opinion on recovering sofa

3 years ago

We have a Duresta sofa and armchair we purchased on ebay a few years ago which served a need but I was never keen on the fabric. I would like a leather sofa for our extension and one suggestion was we get our current sofa recovered. The houzz community has been so helpful in the past I wanted to turn to you for advice on what you thought the sofa would look like recovered. These are the current sofas and my attempt at a mood board I’ve done for the room.

Featured Answer

Zsu Fl

3 years ago

Hi Charlotte, I am an upholsterer. I would make the comment that the leather sofa you have put in your design is a very different shape to the one you have. Sadly through experience I have found that the style you have can encourage people to sit on the arms. But the shape is a little old fashioned but could be brought up to date by a bright colour fabric. I do not know if you have had a leather sofa before? A lot of people who have bought them find them not particularly ‘snuggly’. and have the seat cushions changed to a velvet or warmer fabric. You can get wonderful wool fabric from British manufacturers that has the ‘sustainable’ label. Alternatively you can get linen look fabrics that have a fabric guard protector on them that would perhaps be a good idea if it is going to be a very well used room with people maybe eating on the sofa!? I think it is very good you are considering reupholstery as a lot of old sofas end up in land fill. I have been no help whatsoever but I may add that most sofas you buy these days will not be anywhere near as well made as the one you have!

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Comments (35)

