Upholstery for antique furniture can be an exciting project to take on. However, there are some key things to know before getting started.
Let’s take a look!
1. You can find quality antique furniture in interesting places
So, the first real step to doing upholstery for antique furniture is, of course, finding furniture. Preferably, you want something that isn’t overly expensive!
This is assuming you don’t already own the piece you want to upholster.
So, where can you find quality antique furniture?
Well, you don’t necessarily need to spend a fortune at high-end antique shops. You can come across great finds on Facebook Marketplace.
The one downside to Facebook Marketplace is the furniture might be located hours from where you live, in which case you’ll have to arrange to have it delivered or go pick it up (if you don’t mind the drive).
If you’re local to Las Vegas, you can sometimes find great antique pieces at the following locations:
A trick for testing the quality of antique furniture once you’ve found it:
The weight test is a simple but effective way to test the quality of a piece. If the furniture is heavy, then the piece is probably high-quality; good wood is usually heavy. Light furniture, by contrast, is often made from subpar materials.
2. You might need to do more than just reupholster
Once you find your piece, it might be in terrible shape, but this doesn’t mean the furniture itself is of poor quality. Sometimes, incredibly beat-up furniture can have amazing underlying qualities. For example, many antiques are made of mahogany or walnut.
But you may have to do more than just reupholster the piece to reclaim its potential. You may have to restore it.
Restoring is generally more expensive than reupholstering for several reasons, but the main one is labor hours. Restoration can include deconstruction, wood repairs, cleaning, finishing, and then the upholstery portion of the process.
So, you’ll have to consider whether restoring the piece is worth the investment.
Note: The restoration might not necessarily include upholstery. It’s possible to hire separate specialists for restoration and upholstery, but it’s certainly more convenient to find one skilled craftsman to handle both.
Not all antique furniture is worth restoring
Just something worth mentioning….If you come across an antique with broken cane, it’s probably best to avoid buying it. Cane antiques that have been damaged are time-consuming and sometimes hard and expensive to fix. Beyond this, anything with cheap materials should be avoided.
Ultimately, though, there are no hard and fast rules. For instance, if you like cane, then you are in good company with many collectors and restoration enthusiasts who find the process rewarding and worth the investment of time and resources.
3. It’s worth getting quotes from a few different upholsterers before getting started
Antique furniture upholstery can be expensive, so you need a pro who will work within your budget. At the same time, you likely need a higher-end professional capable of both restoring and upholstering the piece.
Cost of restoring and upholstering antique furniture
Antique furniture restoration and upholstery can cost thousands of dollars, primarily due to labor.
After all, restoring and upholstering an antique piece can take 100+ hours, and furniture restoration professionals (and upholsterers) typically charge between $40 and $100 per hour. High-end rates can reach up to $120 per hour or more!
Let’s assume, though, that your person charges you $80 to restore and upholster your antique, and the project takes a total of 100 hours. Well, you’re looking at an $8,000 project. Now, if you hire someone who charges $50 an hour and they complete the project in 90 hours, then the total would be $4,500.
Either way, you’re looking at a big expense.
For this reason, it’s worth contacting a few different upholsterers and talking through what they plan to do. Don’t be surprised if quotes vary quite a bit. We’re talking differences of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. This usually comes down to experience, the techniques to be used, and whether they’re actually equipped to handle antique restoration versus reupholstery.
This will help you gauge where you’re at with the project.
» MORE: How Much Does It Cost To Reupholster A Sofa or Chair?
4. Antique furniture upholstery may require special upholstery materials
So, let’s say you’ve found an antique you love and your preferred upholsterer, and you’ve agreed to restore it. Before your upholsterer gets started, however, there are some key decisions that you’ll need to make about the types of upholstery materials.
Antique furniture often uses traditional materials like seaweed, hay, cotton, or horsehair. Let’s assume your antique uses horsehair stuffing. You might not want to keep it, but then again, you might because it maintains the authenticity.
Furthermore, let’s assume your antique has a high-end classic fabric. You’ll have to choose between the classic, which can cost a pretty penny or a modern alternative that might be more practical from a cost perspective.
Modern fabrics are often more durable and stain-resistant, while authentic materials preserve your piece’s charm and history, so again, there are choices to consider.
5. You can sometimes find antique furniture that has already been reupholstered
Sometimes, you might come across an antique that’s already been restored and reupholstered but needs to be reupholstered again. This can actually be a good thing since the expensive restoration work has already been done.
Your upholsterer can work with you to provide a simple solution. After all, you might only want to change the fabric. A piece that is in decent condition is likely to save you money because you don’t need to do such a huge overhaul.
Upholstery for antique furniture – conclusion
Bringing an antique piece back to life through upholstery can be an exciting project, but as you can see, there is quite a bit to consider. From finding the right piece to making decisions about restoration and upholstery, each step requires careful thought.
Ready to start your antique upholstery project? Contact Redesign Upholstery today. We’ll help you evaluate your piece and walk you through all your options.
