Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
brutuses

How much $ to recover this chair?

brutuses
15 years ago

Does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to recover this style of chair? I want to offer them $100 for it if it won't cost me more than $300 to be recovered. What do you think? Thanks so much.

Here is a link that might be useful: chair

Comments (17)

  • flyingflower
    15 years ago

    Did you know you can email upholsterers? I called one and he said just send him a picture and he'd be able to send me a quote back. That's safer than buying the chair first and then finding out it costs too much to upholster.

  • patricianat
    15 years ago

    I used to have a pair of chairs like that. It should not cost much based on upholstery costs except the back of the chair. Costs would mostly be dictated by your choice of fabrics. Otherwise, that's a pretty straight-forward chair to upholster if the "innards" are in good shape.

  • equest17
    15 years ago

    Since it is a channel-back and button tufted, it might be over $300, depending on where you live and who you ask. I do upholstery and would probably charge around $300-$350, but I have a small workshop in my home with low overhead and advertise by word of mouth only. Bigger "professional" shops would probably be more. You might ask in some fabric stores for referrals instead of looking in the phonebook, as you could get better rates. You will also probably need at least 7 yards of fabric since the inside back will take so much yardage.

  • squirrelheaven
    15 years ago

    There was a thread a bit ago about the tufted pieces being expensive to have reupholstered. Someone I know around here had a plain wingback done and it was something like $700 (must be 7 years ago), but it *is nuts around here. The fabric was not high-end and I doubt the chair was either.

  • squirrelheaven
    15 years ago

    Sounds like what I was thinking, based on equest's post, maybe about $600, with fabric.

  • organic_smallhome
    15 years ago

    I just had an upholsterer give me a quote on my channelback chair, when I was thinking of reupholstering it. He said it would probably take 4-5 yards of fabric, and would cost $400 to reupholster.

  • squirrelheaven
    15 years ago

    As in $400 labor?

  • organic_smallhome
    15 years ago

    Yes, $400 labor. :)

  • newdawn1895
    15 years ago

    I generally pay around $350.00 for a chair and ottoman that's not including fabric. That was about six years ago, she probably has gone up by now.

  • patricianat
    15 years ago

    Brutuses, I don't know anything about the upholstery prices in your area as I have not lived there in decades but I did price having a sofa done for my son when he was at Tulane a few years ago and it was no more than it was here and besides, we would have had to transport it back and forth so we had it done there.

    You can get word-of-mouth about upholsterers better than any other way. I had the most well-known upholster in our area re-do a sofa for me and it looked like a child had done it and was very expensive. I had contemplated litigation since the cushions were 8-10 inches shorter than they were when I sent it out. I had the director of the upholstery shop at our local trade school come out and look at it. The first upholsterer refunded my money and I bought more fabric and the trade school did it for me, a PERFECT job. Those people learning upholstery have mentors who are very good at this in our area if you can get it into a trade school where you have someone directing them that knows what they are doing. I have never had a better upholstery job done than the trade school did.

  • My3dogs ME zone 5A
    15 years ago

    Wow, Brutuses, You and I are right in sync today. I am buying this chair from my CL, and if I don't paint the upholstery (as Magnaverde has done in the past to make it look like leather,
    I want to try to make it look like this beauty from Horchow!

    equest17, I want to try this myself some day, after taking an upholstery class. I sew a LOT, but have not done upholstery. Can you give me an idea what this would run, to do the nail head trim, and mixed fabrics? (I assume multiple fabrics would not increase the labor cost) Is a chair like this any easier than one with no exposed frame, as there is a lot of stapling here, rather than sewing?

    My $55 CL find -



    The Horchow 'inspiration' chair!

    {{!gwi}}

    Here is a link that might be useful: Horchow chair

  • brutuses
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks so much everyone for your input. my3dogs, that chair is so pretty and your inspiration chair is gorgeous.

    Flying, I was thinking along those lines, it would be nice to be able to just send a photo and have it quoted.

    I have a friend who has her antiques redone, etc. I know she has an upholsterer that she's used. I'll call her and see if he has that e-mail capability.

    So far I haven't heard back from the seller. I hope it's still available.

    I see a lot of wing backs on Craigs, but not all are created equal, if you know what I mean. The shapes are not right or they are not quality furniture.

    Thanks again, I'll keep you posted if I can get some where with this chair.

  • patty_cakes
    15 years ago

    Patsy, i'm a little late to the party. Finding your own fabric will save quite a bit of money, as you can possibley find something on sale. An upholster buys all his/hers wholesale, but of course that won't be passed on to you.

    I like 'my3dogs' chair also and would opt to leave off the buttons~IMO, they date the chair. It will also save you money. It's a very nice style of chair.;o)

  • My3dogs ME zone 5A
    15 years ago

    I don't know if this happens elsewhere, but an upholsterer that I have used in Maine charges 30% extra for labor if you don't buy the fabric from her.

    The last chair I had done, I waited a year for the state prison upholstery shop to do in their class! They are highly touted and do a great job at lower than typical prices.

  • CaroleOH
    15 years ago

    I can't help with the upholstery costs, but if it's a quality chair, you probably can't find similar quality for that price even after reupholstery costs. It looks like a nice piece. What I found to be outrageous is the cost of really nice fabric.

    My3Dogs, I bet you would be able to reupholster that chair - no problem. the hardest part is the cushion and you're an expert sewer. I bet if you pry off the trim, you'll find the fabric is just stretched across the frame and stapled. I'd take off each piece of fabric carefully and use that as a pattern. If the chair doesn't need the frame to be repaired, it shouldn't be difficult. I checked out several books from the library and was amazed at the step by step directions. Sounds like the perfect winter project for you.

  • ttodd
    15 years ago

    I've gotten 2 estimates on chairs about exactly the same size as yours w/o the channeling & tufting. Each upholsterer quoted $300 for labor.

  • My3dogs ME zone 5A
    15 years ago

    Thanks for the vote of confidence, Caroleoh! I just picked it up and you are right - it's the perfect winter project. I'll be checking online and at my library for instructions. I know I can do the seat cover...it's just how the rest is done that's the mystery!

    I hope Brutuses finds that her chair is still available!

Sponsored
Uncommon Interiors
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars1 Review
Turnkey Interior Design Studio in Loudoun County, VA