I don't know if it's worthwhile to reupholster, but I've heard that Marcoux Upholstery in Leominster is very good. An ex's family had some pieces done there and I've talked to Mr. Marcoux about some things I wanted done -- seemed extremely knowledgable.

That's eminently 1920s with only a couple complications for the upholsterer, and nothing similar is coming out of High Point, North Carolina, at present. If you love it and can get a price you like on fabric, I'd go for reupholstering.

You can have it professionally cleaned for about $70. I'd go that route. It's a deeply cool chair!

Good quality upholstery weight fabric is going to run you $30-75 a yd. You'll need at the very least, 7 yds. Getting it reupholstered (at least in NYC) is going to run you another $800 minimum. If the inner springs and cushions are in great shape you may want to get the work done. But if it's not in tiptop shape I'd go for a new chair. Cleaning is an option but if that fabric doesn't work with your home then it's a waste of money.

Add it all up and you'll find that a new chair is going to cost less. I'd say go for the work in this chair IF it had sentimental value but since it's an inexpensive flea market find, you need to add up the cost and decide.

Good luck!

I just got estimates to reupholster a chair. Here's a quick recap on the estimates I received:

Furniture Joint - $1400
Dr. Sofa - $425
Lore - $395

Granted my chair is a different design...

It's cute! I'd clean it and make it work. Could punch it up with pillows, artwork and or a colored wall behind it.

I reupholstered a similar chair. Very much worth it. It's cool-looking, probably really comfortable, and well-built. You might find an Adult Ed. upholstery class and do it yourself if you're minded.

I think Theora55 has the best advice.

thanks for all of this advice! Before this got posted, I got a quote from The Furniture Joint to reupholster and put in new foam for $1200. If I wanted to reupholster and use horse hair it would be $3,000! yikes. I will contact those other places and if anyone can recommend other ulphosters I'll contact those. Also, any good places for fabric?

How much do you love the chair? How integral do you see it being to your decor? Does it have good "bones" (springs, cushions)? Ask yourself those questions before deciding how much you are willing to spend to rehabilitate it. Maybe a good cleaning, as suggested by anne, and a decorative throw or pillow are enough if you aren't in love, and see it as a temporary peice. I, for one, like it and think it has great potential.

I'm pretty sure the fabric is mohair velvet (I used to have a matched set very similar to this chair). I think it would look best with the same kind of fabric, if you can find it. If the fabric's not terribly worn, it might be worth polishing up the wood and getting the upholstery steam cleaned. It would be a lot cheaper then reuphostering.

you can't steam clean mohair (wool) it will ruin it. find a rug/furniture cleaner who will use foam shampoo.

mood is the place for fabric
it is around 37th st. bt. 7th and 8th

I have a chair very similar to this that I used as an upolstery class project. You should totally do it yourself, so fun and so easy. Get some great fabric and go for it!

From the picture, this chair appears to have nice bones. I agree with Theroa55; I would first rent or borrow a steam cleaner and try using just water. If that doesn't help graduate on up starting with mild soaps. Before you do that decide if the color works for you, if not and you still like the bones move to upholstery. Incidentally upholstery isn't hard, but the cushion will take an industiral sewing machine.

It's a great looking chair and the end result will make it worth whatever effort you put into it. Go for it!

I agree with Maureen and kind of with theora55. The latter because if you're game and will REALLY do it; then do it. But if you're going to procrastinate because you think you SHOULD do it, then don't try to take this on, yourself.

I had a chair re-upholstered for like $1,300, which was such a bizarre chair that I knew that I couldn't do it myself, and I just decided that I was gonna have it look nice, no matter what.

What I DID do myself was to (in my case, but I would NOT in your case) paint the wood myself, because I wanted a very specific look that I trusted myself with, because I'm kind of all about paint.

But for the work of the upholstering, I searched high and low for the kind that I wanted, and I found it, and I had a tiny little place that isn't there anymore (Avenue "A" and 1st St.) and since my chair had 3 backs (ah.. but it was front and back, so it was kind of 6 backs) and a very odd-shaped box cushion, they did it.

Alright, I think I spent $350 for the fabric, and I paid them about $1,300, but since I found the chair on the street, it basically only cost me what it took have it re-upholstered.

Chairs that are vintage and interesting and in very good shape and/or have been re-upholstered already can cost WAY more than that.

In fact, chairs that are brand new and NOT very interesting can cost more than that.

So... I'm telling you that if you compare the price of this $1,270 Restoration Hardware Chair:

http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod2730004&navCount=3

...to what YOUR chair would like re-upholstered, yours wins, hands-down!

Meanwhile, with that barley-twist detail under the "hand" part of the arms of yours, you could look for a fabric that has something that will reflect that, or perhaps find some trim that has something like that for use at the seams and edges of the upholstery. I think that if you just fasten your seatbelt, this could be a fun adventure.

Oh -- the chair I'm talking about that I found on the street and had reupholstered is this one:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/011707curtistour/curtisinsideout15

and this is another photo of it:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/011707curtistour/curtisinsideout16

There is a correctional center near us (in Maryland) and they do furniture repair very cheaply. Might look into something similar if there isn't an adult-ed option nearby.

curtis, i love your chair! what a great street find. totally worth the $$ to reupholster.

You'll be hardpressed to find upholstery weight fabric at Mood. It's mostly apparel fabric.

Mood has had upholstery and drapery fabrics for over a year now.