Each Monday on the DesignQuotient™ blog, DesignCoach™ Los Angeles interior designer James Swan answers readers’ questions. Post your design dilemma. DesignCoach™ can help you find the solution.

This week on the DesignCoach: Re-upholstery; Is It Just Padding the Books?

Q. : I’ve just inherited a number of pieces of furniture from my grandparents’ estate. There are some good antiques as well as some sentimental pieces of junk. My question has to do with two very nice sofas. When I say nice I’m referring to the general feeling of quality not the fabrics they are covered in. I know my grandmother spent a lot of money for these and imagine that the quality is well above average. My question has to do with the economics of recovering vs. buying new? How do you know when it’s best to just start from scratch instead of reupholstering?

The Almost Naked Sofa

The Almost Naked Sofa

A. : The science of discerning which path is best does not exist I’m sorry to say. You can, however, make some well informed guesses (typically disapproved of by scientists). Here are three questions you need to answer:

1. Exactly how well built is the piece you are considering? Solid hardwood frame; double doweled, corner-blocked construction; horsehair padding; had threaded springs…..these are all indications of a very good upholstery. Minus one or more of these features diminishes the innate value of the piece you are considering. The general figure you are looking to arrive at has to do with the cost to reproduce the piece in today’s marketplace; quality for quality. On this basis alone investing in fabric and labor for an upholster could be a wise use of your resources.
2. Do you have access to a quality upholsterer? Nothing more disheartening that unleashing a novice on a beautifully crafted piece of furniture. As we mentioned two weeks ago; when you are managing your own projects having qualified craftsmen readily available is a necessity. Do you have access to the source your Grandmother used for the purchase of the sofas? Do friends of yours have an ace upholsterer who has recently done work for them? Did you save the business card from that amazing craftsman you met at the design show house two years ago? A positive answer to these or similar questions can put you in a very good place with regards to the right person for the job.

Over the coming weeks I will be sharing with you my own vendor gathering challenges as I look to build a list of necessary craftsmen and artisans who will help me with a new East Coast residence. The house is on the mid-coast of Maine and is a far distance from any of my usual team of pros. I’ll be sharing with you the joys and sorrows of finding the right people for the job! What fun.

New House; New Project

New House; New Project

3. Last but not least you need to ask yourself if the pieces themselves are the right size for your home. If reupholstering you can tweek the “style” of a piece to fit a new home but sometimes altering the size can be a daunting task and not a cost effective one at that. It seems like a simple question until you try squeezing Grandma’s beautifully reupholstered 9 foot sofa into your 900 square foot Mid-Town Manhattan condo’s living room. Yikes! Don’t miss the obvious.

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Let us know if we can help with your design dilemma. Send us your questions.