If you grip and shove its back from behind, does the frame resist firmly, or give loosely or even shake back and forth? If you lift the sofa by one of its feet leaving only the diagonal foot on the floor, does it stay together tightly or do different sections droop unevenly? Do its feet touch the floor at the same time when you let it down slowly? Does the sofa wobble? Disclaimer: I'm not into antiques.

Lol, I love your disclaimer, Elaine. Generally, I look for wobbling in the frame. If the couch squeaks your springs probably need tightening or replacing (something a good upholsterer would do for you anyhow). But in general a 6-7 foot sofa will cost about 500-800 to reupholster in fabric. I would just account your time/budget and compare that to how much you like your sofa against spending about 1200 for a new one.

I vote to upholster and save your designated landfill from yet one more sofa!

I've reupholstered/refinished every stick of furniture in my house, and here's what I've learned about your questions:

1. Squeaking, wobbling, and dead spots where the springs don't spring (or you can feel springs through the padding) are all signs that a piece of furniture needs structural attention. Such things are frequently repairable!

2. I love NewToto.com for fabrics--screaming deals on remnants of designer stuff.

Good luck!

I agree with all above. As for fabric, if you're in NYC, go to the fabric district. I would die to be able to get there. I have had great luck with medium or heavy weight linens. You can even consider denim or heavy suiting fabric. Fabric.com has some great faux suedes(I have pets). Order swatches though.

I finished re-upholstering an Edwardian sofa myself last weekend, complete with re-doing the down-filled cushion. Sofa = easy to do. Cushion = not so easy and I don't want to do another one! The previous fabric on the sofa was okay, just worn and I didn't like it, so I went over the top of it with "new" fabric, attaching it with tiny nails and hot glue. I used two old Ikea cotton duvet covers I found at Value Village for about $12 all total to re-cover it. I doubt the fabric will last long but figured I am not out anything but a bit of time as the fabric was so cheap. Also, I have never covered a sofa before and didn't want to have to toss out $100 worth of fabric if I screwed up. It turned out super well, and the pattern is busy enough to cover the only pucker I made. It took about 15 hours, and was well worth doing as I love my sofa! I have re-upholstered most all of my furniture, and it really isn't that hard to do as long as you are handy and patient.

As well, a friend of mine just had two of her sofas professionally re-upholstered. They look fabulous! Re-covering is well worth doing if you like the shape and comfort of your existing couch, especially if you can do it yourself and save cash that way.

I recently had a settee (antique loveseat) reupholstered. Beware that is it very expensive! The labor alone for my piece was $1200. Upholstery will run you another $500 - $1000 unless you can find something on sale. Beware too of using 100 percent cotton as it will not last very long because it will not wear well over time. The best wearing upholstery will be some sort of a blend between natural and synthetic fibers. The blends give you the positive properties of each type of fiber. That said, a reupholstered piece can be unique and beautiful and last for years if done right.

Similar to the question, I inherited a great sofa from the 60s from my Grandmother and love the length, look, and super comfy sofa bed. But the 50 year old fabric is falling apart. The foam cushions have seen better years. Is this a feasible first project? Any advice would be great...

@RentingOnaBudget it probably depends on how complex the couch is. I would expect that if it has lots of curves and tucks and detail of that variety that it would be really difficult but if it's simple, with straight lines I would think it would be easier. That said, I've never done it myself. The one item I'm looking at reupholstering is going to a pro. It's too detailed for me to want to try.

@dylan40 thanks for the heads up about NewToto.com. Browsed the site, and they have some nice stuff. I just ordered a bunch of free swatches to try out for my HeyWake dining chairs.

its cheaper to buy a new sofa, my parents just recovered their L shaped sectional sofa which was made by flex steel and it was pricey. Yes they had the arms completely rebuilt from rounded traditional arms to high squared off modern arms, but total it was about 3000 dollars. They could have gotten a completely new sofa, or two, or three, but they structure is very strong, and it is seriously beautiful, plus they are didnt throw another couch into a landfill.

I think cost is the biggest factor, but not in the way many might be thinking. Yes, reupholstering will cost a great deal, probably more than a new couch. BUT, since you have multiple sofas (you don't say how many), you might be able to get a better deal (it doesn't hurt to ask). There's also the inherent value in having vintage or antique pieces. I'd check the structure for wobbliness and also get it appraised if you think they're going to be hard to find or valuable pieces.

RentingOnaBudget- We just had a 60s sofa reupholstered (with new cushions) for $1400. including fabric. We used a cotton velvet. It looks beautiful.

