Furniture Reupholstery: A Sustainable Alternative versus Buying New

Buying new furniture in comparison to refurbishing old furniture can be quick, easy and economical. You can shop some of the big showrooms, make a purchase and often take it home all in the same day, along with putting the old piece on the curb for the landfill. However, you can for a more sustainable alternative for buying new and that is furniture reupholstery.

Furniture Reupholstery Basics

The first step in determining re-upholstery as an option is to judge the quality of your piece. Upholstered furniture pieces are like cars and electronics: the quality is hidden inside. Old furniture may be better quality in materials and construction than what you could get for the same cost in a new piece of furniture. An easy way to determine quality is to gauge whether the old sofa or chair seems to be sturdy and well-constructed while only the fabric is worn. Second, if you like the style and size of what you have, you already know what you are getting. More importantly, you know whether your old piece is comfortable. It is not always easy to determine this from a few minutes in a showroom.

Furniture Reupholstery Process

Re-upholstery involves more than replacing the fabric. The frame, springs, and padding are all inspected and re-glued, repaired, or replaced as necessary.

Furniture Reupholstery is Cost-Effective

The cost of re-upholstery will generally be more expensive than cheaply made furniture but less expensive than most high end furniture. It is best to call a few local re-upholstering businesses to estimate the range of cost.

While it can seem a bit overwhelming to sort through materials, production methods, and life cycle assessments, there are certain overarching principles to guide us toward low impact sofas, tables, cabinets and chairs. What makes furniture sustainable, and how are we defining that tricky term?

Furniture Reupholstery are Environment-Friendly

Materials must be of low or no environmental impact in terms of sourcing. Make sure that the raw materials are renewable, recyclable and nontoxic. Their processing must not create toxic pollution. Aside from that, their production methods should produce only a small carbon footprint with a positive or neutral social impact in a fair trade and fair made manner. The finishes must be of low or nontoxic ingredients, minimal or no off-gassing of harmful fumes. Also, their life cycles must ensure that the product’s impact from cradle to grave, end of life—is reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable. In terms of durability, the design must be enduring and the materials and construction durable.

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. When you have the right upholstery design and quality, mixing and matching your sofa cushions will not be a difficult task, and it will be something that you’ll truly enjoy.

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