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cheenee_gw

Reupholster leather sofa?

cheenee
10 years ago

I have a beautiful caramel colored Natuzzi sofa & love seat that we bought in 1997. It's our first investment furniture for our first house before we had our child. So there's some sentimental value here. The leather is still in great shape except that the sofa needed padding since the seats have been sunken-in for 1-2 years. There's a small area on the seam, around 4 inches where the thread loosened and needs restitching. Still love the sofa and is our main furniture in the family room (also serves as nap time furniture for my hubby) but I'm wondering if it's a good idea to have the padding/stuffing replaced only or do we need to get a new one? We just happen to look around last weekend to find out what were the going rates of a leather sofa and we definitely could see the difference of good, quality leather (100% leather vs. bonded leather). Any thoughts? Otherwise, if we do get a new one, i still like to find something similar in design of what we have and I realized the color is not common to find. Need your input and expertise!

Comments (9)

  • eam44
    9 years ago

    I'm just wondering what you decided to do with your Italian leather sofa. I have an American made leather sectional with attached cushions, top grain leather, heavy frame, but it's two years old and the cushions are sagging, the leather creasing, and I'm afraid I'm going to have tear in the leather sooner or later.

    It's a bear trying to find info on re-stuffing a couch with attached cushions, but from what I have gleaned it involves disassembling the couch, separating the seats from the backs, cutting the dust cover, removing and replacing the seat cushions, re-stapling the dust cover, and re-assembling the couch.

    I've been unable to get anyone to come to the house to take a look, let alone give me an estimate for the repair. It sounds way too complicated to DIY, but I believe I'm going to try it anyway. The leather is great, the frame is great, but the poor quality foam is going to make it unusable, so why send it all to the landfill without even trying? Of course my fear is that I won't be able to put it all back together again!

  • Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
    9 years ago

    I have a preference for sofas with detachable cushions and zippers hidden in the arms and back.

    In this case that would have doubled the life of the OP's sofa since the leather has outlasted the foam.

    There is a small chance whatever webbing is underneath has loosened up.

  • eam44
    9 years ago

    Yes, we all prefer sofas with detachable cushions.

    Any input as to how to replace the cushions on a sofa with attached cushions?

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    9 years ago

    I don't know where you live, but you might try a franchised company called Leather Medic and see if they can refurbish your leather sofa.

  • eam44
    9 years ago

    Thanks Beverly. Wow, what a difference. There isn't a leather medic near me, but I'll take a look at the firms that come up under leather repair.

  • eam44
    9 years ago

    Ok, well, not much of an update unfortunately. I contacted two leather repair places. Neither re-stuffs furniture. I contacted the manufacturer of my sectional, Abbyson Living, to get info on disassembly, and they sent me contact info for two upholsterers, one in Canada, one in my state. I called the US upholsterer and they don't travel three hours to do this kind of work.

    Shocker.

    Here's what I don't get. Isn't the leather the most expensive feature of the couch? If so, and this was gorgeous leather, why would they use such poor cushions to begin with? I've had this thing for two years. TWO YEARS. It retails for over 2K. What a disappointment.

    Any advice on what to do next? I'm going to start a new thread, more aptly titled in the hope of attracting more responses. Thanks.

  • PRO
    iCustomSofa
    9 years ago

    AL frames are constructed of pine plywood now, to make the frame strong enough to support the springs and hold together they must stack together so much plywood that they end up with a frame that weights 300 lbs. This not uncommon for many of upholstery manufacturers. Weight does not equal quality.
    A solid hardwood frame double-dowelled and screwed is much lighter and 3 times stronger.

  • eam44
    9 years ago

    So, any advice on disassembly rman?