Sarah U-S
3 years ago
I think this is a bit of a numbers game - reupholstering really is not a cheap option, and if it was me, I’d want an idea of cost before making any decisions. I know Duresta is a really good (and expensive!) maker - however if reupholstering is going to cost thousands, it might not be worth it. I would also keep an eye out on places like eBay for really good quality leather sofas (if that’s what you want) - you would probably find something that is as equal to Duresta in quality at a lot less cost than reupholstering. The other thing to do is to consider visiting Long Eaton when lockdown allows. Duresta and many other makers are based there, and most have factory shops too.
Sarah U-S
3 years ago
On eBay at the mo - a Duresta leather sofa and chair, for £1795. You would need reupholstering to come in under that for it to be a viable option. Also remember - you could probably sell your current sofa for a similar price to what you paid for it - then use the money towards the new ones.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Piece-Duresta-Raffles-3-Seater-Brown-Leather-Scroll-Sofa-Arm-Chair-Suite-/193757770658?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
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Sonia
3 years ago
It is very expensive to re-upholster a sofa. I did it once and it cost as much as a new one. It is advisable to have the seat cushions re-stuffed too as they take the most wear. I personally wouldn’t do it again. There are loads of used sofas for sale on Gumtree too so certainly worth a look.
Sonia
3 years ago
Here’s one Duresta sofa I found on Gumtree, granted it’s not leather and red isn’t for everyone, but good price.
Hazel Tomkinson
3 years ago
I agree with Sarah U-S. I had my Peter Guild Raffles Grande sofa recovered by Plumbs after 10 years of use and it cost and arm and a leg. 2 huge feather seat cushion replacements later and the sofa is like Triggers broom! I saw an original listed on eBay for £99 and it went unsold. The frames are built like tanks of these excellent brands but sadly it seems that recovering is just far in excess of a second hand with a fabric you prefer. Another tip is to look on Gumtree London, they are flooded with high quality sofas at decent prices as people tend to move and re-purchase furniture to suit new abode. if you can pay a man and van or courier service, you may get a bargain. I still have my (now plain) Raffles Grande as a second lounge sofa with my Loaf one in the main one. People always seem to gravitate to the Raffles though!!!
Louise Nichol
3 years ago
Check out Comfort Works online. I was really sceptical but someone on Houzz used them to cover an IKEA sofa and the result was brilliant. We had our sofa.com sofa recovered for around £450 with removable covers (I have 3 kids so this is essential) and we were amazed at the results. They are utterly meticulous - huge amounts of photos required, toing and froing with measurements for weeks until they were confident they he got it right. The selection of materials isn’t massive but I think they’re incredibly good value for what they do. And my sofa.com sofa cost nearly £2000 and was otherwise in great condition so I really didn’t want to ditch it.
Louise Nichol
3 years ago
Before (pale green) and after. This is before we had stapled the Velcro on to the underside hence a bit baggy. I can’t show you it now as we’re in the middle of a build and the front room is full of boxes!
Louise Nichol
3 years ago
They were excellent at getting the sloped arms perfect
Louise Nichol
3 years ago
(The pale green was stained from 3 babies worth of you can imagine...!)
Louise Nichol
3 years ago
PS I’m pretty sure they do a leather or pleather...
kazzh
3 years ago
Have to say, the armchair looks sooooo comfortable! I do envy the choice and styles the British market offers, here in regional Australia all I get to choose from is Scandi style minimalism and huge oversized corner suites that need huge rooms! Classic elegance doesn't seem to be in vogue 😪
Charlotte McDougall
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you all for you suggestions. @sarah u-s I have got a quote today to reupholster the sofa for £1,300 in fabric and £1,800 in leather. It’s not cheap but much less than a new one. I’ll definitely keep a look out on eBay and gumtree but find a lot of the duresta ones are highly patterned (like ours) which isn’t really to my taste, or not in a suitable colour.
@Louise thanks for your suggestion, I contacted comfort works and they said prices for a 3 seater start from $789 but the lead time is 5-6 months!
@kazzh the chairs are definitely very comfy. I do prefer the look of Scandinavia style minimalism but I haven’t owned a sofa in that style so I’m thinking if I went down that route I might regret it when I can’t snuggle up cozily on it!
@Zsu FI I haven’t had a leather sofa before and you make a good point about it not being ‘snuggly’. I was thinking leather as I like the look plus I have 2 boys and didn’t want to have to worry too much about things getting spilt on them, but your suggestion of a fabric guard protector might be a better idea. Do you find they are good at preventing stains when things are spilt on them?
You can’t really tell the size from the photo but the arms are a bit too high to be able to sit on (but maybe that will change as my boys get older!)
I do have another duresta sofa (also an eBay purchase) which could also be recovered and used in our new room instead.
Does anyone have examples of where these ‘old fashioned’ style sofas have been recovered to look more modern?
Mary Ketchley
3 years ago
I don’t have examples but I think they are classic, rather than old fashioned and when recovered they could look amazing. I’d love a Duresta sofa and have thought about doing something similar to you and recovering an old one.
Sonia
3 years ago
I like the country house grandeur look of your sofa. I can imagine it in a sumptuous velvet, not very practical though! 😊
Gail Valentine
3 years ago
We had an original Victorian sofa reupholstered last year. We found a local reupholster (via a Facebook search). Total cost was about £450 including fabric! We’re delighted with it 😊
Gail Valentine
3 years ago
Close-up....it’s a teal velvet colour. No kids but we do have a dog 🐩
Charlotte McDougall
Original Author
3 years ago
