Upholster an Antique Furniture with Sentimental Value

27 March 2020

In the age of the Konmari method, it is a surprise that many people still choose to keep things that are neither beneficial nor functional. Although, it makes more sense if you add the sentimental value of such objects into the equation. Sentimental value plays a vital role especially in deciding which objects are obsolete and which ones to keep. The same case applies to furniture. Some homeowners choose to upholster old or previously-owned furniture rather than buy a replacement one.

In their defence, there is no monetary value that you can place on an antique furniture with a high sentimental value. Maybe it was handed down to you by your grandmother, or maybe it was purchased as a memento on a romantic vacation. The desire to keep such furniture has emotional ties that are almost always unbreakable. And it will always make sense to keep it around so that in the future you can pass it on to someone you value. However, you cannot deny the fact that time can take a toll in such treasured antique furniture. Along the way, it can incur a series of damages or wear and tear that only upholstery can fix. Below are ways on how you can do so.

Pick the Pieces You Love

If you love the frame, the style, the overall look of the piece, then honestly, keep that useful piece around by opting to have it reupholstered and add back in padding that’s been well-used over the years. This way you keep that favourite piece but it’s beautiful and comfortable again. You can also add additional layers of padding instead of removing all the existing padding.

Swap or Replace Pieces You Can Do Away Without

Antique furniture comes with several considerations – is it the fabric that you don’t love, or the solid elements? Upholstery is furniture magic, but it can’t change the frame or overall shape of a piece. If it’s worth something to you, you can look at swapping out new legs on couches and chairs if the rest of the piece is still valuable to you.

Old padding often loses its air, starts to deteriorate or falls apart. Getting a good look at the existing padding can let an expert know if it needs to just be supplemented or replaced entirely. Disintegrated padding that is causing fabric to wrinkle in actually wears out the exterior fabric more quickly as well, so it’s important to replace worn padding at the same time as a upholstery job.

Select Materials Based on Your Preferences

Antique furniture sometimes used rubber foam, which is difficult to find now. If authenticity of the build is important to you, another antique piece may need to be sourced for the replacement. Other old pieces may have even had a spring that was made by hand, wrapped in cotton, and padded with raw cotton or even horsehair. Horsehair actually is still available, but the price certainly changes when it comes to mimicking or sourcing original-style, authentic methods and materials for upholstery. Upgrading materials, if authenticity isn’t your concern, can often give longer lasting results that are much cheaper.

We, at Absolute Upholstery can definitely assist you with the upholstery of your antique furniture. We are proud of our fantastic reputation for top quality work and great service for all your upholstery needs and preferences.

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