This is a pretty easy job - I would be surprised if it even cost you that much. I re-covered a chair just like this when I was about 20 and not yet very experienced at sewing - I just used the original covers for the pattern. So if you know someone who sews, it might be worth asking them if they can help you out. :)

This is a blog posting by Emily Henderson (design star) on this exact issue: http://www.stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-reupholstering-vintage-pie.html

If they're vintage Thonet I would imagine it's worth it. It looks like there's a serial/model # on the bottom right of that tag, have you tried searching on that?

These are nice chairs and they're Thonet. Absolutely they are worth the effort to bring them back. I'm not sure of the costs involved but a few money saving tips would be to find and purchase the fabric yourself. There was an infographic on AT recently regarding amounts of fabric needed for different types of chairs.
Another tip would be to take the chairs apart yourself. I can't really tell from the pictures how they are put together but I'm sure it wouldn't be that difficult. I just use the idea that the less a trade has to do themselves, the less you will have to pay.
If you have ever done any sewing, you might want to tackle this project yourself. It really doesn't look to bad.

I, too, am going to reupholster a chair. Mine is an armless slipper chair. I just bought a 100% cotton canvas painter's drop cloth 4 ft X 15 ft, machine washable, for $16.00! It will be more than enough. ( The drop cloths come in bigger sizes, too, if that's not enough yardage for your two chairs.) I bought it at a Columbia Paint Store. Be sure to get the kind that don't have a vinyl (non-washable) coating on the backside. My plan is to pre-wash it and then use fabric paint to create a design. I may use blue painter's tape to create stripes or use a stencil design. If you are artistic at all, you could free-hand the design. Good luck with yours!

Operating under the assumption you have never sewn a stitch and now love the chairs, I think $500 plus fabric is a perfectly acceptable price for two chairs.
Here is a fabric shop where I have gotten some truly amazing deals. They specialize in mid-century styles:
http://www.winterbeachmodern.com/catalog.html
The projects page might give you some ideas.

Excellent question. As a custom furniture manufacturer, I can attest to the varying costs of re-upholstery. Fabric/leather choices, technique (tufting, etc), and many other factors can contribute to figuring the cost. With a bit of vision, you can turn the most basic furniture frame into a custom work of art...

Dupont5 beat me to punch, but definitely check out Emily Henderson's post. I think those chairs would look amazing with a deep turqouise blue linen or tweed!!

They are most definitely vintage. See the way the address is written? "New York 16, N.Y." with a 16 in lieu of a full zip code. I wouldn't hesitate to reupholster them and give the wood a nice coat of teak oil to restore it. Thonets are well-loved and a worthwhile investment.

That price sounds a bit high to me. But professional (and well-done) reupholstery is not cheap. The cost can vary quite a bit depending on where you take it, what fabric you choose, and whether you're taking them somewhere in NYC or elsewhere. There's a good chance you need new cushions inside the upholstery too, if they're dry and disintegrating. I'd do a bit of a price shopping but since you love the chairs so much, it will be worth it to extend their lives.

Good luck!

Yes, worth it to reupholster. Professional uphostering is not cheap, and of course the foam and likely the webbing are shot. Get the very best fabric you can in good conscience afford. Quality workmanship with Kravet or Lee Joffa fabric will mean the difference between okay vintage chairs (I have reupholstered myself with decent but not what I would call professional results) and really great furniture that you will love for a long time.

Definitely worth it to reupholster.

Hey Isabella, I think those chairs look great! With professional reupholstering, you can make them look better.

The price range of 500 to 600 USD is relatively cheap considering they're for both chairs already and you are in NYC. I think it's worth the price if you are willing to spend that much.

However, I suggest that if you can find a friend who's really good at sewing things, a fashion designer or someone who does diy sewing stuffs, maybe you can ask him/her to make your chair his/her next project/challenge. It'll be cheaper and fun for sure and at least you'll have the bragging rights if you are able to restore it really well.

