Chair Reupholstery in New York City
Wondering if it is worth it to reupholster this chair when reupholstery tends to cost more than buying a new one? It is worth it for a chair with a good frame, or one with sentimental value: your mother's wingback, the club chair you cannot find in any store, a dining set that is sturdy but tired. It is not worth it for a cheap chair you feel nothing for, and we will say so. NYC Reupholstery has recovered dining chairs, armchairs, wingbacks, bar stools and office chairs in New York for more than 25 years, with pickup and delivery in all five boroughs. Most chairs are back in one to three weeks. Text a photo and a chair count to (914) 449-4334 for a same day quote.
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If this sounds familiar
"It was her mother's chair"
An inherited wingback in great shape, in a color that does not go with anything in your apartment. A new chair might cost less, and it will come nowhere near the quality of that one. New padding and a fabric you chose turn it into a chair you use every day instead of one you keep out of guilt.
"I did it myself and it came out horribly"
A weekend, a staple gun, and a good chair that now looks amateurish. It happens a lot, and it is fixable. We take off what was done, rebuild the padding properly and fit the cover the way it should sit. We guarantee the job will be done right, or we will make it right. Bring the fabric you bought if there is enough of it left.
"The fabric wore out in a year"
It looked luxurious in the showroom and pilled on the seat and arms by the next winter. The seat and armrests take constant friction, so that is where a loose weave goes first. We will tell you which fabrics in the book will hold up on a chair that is used daily, before you fall for one that will not.
What people worry about, answered straight
Is it worth it to reupholster this chair?
Honest answer: it usually costs more than a cheap new chair, and less than a new chair built as well as the one you have. It is worth it when the frame is solid, when you cannot find a similar piece in a store, or when the chair matters to you. A set of dining chairs with good frames is almost always worth it, because the seats are what wear out and the seats are what we replace.
What moves the price: drop-in seat or fully upholstered, tufting, springs, and the fabric. Sets are quoted per chair, in writing, from your photos.
Will the new fabric pill or wear through?
Not if it is chosen for how the chair is used. Dining chairs with kids, a reading chair with a dog in it, and an office chair each want something different. Choose from our books or bring your own. For restaurants and offices we work in commercial vinyl and performance fabric that survives daily cleaning.
How long will my chairs be gone?
One to three weeks for most chairs. Drop-in dining seats are often the fastest job we do: they come out with four screws, get new foam and fabric, and can go back the same day for a set of six.
From a customer review: "I was given consistent updates about the progress of the job and photos along the way." Shelly Highland, couch and loveseat.
Chairs that are worth recovering
- Seat foam has compressed so the frame edge digs into the back of your legs
- Fabric is torn, stained or worn shiny on the seat front and arms
- One or two chairs in a set no longer match the rest
- The chair is a good frame, vintage or inherited, in the wrong fabric
- Office chairs look tired and clients are starting to notice
- Dining chairs need a wipe-clean fabric because of kids or pets
Chair Reupholstery in New York City, done properly
Chairs take more abuse than any other piece of furniture in a New York home. Dining chairs in a Park Slope kitchen get pulled out forty times a day. The club chair by the window in a Riverdale apartment is where the dog sleeps. The office chairs in a Midtown suite have ten years of commuters in them. The frames are usually fine. The seats, padding and fabric are what wear out, and those are exactly what we replace.
Dining chair reupholstery is often the fastest job we do. Drop-in seats come out with four screws, get new foam, new fabric and a fresh dust cover, and go back in the same day for a set of six. Fully upholstered chairs with tight seats, tufted backs or spring seats are a workshop job, and we pick them up and deliver them like any other piece.
We recover armchairs, wingbacks, club chairs, slipper chairs, barrel chairs, bergères, mid-century lounge chairs, bamboo and rattan chairs, bar stools and counter stools, and office task chairs. Choose your own fabric or pick from our books. For restaurants and salons we work in commercial grade vinyl and performance fabric that survives daily cleaning.
How it works
- 1Text a photo of the chair and the number of chairs to (914) 449-4334. Set quotes usually go out the same day.
- 2Choose fabric from our sample books, in your apartment if you like, or supply your own yardage.
- 3Pickup is scheduled around your building. Drop-in seats can sometimes be done on site in one visit.
- 4We remove the old cover and padding, repair the seat frame or springs, and replace webbing.
- 5New foam cut to the seat shape with a dacron wrap for a clean edge.
- 6New cover fitted with matched pattern, welting, nailheads or double piping as the chair calls for.
- 7Delivered back and placed. Sets are matched so every chair reads the same.
What you can hold us to
- You deal with a person: Marcos and the workshop team, by name, at (914) 449-4334
- A timeframe before pickup: one to three weeks for most chairs, same visit for many drop-in dining seats
- If we find hidden damage once the old cover is off, you hear about it and approve the price before any extra work is done
- We guarantee the job will be done right, or we will make it right
- A quote from your photos and a chair count, usually the same day
- Set pricing for dining chairs, quoted per chair in writing
- Pickup and delivery across the five boroughs
- Fabric advice for how the chair is actually used, or bring your own
- 25+ years recovering chairs for New York homes, restaurants and offices
From a New York customer
More reviews“I had my old recliner reupholstered by this company, and I'm thrilled with the results. They added extra padding, making it even more comfortable.”
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Questions about chair reupholstery
Chair Reupholstery pickup areas
Chair Reupholstery questions from New York customers
Is it worth it to reupholster this chair?
If the frame is solid hardwood, if you cannot find a similar piece in a store, or if the chair has sentimental value, yes. Reupholstery tends to cost more than a mass produced new chair, and you end up with a better chair than the new one would have been. If the frame is wobbly particleboard and you are not attached to it, put the money toward a better chair. Text a photo and we will tell you which it is.
Is it necessary to see the chair before any work starts, or can you quote from pictures?
Pictures are enough for the quote on most chairs. Send the front, the side, the underside and a close photo of any damage, plus the number of chairs. We see the chair in person at pickup, and the written quote stands. If we find hidden damage once the old cover is off, you hear about it and approve the price before any extra work is done.
Is it a bad idea to try and reupholster a chair myself with no experience?
A drop-in dining seat is a fair first project. A wingback, a tufted back or anything with springs is not, and a lot of our chair work starts with undoing a home attempt. If the chair matters to you, have it done once.
How much does it cost to reupholster a chair in NYC?
It depends on the chair. A drop-in dining seat is a small job, a fully upholstered dining chair is more, and armchairs and wingbacks are priced by their tufting, springs and skirts. Sets are quoted per chair and cost less per piece than a single. Text a photo and a count to (914) 449-4334 for a written quote.
Can you reupholster dining chairs while I wait?
Often, yes. Drop-in seats that unscrew from the frame can be recovered in one visit when the fabric is in hand. Chairs with tight seats, springs or tufted backs go to the workshop and come back in one to three weeks.
What fabric holds up best for dining chairs with kids and pets?
Performance weaves such as Crypton and solution dyed acrylics, and commercial vinyl for high spill areas. They wipe clean, resist pet claws better than loose weaves, and come in enough colors that nobody can tell they are performance fabric.
Do you reupholster office chairs?
Yes, for both home offices and commercial suites. We recover task chairs, executive chairs and conference seating on site or in the workshop, in batches so a Manhattan office is never without seating. See our commercial upholstery page for volume work.
Can you fix a wobbly chair before recovering it?
Yes. Every chair gets its joints checked while the cover is off. Loose joints are reglued and clamped, broken legs and stretchers are repaired or replaced by our furniture repair shop, and springs are retied before the new cover goes on.
Find out if your chair is worth it
Text photos for a same day quote. Pickup and delivery in all five boroughs, 25+ years of upholstery in New York.