Why reupholster instead of buying new?

So your chair or sofa is looking a bit sad. Perhaps it is lumpy, maybe the springs are hanging out of the bottom or the fabric now has more stains than clean bits. Our furniture takes a bit of a beating with kids, pets, TV dinners and so on.

You could go out and buy a new chair or trawl round the shops trying to find something you like that won't cost the earth both literally and figuratively. According to a recent mailing I received from House of Hackney, 672,000 tonnes of furniture winds up in UK landfill each year. That is equivalent to 4.2 million discarded sofas.

Fewer than one in 10 people in the UK attempt to repair or restore items if they are broken, according to new research. Nearly 22 million small pieces of furniture are binned in the UK every year after they become damaged, a study by North London Wa… — **Fewer than one in 10 people in the UK attempt to repair or restore items if they are broken, according to new research.** Nearly 22 million small pieces of furniture are binned in the UK every year after they become damaged, a study by North London Waste Authority (NWLA) says. (Sky News Nov 2018)

You once loved that sofa or chair enough to spend your hard earned readies on it. (Unless you were lucky enough to inherit an antique and then there is even more reason to reupholster rather than getting rid). Upholstery need not be prohibitively expensive. If your frame is in good structural condition and good quality and you once found it comfortable, reupholstery can transform that item into something you will once again be proud to have in your home. By the time you add in hidden charges associated with buying new such as furniture protection, warranties and delivery, you could find reupholstery looks like very good value. Plus you will end up with something totally bespoke. There is a vast range of fabrics out there to suit every taste. The environment will thank you too!

Image of vintage chairs reupholstered in House of Hackney fabric @coedmawrhall

Antique and vintage furniture was often made with better quality materials than some of the furniture you can now buy on the high street so if you are lucky enough to have something like this or you find a gem on eBay, this is definitely worth investing in. Often you can re-sell these things as they keep their value well. It may even be something passed down from a family member. You can't put a price on sentimental value but you can modernise or change a chair so that it is more in keeping with your own style.

Look at a the way I have transformed some of these chairs: