6 Tips to Help You Decide About Furniture Restoration

As experts in furniture restoration in Brighton, one of the most common questions we get is whether it is worth restoring a piece of furniture.  Now the answer is always individual to the piece and the owner but there are some general tips to help you see whether furniture restoration is what’s needed.

What’s the age of the furniture?

A good starting point is the age of the furniture and where it came from.  Furniture made in the last 10 years or so isn’t always made in a way that makes it worth reupholstering.  There are plenty of exceptions for higher quality furniture or if the damage is only slight.  Newer furniture that is also in solid condition could be fine to be restored depending on the nature of the damage.

Is the furniture in solid condition?

Let’s say you are considering sofa covering in Brighton for an older sofa.  Then you want to check to make sure it is in a strong, solid condition.  Shake the sofa by each arm and do the same with the back – is there movement or unsteadiness that seems like the frame may have weaknesses?  If there is, it might not be the best candidate to be restored as there could be structural damage.

What is the frame made from?

For furniture to be worth reupholstering completely, it is worth inspecting the frame.  Is it made from hardwood and doesn’t have too many knots in the wood?  Are all the joints secured with dowels and glue rather than stapes?  Does the sofa feel heavy when you try to lift it, showing it has a solid frame?

How are the springs and cushions?

Are the springs doing their job and sitting on the sofa or chair feels solid and even?  How are the cushions?  Both of these things can be replaced as part of the project, but it is worth remembering that it will cost more to have these jobs done in addition to the upholstery itself.

What kind of fabric do you want?

Whether a piece of furniture is worth restoration is one thing but also what you want to do with it is another consideration.  For example, if you want leather recovering in Brighton for an existing leather piece, this works better than switching from leather to fabric or fabric to leather – often the frame isn’t quite right for this.

Can the furniture retain its personality?

This is more for older pieces of furniture and antiques but often what makes them special is their history and their personality – often these can be handmade or one-off pieces of furniture than are a little quirky.  When looking at restoration, can this be done in a way that doesn’t spoil that uniqueness or personality?  A restoration expert will be best suited to help you with this because they will know what kind of work can be done and what will be in keeping with the piece.  They will also know how much you can change about it without losing what makes it special.