I agree with those suggesting you try it yourself or asking a friend who sews. Get a few good upholstery books from the library to learn about the foam, padding, blind-stitching, etc. You'll be able to do it for just cost of materials... it'll save you hundreds of dollars!

Awesome chairs!

I'd recommend you get more than one quote.

I recently had some work done on a vintage sofa, similar in style to your chairs, and the first quote I got was almost *three times* what I ended up paying to a different upholsterer. Both were highly recommended on Angie's List.

I had two similar chairs reupholstered two years ago. Not including fabrics, both chairs cost about 800.00. Considering we had purchased the chairs at Salvation Army for cheap, it was worth the investment.

The chairs not only needed new coverings, but the stuffing had to be replaced, too. That sort of drove up the costs, too.

Here is how they looked after reupholstering:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k2yhe/5446421301/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/k2yhe/5062945043/in/photostream

Here at MOD, we specialize in restoration and reupholstery of mid-century modern furniture pieces and see a lot of chair similar to these pieces. The important thing to decide is if you want a quick, cheap facelift for the chairs or if you want to really get them back to mint condition. For the first option, a simple reupholstery job of the cushions should do. Unfortunately, this will not be a long-term solution, as you get what you pay for : )

The chairs appear to be in good condition, but depending on their age, the foam cushions may need to be replaced. If you really want to give them some TLC, the wood should be refinished as well. This type of job can be pricey since you have two pieces, but you should consider buying a textile remnant so you can get a big discount on the fabric and put the money into the actual restoration of the chairs themselves. Check out some discounted textiles for sale on Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MODTextiles

Best of luck and let us know if you have more questions!

I created an apttherapy account just to respond to this question.

I work for an auction house that has mid-century sales and from that point of view, PLEASE don't just ditch the old upholstery, if it's original. If you hate the color (which would look great in my living room - wink wink) make/have someone make a removable cover. Resale value is always better with the original upholstery. Somehow the act of reupholstering something always increases a seller's perception of the value of a piece when in fact - not so much.

Great chairs - enjoy!

I recently had a mid-century chair that I needed reupholstered. Didn't want to do it myself, but was on a limited budget. So I called a local professional theatre company and asked them to put me in touch with their Scene/Prop Shop Master. This is what these people do for a living on all different shows and sets.

I bought the fabric I wanted, and hired the Prop Master to do it as a side project. It was done perfectly for less than $200, including the fabric. I was happy to get it done for less, and they were happy to make some extra cash. I'll definitely do it again. I'm sure you can find someone in your town who would be glad to take on the project and do the same thing.

Hi Emmaleth, this is Isabella, I was actually curious to see how much the chairs might be worth. I was wondering if you could tell me of a mid-century auction house where I could get them appraised.
Also everybody thank you for the advice. :-D

the museum of modern art has a thonet chair in its collection. that one is @100 years older, but it could be worth getting a professional review of these.

Oh where to start... At auction a thing is only worth what TWO people are willing to fight it out over. Craigslist is much more hassle but if you live in a good area and you can wait for the right person to come along you'll get more for them.

Our appraiser ONLY does appraisals for people who are interested in selling through us, and can only tell you how much they might sell for at auction, which is very different than "replacement value" (for insurance purposes), and very different from a consignment shop's price tag (they can wait for the right person). The non-auction appraisers we recommend to people charge A LOT.

You can also check ebay and look for chairs that actually have bids on them (I can ask for $100 for a peanut but I'm not going to get it). A pair is going to sell for more than double the price of a single chair, because there is added value in having more than one, and less than half what someone would pay for 4... I could go on forever about all this (especially how buying new furniture is like buying a new car... just don't do it).

If you can put them to use and they have some sentimental value (as part of the story of your family and your evolution in tastes) they are probably worth 100-400% more to you than someone else will actually be willing to pay for them, and therefore should just stay right where they are. In the end, stuff is just stuff and any value we place on it is all in our heads anyway.

So get them covered with something beautiful or buy a couple throw pillows to distract from the color, and enjoy telling your guests the tale of the loathed chairs you grew to love.