This simple montage of four photos shows the start to finish process on the reupholstery of a classic Queen Anne style chair.  Probably fifty years old, this kind of chair always has a superb frame construction.

The wings are of beech construction with hand made joints! They don’t make ‘em like that any more.

With quality new fillings, tightened springs and a fabulous new cover, the end result is a joy. A priceless family heirloom.

Show wood as seen here on the arms and scroll area is one of the real advantages of reupholstery. Choosing loose covers means a revamp and a new look but show wood is covered up. It is after all a loose cover.

With reupholstery however it’s a different story. The pictures below show how this sofa was quite literally taken to pieces and rebuilt by the Plumbs reupholstery team.

An added complexity was that each side of the sofa has an independent recliner action. A very complex job but also a very satisfying outcome.

Nothing unusual in this order you might say. The pictures however tell the whole story of what well made loose covers are all about. Taking a well constructed but tired piece of furniture and breathing in new life.

Below shows a view of a piece of furniture that most of us never see. In this case proper steel springs, hardwood frame and quality fillings mean that this is a piec of furniture made to last.

The end result ready to be wrapped and delivered. There is probably 30 hours of skilled labour and around 40 metres of fabric gone into this 3 piece suite.

Every week there are around 100 reupholstery orders passing through our workrooms. Every one gets the same attention however some really do stand out as being interesting or unusual.

This is a great example. Double drop arm sofas like this really are worth preserving as the mechanisms and frames are very well built.

These pieces are particularly versatile as they create a fabulous day bed or even emergency sleepover for unexpected guests.

The pictures say it all. The original furniture has been stripped down right to the frame and all internal elements checked and replaced where necessary. The end result with the new fabric applied is just stunning. This could so easily have gone into landfill but now it’s good for another generation to enjoy.

It doesn’t get more extreme than this.  People are often extremely reluctant to part with their furniture, even when things look utterly desperate.

This sofa maybe pushing sentimental attachment to the limits but emotional ties with furniture can often lead to major upholstery repairs.

Last week I was talking about how reupholstery is good for furniture with show wood. Another interesting example appeared this week in the Plumbs re-upholstery workshops. This fascinating chair is one that stands out and really shows how show wood furniture can be transformed.

I haven’t seen a recliner before with this footstool arrangement. Very unusual!

The foot rest has the appearance of a drawer which then pulls out. The leather upholstery contrasts well with the newly reupholstered cushions for a really interesting finish.

The heavily carved wooden frame picture 13 contrasts well with the new fabric, a superb end result.

A lot of work and skill goes into this type of project but the end result is worthwhile. These pictures underline the fact that if a piece of furniture has a good frame, it’s worth keeping. It’s good for the environment and gives really satisying end results. The people doing this work really are taking pride in their efforts.

One of the main benefits of reupholstery over loose covers is the ability to retain special features.

Show wood is a good example. A couple of recent examples from the Plumbs reupholstery workrooms are shown here.

In both cases the customers had chosen reupholstery to retain the wood features of the furniture:

The example below shows half way through and then the finished article.

This shows work in progress as the reupholstery fabric is attached beneath the position of the arm:

The finished article looks superb. Every details of the furniture is exactly as in the original state when the furniture was brand new.

In summary for furniture with special features such as show wood, reupholstery is the best option.