apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have no idea, but its a beautiful piece. Congrats.

If you don't plan to resell it then I would go ahead and cover it in whatever is going to make you happy, after all you're going to be the one living with it.

ps. $175 is a great price for such a nice looking couch!

there's more info here:
http://www.collectdunbar.com/hear_our_story_page3.html

Those are basically a dime a dozen.

You will increase, not decrease, the value by cleaning it up with new fabric.

Be aware though, that generally speaking it will be cheaper to buy a new sofa than to recover one.

Do not pay to have it recovered without looking at the frame and suspension.

Is the frame held together with corner-blocks and screws, or can you see staples? If you see staples, don't bother. Also, is the wood a hardwood or a soft pine. If it's pine, don't bother.

Is the suspension made of individually tied toil springs, or is it those "S" shaped things (sinuous springs). Coil springs, in older furniture, are better quality in general than sinuous springs.

My last upholstery project came in at a little over a thousand and that was for a *chair*. I paid the money because it's a rare kind of chair thatis hard to find - and it was a personal project with no thought towards ever selling it so the cost didn't matter in that regard.

If you like that style and you want new upholstery I would say check out DWR and get a new one.

If you add the $175 you already paid to a *professional* upholstery job, which will involve making new cushions from scratch. you'll be out somewhere around $1500-1800 (rough guess).

If you truly love *that* sofa, then go for it. Otherwise slipcover it and use it till it falls apart or you get tired of it.

Whoa, apparently I need to go into the upholstery business...

Since the seat and back rest cushions are separate it would be easy enough to make them. For the rest of the couch you can make a tailored cover. It would set you back two weekends, a bottle of wine and about 12 yards of fabric. Take a trip to the garment district and look in the fabric stores, remember always haggle, and you'll come out with something real nice.

Good luck!

I agree with boomer. It looks like furniture from the 70s to me.
1970s NOT 1770s.

By reupholstering it the impact you will make on its value will be whatever you pay to reupholster it. If you pay $1,000 to reupholster it that impact will be on your wallet but I doubt that you will ever be able to get more than $200 to $300 for it...even after you reupholster it...but if you like it -- do it.

It doesn't look like an antique to me so it's "used furniture."
What sites/links did you look at that lead you to believe it's a valuable sofa?

Boomer--

Dunbar is one of the best quality furniture makers in America - They don't use staples, pine, etc...

It is definately worthwhile to have this piece reupholstered - even if the OP spends $1500-2000 on the work, the sofa would be far better quality than anything that could be purchased new for the same money.

Glad to hear it. When I said dime a dozen I meant the style. I know nothing about the maker (obviously) so that's good to hear. In that case definitely use a professional with a good reputation to do the job.

"Be aware though, that generally speaking it will be cheaper to buy a new sofa than to recover one."

This is completely incorrect information.

Shop around, hunt for a good price on fabric, and you could probably have that couch recovered for $500 t0 $800 in labor, plus fabric. Great quality fabrics can be found online and at remnant shops for $10/yd. That couch will probably need 15 yards @ 58" wide, including welting.

Good quality upholstery does not have to cost you $1500-$3000 (price of a new couch).

Been there, done it on two couches and two arm chairs.

Kim, I was speaking from experience.

I have used "bargain" upholsteres.

A mistake I will never repeat.

You get what you pay for.

If you have a peice *worth* recovering, it's worth it to only use the best. Especially if this piece is as rare and high quality as they say.

At least that would be my take. I refuse to use cheap fabric or cheap labor. Good upholsterers are around $75 an hour. The problem with remnant shopping is 1) very limited selection and 2) if you do find something you like there may not be enough of it.

I learned a while back to stop shopping for fabric on my own and follow my upholsterer's advice when it came to which fabric to use. He's actually talked me out of using $80-per-yard fabric that I was set on in favor of $30-a-yard fabric that was more suited to the piece, better wearing, and more comfy that what I had in mind.

To each their own though.

Oh it just occurred to me that maybe my costs are higher because when I have a piece redone I replace everything but the frame and springs. I never re-use old stuffing. Ick.

My advice. Regardless of what it costs make sure you feel comfortable with your decisions and who you choose to do the work.

