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Classic sofa reupholstery styles - what is tufting?

Home All Classic sofa reupholstery styles – what is tufting?

Classic Chesterfield sofa reupholstery with diamond tufting in Cardinal – Petrol, one of 49 velvet fabrics available

Almost all styles of upholstered furniture are suitable for reupholstery – you can reupholster a wing chair and couch, a style with rolled arms, a bold 1970s style suite, a tuxedo with a low back. You can reupholster a recliner couch. You can reupholster a Multiyork, Parker Knoll, Multiyork, John Lewis and Ercola suite. You can even reupholster a Chesterfield with tufting.

The classic Chesterfield, with its deep buttons, is a fine example of tufting. However, many other styles of sofas and armchairs have tufting too. If you’re wondering if the tufting is a tricky obstacle to sofa reupholstery, it’s not – our Master Upholsterers do a fine job.

Tufting shapes upholstery

The structure of the upholstery on your couch is layered: from the frame up and out, you have hessian webbing, springs, foam and a soft wadding (or batting). These are topped by fabric or leather (or vegan leather). Our Master Upholsterer will replace worn layers as they go, rejuvenating your couch so it looks like new.

Tufting is a button detail that creates a structural shaping of the fabric, foam and batting. There are different styles of tufting that create three different shapes, so you can choose one that suits your tastes:

  • Diamond
  • Biscuit
  • Channel

As well as being finished with a button, blind tufting creates structured shapes without the use of buttons, just tufting twine, for a simpler look.

What’s the reason for tufting upholstery?

Many people find tufting visually pleasing. Our sumptuous velvets (like Chelsea Velvet – Rose) and recycled velvets (like Eco Velvet – Vine) and sleek vegan leather fabrics (like Vaquero – Aniline) look especially amazing on a tufted reupholstered couch. Light catches the folds, pleats and valleys of the sofa’s shape, enhancing the high end aesthetic.

Historically, sofas and chairs were stuffed with a range of organic materials like straw, animal hair and even sawdust! Tufting was designed to keep the innards in place and to stop them disintegrating too quickly. Modern foam doesn’t move around, so tufting remains as a design element only, while being comfortable to sit on.

Why sofa reupholstery?

Sofa reupholstery is a popular option when you want to revive a suite that’s past its best. It’s good value, especially if it’s in a style you love and of a high quality that would be expensive to buy from new. Also, for the eco-conscious among you, it stops your old sofa ending up in landfill or being incinerated.

Free swatches and a free consultation

Why not browse our reupholstery fabrics and shortlist a few favourites? We’ll send you a free swatch pack of your chosen samples in the post.

When you’re ready to talk through your options, it’s time to book a free visit from your local consultant. They have a lot of experience and can make sure your sofa gets the makeover you deserve.

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