Reupholstery services care pricey, but you will never find a quality, custom replacement new for $1200. Quality furniture can last a lifetime and if it is a piece you love, the $1200 will be well worth it to have it reupholstered. Not to mention you are not adding anything to a landfill. Wishing you luck!

I'm currently reupholstering an antique wingback, as a trial for if I think I'll be able to tackle my sofa. The chair is turning out beautifully and I'm really surprised by how easy it's been. I'm not looking forward to the cushions, on the chair or the sofa, but I feel like if those are the only parts I can't do on my own I can pay to have a professional do that.

My sofa is really nice, I'm just not into the aesthetics of it anymore, but I know I can't afford to replace it with a piece of the same quality. That is why I am choosing to reupholster rather than buy new. I am going to attempt to cut the arms down (currently they are a rounded traditional look...I'm going for squared off, more modern), and I have a chair to practice that on first as well. I would definitely recommend getting one or two inexpensive projects to try your hand at before commiting to the big piece, as you learn sooo much as you go.

If you decide to go for it, remember to take pictures of the piece as your deconstructing. It is so much easier to refer to a picture, rather than wasting time trying to remember how pieces fit back together. And take your time! I always seem to reach a point where the end is near, I get excited, and start rushing because I want to see the finished product. This inevitably ends in me repeatedly poking myself and swearing up a storm, as I realize I've cut some stupid piece backwards and wasted a bunch of fabric.

Ugghhh "as you're deconstructing," not "as your deconstructing,"....I've become everything I hate

My couch is in similar condition. It's got decent bones, but the "fluff" in the cushions is starting to go.
My plan, if I end up keeping it (it really is a comfy love seat) is to reupholster it with tea-stained canvas dropcloths.
You might be able to go on to craigslist and see if there's anyone who's trying to learn how to upholster, and see if they'll make you a slipcover. That way, if it's terrible, you're not out a couch!

@elizabethy

I'm an editor by trade and I've been known to make the same mistake (and worse!) when dashing off a quick post. Happens to all of us. : -)

I love SPOONFLOWER.COM. It's a service that lets you design your own fabric, or buy from the gazillion cool designs available. They have an upholstery weight cotton twill fabric.

Kinda like Etsy, you have to dig a little to get to the treasures, as there's a lot of not-so-stellar stuff available.

http://www.spoonflower.com/shop

Hi a 15 years old sofa it's a good solid frame, you don't find this type of frames anymore unless it's custom made $$$ , don't go with 100% cotton it won't last .
www.plazahomeinteriors.com

I think that idea is a good way to get your living room as a vintage place where enjoy comfort, fashion and style.

Sofa's in the same price range, as what it would cost you to upholster your sofa, are basically crap. Your sofa most likely has a kiln dried hardwood frame. Save your money and your time by re-upholstering your sofa. Spend time with your loved ones instead of running around trying to find a sofa in that same price range that you like and will fall apart in no time. Good sofas and upholstery last upwards of twenty years so if you divide the $1400 cost per year its $75 dollars. Call around to get an estimates and recommendations, look for upholstery classes, or sign out a book from the library to learn how to do it yourself. It takes a lot of time and patience.

While much of this advice is helpful, leaving dollar amounts for labor is a mistake as these numbers change drastically depending on what part of the country you are in. There is no one in my part of New York who will upholster a sofa for less than $1,200.00 and that does not include fabric or tightening springs. This point alone causes the answer to this question to differ depending on where you are. Parts of the Midwest, South and Southwest you can find much more affordable labor prices as the cost of living and overhead is less. If you can get your labor costs at $600.00 than it is almost always worth it to reuphoster (unless your sofa is particle board and plywood in which case you should replace it) New furniture prices are less varied in price for similar quality and since most are shipped from the same part of the country (North and South Carolina), you can count on some consistency.

In NYC -- go to Zarin fabrics in China town. and re-upholstery at Lore Decorators. they are excellent. Will pick up the fabric, and pick up and return your couch.

A great way to save some money on a project like this is to buy textile remnants or find a shop like MOD Textiles that sells designer textiles at discounted prices. Check these options out, if you're still looking!
www.modtextiles.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MODTextiles

Hi Lilli - I'm really keen to order some upholstery fabric from spoonflower but I would like to be sure that these fabrics are durable/suitable. Have you ever used any in re-upholstering projects? If so, I'd love to hear how it is lasting. Thanks so much!