Make sure the fabric you purchase is either backed or gets backed. This is a knit backing that helps strengthen the fabric and prolongs wear. Also, you should spend the money on new cushion fills. Unless the sofa has been reupholstered in the past few years with new fills it doesn't make sense to spend the money and upholster over old filling materials.

Definitely make sure the frame is in great shape. Also, this is a great time to make any minor design changes to the frame if you want. If you want the upholstery to last have the sofa and cushions covered in muslin prior to upholstery. This is an added expense but well worth it.

I view upholstering a sofa like having custom window coverings made. Don't skimp on the fabric, or the labor. Also, like painting your home, the most important thing is the prep work. Make sure you have your fabric backed and for best results make sure you have the sofa first covered in muslin.

Good luck,

Ed Wormley designed for Dunbar. Check 1st dibs.com to search for similar designs/prices to see what originals in great condition go for.

hmmm...looks like the dream sofa I've been looking for (no kidding--i really think that might be a wormley, a sofa I've wanted for years and haven't found. i can't believe you beat me to it on craigslist!!!!!). any chance you want to resell it?!?! if not, honestly, just get it nicely reupholstered and enjoy it. lucky duck!

ps i am dead serious about reselling it to me if you're interested...and for a lot more than $175.

fishing.... any upholsterer reccs in seattle?
I'm dying for help.

Thanks for all the info on this sofa! When I bought it I thought "Dunbar" was a furniture maker local to Vancouver, where an area of the city is known as Dunbar. Glad to find that I'm wrong!

If I keep it (not sure I can afford to keep a sofa that could cover a few mortgage payments - kdel, the prices on 1st dibs.com are insane), I am going to have it recovered. The cushions are filled with down, which I imagine would be really expensive to replace. Can the upholster clean/supplement the down to to restore full loftiness?

I agree that having it reupholstered will bring you basically in the same range of getting a new couch. Sure, you CAN get it done for much cheaper, but you also CAN get a couch for really cheap too. If you're going to go through the trouble of refinishing such a quality frame, I would recommend against cutting corners and doing it at IKEA prices - you will get what you paid for.

Gursk,

I don't know about cleaning and supplementing the down and due to the age it might not make sense. Look into a down/feather envelope that will wrap a foam core. This will keep costs down and shouldn't be that expensive although it is all relative. I would assume that a good quality upholstery job would cost around $2K give or take depending on the fabric and what upholsterers charge in your area. But, you can look at it as an investment. A good upholstery job will last at least 10 years. If you decide to recover it sooner you won't have to deal with replacing the cushions or repairing the frame, etc. 10 years at $2K is only 55 cents a day. How could you go wrong!!!

DahliaCactus -

I can't help with Seattle but I know someone who might be able help you. I'm in the Portland/Vancouver area. The guy I use is "Rose City Upholstery". He should be able to tell you who in seattle is up to his standards. Tell him Keith sent you.

Good luck...

Gursk -

What SBDesign said! The down wrapped foam cushions are to die for. They are *very* comfortable in my opinion, and not terribly expensive compared to standard foam. You won't regret it!

I opted for the down-wrap cushions on my sofa. It's more comfy than any bed I've ever slept in... No joke. Of course "comfort" is a very subjective and personal thing...

One comment on using down cushions though.

The look in my experience isn't as "crisp" and "tight" lined as the sofa looks in your picture. The cushions will be a little fluffier/fuller.

Best thing to do is go to a good quality sofa store where they have both kinds of cushions so you can see the difference in person.

If staying as true to the original as possible is a design concern that's something you may want to keep in mind.

check out the Dunbar website: www.collectdunbar.com
for more information on their furniture and Wormley

Thanks for the ideas on the cushions Boomer - they are currently all down filled & require plumping daily to look as they do in the picture. I couldn't have submitted one of them in their deflated state. :)

I have a couple of Dunbar occasional chairs; they're nice pieces and I had no hesitation about recovering them.

You have a nice couch; make it nicer by making it just what you want. It's not an investment (as such, I doubt it would ever pay off).

Since we have some knowledge folks discussing cushion construction, I've another question. I'm getting ready to purchase a good sofa for the first time. I have some physical limitations that mean I need a higher and, most importantly, a firmer seat (i.e. more supportive). Should I choose down, high density foam, or down/feather envelope around a foam core? Any insights would be greatly appreciated.