Is My Sofa Worth Repairing?

Good quality sofas and chairs are usually worth repairing or recovering.  Antique furniture is almost always worth it and 1920s to 1950s upholstered furniture tends to be so well made it will probably outlast you and me and possibly appreciate in value after a restoration.  1960s and 70s furniture is in high demand and can fetch some astonishing prices, especially designer pieces like an Egg chair.

Good quality furniture restored and reupholstered with new springs, fillings and foams can really bring a great design back to life, or indeed look better than when new – a unique design statement piece you can use every day. I have a 1920s drop-arm sofa that we reupholstered 20 years ago, it has lived in my living room, and kitchen and now sits in a bedroom.  It cost me just £200 plus the reupholster and fabric costs, it is still as good as new and worth double my investment.  In addition to all the good use and financial benefits, it still looks beautiful today.

Brands like Sherborne – Duresta – Vale Bridgecraft – Parker knoll – Ercol – Cintique – George Smith – Wesley-Barrell – Howard and Sons for many years have been through our workshop and today appeal to all ages – always worth restoring and reupholstering.

Lesser quality sofas and chairs like the Argos range or DFS and SCS sofas usually are not worth the repair or recovery costs.  However; more often we find customers will invest in this type of upholstery due to the fact that the sofa ‘fits in the area just right’ or it is very comfortable and worth re-investing and keeping. And do consider that a reupholstered sofa will actually be better quality once completed than a factory-produced item.  

Re-spring a sofa or chair. Often sofas will just sag and the platform under the sear cushions will rip. A platform refit and replacement of modern ‘zig-zag’ springs is a straightforward job and will give you some extra years of use.  The cost for this is about £250 plus up-lift and delivery. Great value and often will add some ten years more use from a piece. 

By BJ Upholstery Restoration Manager.