the textures work nicely together.

Fabric selection- Anneli Floral, Norwich Berry Stripe, and Daria Blush Solid

Once I had decided on my choices, Michelle from the Salt Lake City Calico design shop cut some samples so I could bring them home and rang me up.

She also helped me select the welting and the placement of the floral fabric. I got to choose my favorite flowers to be centered on the inside back of my chair! It is really great how custom everything is!

how much does it cost to reupholster a chair?

After I had selected my samples, I was given the grand total. The labor for the chair is $475, the double welting cost $40, and the fabric was $174. The total came to $689. I ended up buying everything during a sale and got 20% off! With tax, my total came to $620.59.

Again, prices will vary depending on the style, size, fabric, and details. But, I thought knowing the actual price for reupholstering my piece would be helpful.

You can use this link to request an upholstery quote.

The national average price to upholster a chair in 2021 is between $300-$2000 for the labor.

how long does it take to recover a chair?

Once my order was placed, I was in line for the upholsterer. Because of the rise in demand for getting older furniture reupholstered, delayed shipping, and the supply chains being slowed down, reupholstery may take longer than in past years.

Also, many of us were home more this past year, so an increased amount of people are focusing on fixing up their homes. This means that services like reupholstery may be backed up.

I placed my order on June 26. About two months later all of my fabric had arrived at the showroom. I dropped off my chair on August 21. Then, at the end of September, my chair was completed by the upholsterer and ready to be picked up. The reupholstery process for my chair took about 4 weeks.

In general, it takes an upholsterer 1-10 hours to do the labor of recovering a chair. With pick up, drop off, coordinating details, and the increased demand, it can take 2-6 weeks for a chair to be reupholstered by a professional.

Also, keep in mind that that timeline is once you drop off your piece of furniture. If an upholsterer is backed up, you might have to wait a few months for the work to begin.

after

And now, I am so excited to show how my chair turned out! Ready for a fun before and after?!

The caning was removed from the back of the chair so I could have an upholstered back. I liked the caning, but the upholstery is beautiful and much more comfortable.

Here’s a good view of the back and the double welting. Isn’t it so gorgeous?!

The chair will live in my main bedroom at the desk. It turns out, though, that designing a custom chair makes it look adorable in every room in my house!

I love how the chair looks at my desk. I think the colors go perfectly with the bookshelves and wallpaper.

Even Lucy, my pup, is a fan- lol! I am so impressed by the quality, customer service, and communication when ordering this chair from Calico.

is it worth it to pay to reupholster a chair?

The answer to this question will vary for each person. It can be expensive so here’s some things to consider-

• Is this a family heirloom or sentimental piece? Special pieces that feel like they’re part of your personal history are usually worth it
• Does the style work with your home? Look at the bones of the piece- do you love it? Would this be hard to find new? If you love the style and it’d be hard to buy in a store, reupholstery might be worth it
• How sturdy is the frame? Is it solid and made of quality materials? Hardwood furniture that has been built with quality techniques are more likely to be worth paying to reupholster.
• How old is the chair? How much has it been used? The older the chair, the higher the chances are that it was built well. Also, if it’s been used a lot and is still sturdy, it will last longer.

I hope that this post has helped give you realistic expectations on the chair reupholstery process and cost in case you want to try it as well!

Thank you to Calico for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

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