REUPHOLSTERING YOUR VINTAGE FURNITURE

If you are a collector of vintage furniture like my wife and I, you know that not all couches come in a perfect package.  Unless, of course, you're willing to dish out a lot of dough.

That amazing twenty-dollar 1950's chair with holes, two missing legs and a funny odor looks very promising, but just doesn't seem worth all the hassle.  Sound familiar?   For us, this story is all too familiar. 

We've purchased quite a few couches  over the years with every intent of reupholtering them, but at the end of the day they all just "sat" there collecting dust.  It wasn't until my wife had a vision (a vision I wish I possessed) with a vintage 1950's musty, dirty gold couch/chair set she picked up for $300 (on Craigslist, I think).  This was the set to break us out of that procrastination mold.  After quite some time of having them in the house and doing some research on the right business to perform the job, she decided on a place in Long Beach, CA - the name of which escapes me.  The job took about a month and the wait was well worth it.  The material they used wasn't what my wife expected at first, but as can be seen in the photo's they are Pepper tested and Pepper approved.

At the end of the day, we paid $1,200 for the work.  So, if you're considering a project like this be mindful that the $300 couch set is NOT a $300 couch set.

In my opinion, buying vintage is the better way to go as it is made from real wood with quality craftsmanship unlike the pressed wood used in today's furniture.  Also, you're not just buying a piece of furniture, you're investing in art as well as a piece of history. 

We've had another set of chairs reupholstered from the same place using our own deadstock 1950's upholstery and will provide information on them in a seperate post.

Before