apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I believe Hendrdon is known for making fine kiln-dried upholstered pieces. If you love the shape, keep it! A good upholstery shop should be able to tighten/replace springs, update the down-wrapped cushions, and of course put a great new fabric on it. I think it's got really neat bones and would keep it. Expect to spend $500-$700 on a refurbish (depending on your metro area).

It's beautiful! I say spent the money to restore it. It would be especially cool with a fabric you love.

I love the unique curve shape! You should try to have a professional reupholstered and then use a simple pattern (please no flowery stuff) or plain color. Maybe even a fitted slip cover, so you can change color depending on mood/season, and it's easier to wash.
It might cost some money, but you're saving it from landfill.
You could even contact the manufactures and see if they could do anything on it. It's worth a try.
I'd like to see the couch come back with a new look.

Hi,

If you love it you should get an estimate to reupholster it, if it is equivalent to or cheaper than buying a new sofa than it may be worth it to you.

The shape is interesting, maybe a modern fabric and loose the skirt at the bottom to expose the legs (if they are finished).

I've never seen a sofa shape like that, Crate and Barrel are doing a similar one this season in beautiful blue hue but this one has much more character. I agree with everyone and have it reupholstered.

I wouldn't spend more than $1000 on a quality reupholster of the piece—it certainly has a interesting shape.

If you're in Brooklyn you might try DAS Upholstery on Cortelyou Road 1312 Cortelyou Road 718-284-1079. I have no affiliation with DAS, but they tend to do good work at a good price.

I'd definately re-upholster it.

i think it would look so great in a solid fabric with a tufted back.

Hey
I'm an upholsterer.
I would lose the skirt as Bryant suggested. You could also put some more padding in the back and tuft into it one row of buttons only (you wouldn't need the back pillows). Choose a solid modern fabric with some texture (mohair) and you would have one very good piece.
I say worth saving.

I think this is a great loveseat. The shape is terrific and I love the small-scale size as well. Wish I could find something similar for myself! I recovered and old couch years ago and although I spent nearly as much as I could have on a new couch, the old one literally became better than new--the upholsterer not only did great work but tightened the frame, polished the wood, etc. Go for it.

It would look amazing in some simple, swanky fabric. It probably would not cost more than a new sofa and you'd have a truly unique piece.

Hi all --

Thanks for the comments!

I've got two quotes so far from Boston-area upholsterers (The Fabric Place and Second Life). The estimates range from $1200 - $2300! Do you *still* think it's worth it?! I've never had anything reupholstered before so these numbers seem really high to me.

Thanks again, you guys are great!

-- Angela

I think if you're reupholstering a couch that big and the springs need work, paying at least $1200 isn't surprising. I've gotten quotes before on reupholstering chairs, and it's not cheap.

Somewhat off topic, but can anyone recommend a good upholstery shop in the SF bay area?

http://cgi.ebay.com/CRESCENT-BACK-SOFA-UPHOLSTERED-IN-SILK-BLEND-LAMPAS_W0QQitemZ220223446611QQcmdZViewItem

I believe that's the same sofa going for over 7k on ebay.

I would do it. A new, well-built couch would cost you at least that much; a new, well-built couch with such unusual lines would cost much more.

Its a great shape, I would do it. Its really pretty.

In honour of earth day I think you need to re-do it
:-)

Yes, keep it! It's such a fun shape and a re-fab would be TOTALLY worth the money. I see it in a beautiful velveteen in a deep eggplant or a pale olive.

We just had two vintage chairs reupholstered by this place and they did a fantastic job:

Galeano's Upholstery
718/396-9816
galeanoupholstery@hotmail.com
48-10 Skillman Ave, Sunnyside

The price was incredibly reasonable and you should definitely give them a call. If you love the shape it's certainly worth trying to save. Much better than a generic new sofa.

Please show us when you have an "after" photo!

If you love it, you may keep it a very long time. You could replace it with something more economical in the short run, but I think you have a well-made piece underneath... and you already love it. It will last; if you treat it with care, it will not have to be redone again for a very long time. If your other option is to buy something less well made brand-new, like it a lot less, and need to replace it sooner with another cheaper item less well made, then keep the one you have, for it is well made and unless you were exaggerating, you love it.

Definitely worth reupholstering. My parents had a Henredon couch for over 30 years -- reupholstered twice during its life. When they were ready to move and couldn't fit it in their new place, my sister got it and it is now living on for an additional 5 years.

I purchased a Henredon couch and can't kill it. They are definitely well made, so it is worth the investment, especially if you love the couch's shape...

I think you'll play hell finding a couch in that very specific kidney bean shape with that curved in arm on each end.

It cost me $1,300 to have a chair reupholstered and I haven't regretted it for a minute. At least the chair itself was found on the street, so all it cost was what the re-do cost. Mine had "3 backs" so-to-speak, which were all front-and-back, though. That was like 7 or 8 years ago, and it still looks great, so I'm still thrilled.

Here is a version of what you've got (posted on Red House Design blog). It is beyond cool:

http://bp3.blogger.com/_f_rUi6kjzJ0/SAjFcUvsNUI/AAAAAAAAA18/gX4Mc1hN5ak/s1600-h/05_1206786911.jpg
05_1206786911.jpg (image)


http://redhousedesign.blogspot.com/
red.house

What would people suggest as far as fabric? Stripes? Solids? Large, simple pattern?

nubby worsted wool!

Do it! I just looked at the prices of Ikea sofas, and they range from $500 to $1,200. And that's for something that everyone else in the world has/can have. If you reupholster you will have a one-of-a-kind original, and it will last decades, which you can't really say about Ikea. (Not to knock Ikea; I have plenty of their stuff and like it.) Don't take out a loan or go into debt to do this project, but if you can swing it, pick the person who has the best recommendations and gives you the best vibe (not necessarily the lowest quote) and negotiate, letting him/her know that you have lower quotes. Good luck and have fun!

The shop I use (in Portland, OR) would charge at least $1200 for that based on projects they've done for me (my last project was a 1930's art-deco barrel chair that was around $1000, including fabric which was around $40 a yard. Good upholstery fabric is not cheap.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7878321@N03/2295328167/

Before you spend the money, make sure there's nothing like it for the money elsewhere.

As to the springs, are they 8-way hand tied springs, or the sinuous springs? If they're sinuous, it's not worth the money to fix in my opinion. On the other hand if the shop can replace the sinuous srpings with hand tied coil springs, that would be worth the upgrade cost (in my opinion).