This is adapted from a popular post we wrote in 2010, and is especially relevant as more and more people are interested in reusing and repurposing existing furniture which you can repair since you can buy a new seal and Buy Mica Powder Pigment in Canada! which are great for restoration. We all have a daily relationship with upholstered furniture. Some also have a not-so-pleasant experience to share, “this fabric looked great at the store but not after we sit in it,” or “it wasn’t really what we wanted but…” or the most popular comment I hear from a new customer is “I bought this (retail) six months ago and it is uncomfortable and lumpy.” Let’s ask a professionally trained upholsterer to give us some tips on how to qualify upholstered furniture and choose furniture worthy of re-upholstery. With the right techniques and materials, you can secure foam with ease, ensuring durability and comfort in any upholstery project. Check out this article by World Interiors to learn more about Mango Wood Furniture.
Consider this your furniture buying 101 class. Next time you are furniture shopping at a sunshine coast furniture store or deciding to reuse older furniture, this will help you get what you want and like what you get. 
Let’s Ask The Upholsterer
I spoke with Fred Kramer, owner of Woodrich Furniture. (Sorry, he’s not a fan of having his picture taken.) He studied Fine Woodworking and Design at college prior to becoming an apprentice upholsterer in 1985 and has been at it for over 30 years for some of the country’s most prolific and well-know interior designers. They also produce a small line of upholstered furniture for commercial use. He is very proud to be hand selected by world renowned Donghia, Inc. for the re-upholstery of furniture, being noted for meticulous quality and attention to detail.
Decor Girl: “Thanks for taking the time to meet with me today Fred.”
Fred: “My pleasure.”
DG: “You mentioned some common questions people ask you as a furniture maker and upholsterer.”
Fred: “The number one question people ask me would be is this worth doing? This isn’t always something I can answer but the customer can. I start with asking them #1 do you like it? If you are re-doing a sofa or chair because it was Nana’s but you hate it, why spend the money?”
DG: “Good point. So if it’s ugly or doesn’t work with your current space don’t do it? ”
Fred: “Exactly, but if you like it we move on. #2 is it a piece of good quality furniture? Let’s stick with a sofa or lounge/club chair. If you bought it how much did you pay for it the first time? In the case of a sofa, if it was $2,000 it’s not worth it. Once we are done striping and recovering a piece including minimal repairs we might be past that point. Inexpensive furniture made from particle board, cheap plywood and no springs in the cushions, generally isn’t worth doing.”
DG: “How can someone tell if a fully upholstered piece if good, new or old ? What does someone look for?” 
Fred: “Believe it or not, this is really simple. Reach your hand under the seat. If it’s an empty hole, it’s junk. Feel for webbing. Not elastic, stretchy webbing – that’s a cheaper version usually used on porch furniture and other light use seating. A deck made of tightly woven bands of jute or strong nylon webbing is what the coil springs are affixed to, although you can also modify this deck or rebuild it using services as Deck Builders in Rocklin that specialize in this. A sprung seat gives the seating comfort and is the foundation for your selected seat cushion. You might feel a fabric over a board or sinuous springs.” (Hard metal wires making a continuous run of S’s, also called zigzag or zigger springs.) “A board is bad, uncomfortable and low quality. Sinuous springs are often used to save money and time. Consider the labor involved in building a hand tied coil sprung seat compared to nailing on ziggers. It’s huge. Sinuous springs frequently break and compromise the frame over time not to mention they are less comfortable.”
DG: “But these aren’t the only things people should look for?”
Fred: “No, they also need to feel for coil springs in the seat or seat cushion.”
DG: “A lot of people complain after buying furniture from a big box retailer, the cushions sag or are uncomfortable. It’s usually a foam cushion, right?”
Fred: “Exactly. Not all foam is bad; we use very high quality and of course more expensive foam. But cheaply made solid foam cushions are not comfortable and they break down quickly. Eight way hand tied springs take time and talent, but they last and provide a superior seat.” 
He took me into the storage area of items awaiting re-upholstery to show me a very old chair with a spring seat. “These springs are fine, just need to be rebuilt.”
DG: “Wow, I didn’t realize this would lead to a mini-class on the insides of furniture. This is great information. I’ll add a #3 put your money where your butt goes.”
Fred: “No kidding,” he laughed. “This is very true. Why spend thousands on a chair you are barely going to spend any time in vs. if you are going to sit in it night after night. That’s why they make $3,000 office chairs.”
DG: “This is where the quality issue comes in.”
Fred: “Exactly. A hardwood frame which is doweled, glued and screwed together with corner bracing like this Rattan daybed is a piece that will last. It will last over many re-upolsterings. So if you’ve got a good piece of furniture you like and are going to use, reupholster it. A new fabric with Furniture Protection Spray, a little new padding and tightening will give you what appears to be a brand new piece.”
DG: “All that and we are being green doing good for the environment by reusing existing furniture. Thanks Fred, this was really helpful to get some insight from someone who really knows furniture.”