That looks great, and thank you for sharing, I really struggle to picture things in my head, so it’s really helpful. I love how you’ve tied the colours together with the rug and Pom poms on the cushions.
Wumi
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I really love the style of your sofas! Could slip covers be a good alternative?
Wumi
3 years ago
I think the armchair would be great in leather as a statement chair.
Rosie G
3 years ago
Are you by any chance handy with tools & DIY? I ended up going to upholstery classes in response to a very expensive quote to recover an heirloom chair. I found I’m good at it, I took my time, and with my lovely teacher’s guidance I turned out something I’m proud of - and have now got the bug and have done many items since. So that’s an option for a chair, for sure. Sofas are harder because of transporting them to classes is pretty much impossible unless you have a van. But it’s achievable to do upholstery yourself.
Gail Valentine
3 years ago
Thank you, I nearly sold my sofa as some of the quotes I had to re-cover were so expensive but I loved the shape/quality. We have a Made.com sofa in the living room and you can really tell the difference in quality.
Charlotte McDougall
Original Author
3 years ago
@Rosie, unfortunately I’m not very good at DIY, much better at directing my husband for the sidelines! But I’ll suggest it to him as he’d probably enjoy something like that.
Charlotte McDougall
Original Author
3 years ago
*from the sidelines
moorlikeit
3 years ago
Gail, I love your recovered chesterfield plus am amazed at the low cost of the reupholstery. We have a near identical solid Victorian sofa that needs recovering and we have been quoted over £1000. I’d love to know what part of the country you live in as if it’s anywhere near me, I‘ll definitely be asking for the name of your upholsterer.
Gail Valentine
3 years ago
Hello, we live just outside Dundee. I was originally quoted the same but then found Jackson Brown upholstery on Facebook. I’d also considered contacting our local college to see if any upholstery students had wanted a project. Hope you manage to find someone as I’m so glad we managed to bring it back to life 😊
moorlikeit
3 years ago
What a wonderfully quick response, Gail - many thanks. I couldn’t be much further away as I’m on the south coast of England 😕. I shall have a rethink though as it’s a grand old piece of furniture- so solid, you can barely move it!
Zsu Fl
3 years ago
Hi Charlotte, Zssu the upholsterer again. My go to fabric for a lot of customers atm is a fabric guard protected linen look called splash by Warwick fabrics. Another one they have is their Krayola fabric. You can really scrub this stuff! Get a sample and try it out with tomato ketchup. It comes in a great colour range. I have been an upholsterer for 30 yrs and I know what is inside modern sofas. I have had clients pay 5k on a sofa and I know it is made of particle board. Manufacturers get around it by saying it’s hardwoods, but it is hard wood particle board. The joints are all bolted, no tenon joints and after time the particle board is eaten away by the bolts and it creaks. Also you remove the fabric for reupholstery and the staples just pull out chunks of the board! Real throw-away stuff after a few years. I would advise anyone when buying a sofa to run their hands underneath the sofa along the bottom rails, if you find anything narrower than 5cm be very wary.
Zsu Fl
3 years ago
As for modernising a sofa, you can make the front arms look smaller by pintucking the fabric and using a facing panel. Most sofas have screw in feet so you can change those for something more modern. I am not personally a great fan of polyester hollofill or feather cushions. My favourite seat is a really good quality reflex foam, wrapped with a softer foam and or wadding. Ok, not as sustainable as feather but they last so much longer and don’t need plumping and always looks smart (not like an unmade bed!). I currently have a sofa over 30 years old with the same seat cushions. As you get older, dare I say it! they are much much easier to get in and out of, especially if your sofa is low. I hope this is of use to anyone thinking of buying a new sofa. I cannot give out my address, sorry, I just have too much work, have never advertised, never needed to!!
Michele Malone
3 years ago
This thread is really interesting. I have a couple of ercol sofas I'd like to get recovered. They are made of elm and so heavy. One is in fabulous condition but I can't cope withy the feather filling , having to shake it up every day and I've gone off the colour. The other, in my main living room has already been recovered about 10 years ago but it was extortionate. I could have certainly bought new a lot cheaper. Zsu FI, if you could be so kind to advise is it normal for loose cushion sofas to be much more expensive to recover? It was suggested to me that he was trying to price himself out the market but I went ahead in desperation. I'm not sure if I can again. Any advice would be gratefully received.
Zsu Fl
3 years ago
Hi Michele, it is very difficult for me to comment on your experience. Loose covers do sometimes take more fabric than fixed upholstery, they tend to have skirts which take more time and fabric. With Ercol furniture there are some that will often need the cushions replacing. As they were produced before current fire regulations. Replacing cushions can be expensive but if you do it right they will last for years
Marlene Davis
3 years ago
May I also suggest new sofa foam, I think that will help to lift the appearance of your current sofa.
Judy Coops
3 years ago
I am an interior designer and have advised many clients on the merits of recovering their old sofas. Basically it is only worth it financially if the sofa is of high quality and would cost you much more if you bought it new. Duresta is top of the range in quality and so if it is in good condition structurally it is probably worth it. I concur with the upholsterer that Warwick make good Stain resistant fabrics. In the end you get a new expensive sofa for the cost of a cheaper, less good quality one.
Charlotte McDougall
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks for your advice. Do you have before and after photos you’d be able to share of successfully recovering and modernising a sofa? Most of the ones I’ve seen online don’t look great.
Mary Ketchley
3 years ago
Wow, what a difference taking off the skirt and fussy arm covers makes.