Despite my 20-plus years in the upholstery industry, there were times that I bit the bullet and hired upholsterers for my furniture. And more than once, I was in complete shock when my furniture came to me with style changes that I had not asked. Those upholstery defects stand out like sore thumbs and really irritate me. Upholstery labor and fabric are costly; you do not want to lament mistakes which could have been averted by having a small conversation with your upholsterer until it’s too late.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
1. Frame repair. Until your upholsterer requires a peek under the covers, it’s probably not clear what needs to be glued, clamped and tightened up. Many upholsterers make small repairs as a courtesy, but it’s a good idea to inquire about the price of more significant frame repairs.
From teardown to final trim, a good upholsterer earns every cent he or she creates.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
2. Spring linking or substitute. Your chair might have springs which have come unsprung or need replacing. Very good upholsterers will mechanically retie springs and replace bent springs until they begin. It’s ideal to know up front if you’ll be billed extra for spring repair.
A peek under the front of this chair seat shows threadbare burlap and untied springs.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
Springs come in many different sizes and shapes; they form the best base for chair seats.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
Some framework tightening and fix could be required before the upholstery work, also.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
3. Fabric. Have a thorough discussion about your fabric. If your fabric will be shipped, ask your upholsterer to phone when it arrives, so you can go over each of your fabric directives. Write everything down to your upholsterer to stay with any other notes.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
4. Pattern. Whether you want a fully upholstered chair or a very simple dining chair, the fabric pattern needs to match up when you look at the final piece from front. Be cautious if you want a particular fabric motif on the trunk, also. If you are mixing materials, draw a picture to show where each part of the fabric pattern should go.
If your routine is misaligned, it will drive you mad. Vertical or horizontal, only make sure the designs lineup.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
5. Cushions. Specifically say whether you want all-new foam, a Dacron- or – down-wrapped cushion, or a complete down-filled pillow fit. Establish the desired foam thickness and remember that the normal height for seats would be 18 to 20 inches in the floor.
Discuss the foam density you want. Chairs should be a greater density than the back cushions. And ask for a breakdown of the cushion costs; this really is a price which often gets lost from the total project, but it can really add to the bottom line. Discuss what your upholsterer’s policy will be if you are not happy with how the cushions sense when you get your furniture back.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
6. Style. There is more than one method to finish the front arm panels on chairs, love seats and sofas. Explain how you want the arm panels to seem; deliver sketches or photos so you realize each other. Do not leave this up to your upholsterer to pick the design for the arm fronts.
7. Skirts. If your sofa has a traditional fabric skirt round the bottom and you are ready to see more of the legs, define no skirt. The bottom edge may now need some cording, so you need to specify that. The legs will also have to look good now that the skirt’s been removed. Figure out whether you’ll be billed for the work on the wood, but eliminating the skirt must bring your total cost down because skirts generally coat a little more. If you’d like a skirt to be inserted to an unskirted piece, make sure to pay more; be sure to discuss the skirt style (yes, there are different styles of skirts) and the height at which you want it to be attached. Also specify whether the furniture will sit on a carpet or a hardwood floor, and how high you want the base of the skirt to be off the floor.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
8. Cording. Would you want fabric-covered welt cording around certain areas of your furniture? Let your upholsterer know where you want it. If you have a piece that has fabric stapled or tacked right up against exposed wood, you’re probably going to want a fabric-covered dual welt cord made and attached rather than using premade braid trimming. If you’d like cording, then you will want to supply more fabric. Consult your upholsterer how much more you’ll need.
9. Sides and backs. Chair, love seat and sofa sides and backs should have fabric and padding beneath the outside fabric panels. Before attaching the exterior fabric panels, there should be a base fabric that shuts the hollows of the framework, with cotton or Dacron batting attached. If these layers are omitted, the exterior arms and back are hollow and appear flat and unprofessional. You generally find that on inexpensive new furniture and on really poorly done reupholstered pieces.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
10. Detailed instructions. Finally, make certain there are photographs, sketches, fabric swatches, written instructions and anything else you can think of so that you and your upholsterer have an comprehension of how your piece will appear when it’s finished.
Upholstery Club’s Shelly Leer
Very good upholsterers will do the job right, but in case you’re looking for bargain prices, you could be surprised from the shortcuts you will notice when you get your furniture back. It never hurts to define just what you want. When a recently upholstered piece of furniture turns out right, everyone’s happy.
More:
11 Distinctive Details for Upscale-Looking Upholstery
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