Re-upholstery vs Restoration: What are the main differences?

When you have an older piece of furniture, you may eventually find that it is not looking its best.

Whether it is wear and tear, spills, stains, or accidental damage, there will be a point where you will need to consider repairing it in some way in order to extend its life. This will mean you will have to choose between a process of restoration or reupholstery.

In this article, Designer Workshop takes a look at the difference between the two to help you decide on the best option for your furniture.

What is reupholstering?

The process of reupholstering can seem to be quite an intensive one, as it involves ripping away the existing fabric of the furniture and replacing it completely with something that matches the original or something which is completely different.

The original structure of the piece will remain intact, but it will have a new fabric exterior, as well as new springs, frame, padding or support systems if they are needed.

The benefits of reupholstery

One of the main benefits of reupholstery is that your furniture will not only look fresher and better, it will feel it too as things such as springs and padding will also have been replaced.

This helps to maintain the original strength and quality of craftsmanship, whilst giving it a new style. It also means that any hollow spots or swollen areas can be taken care of to ensure that it has the original feel that it enjoyed when it was first made, no matter how many years ago that might have been.

As new fabric is added during the reupholstery process, it can also make dated pieces of furniture look more modern and up to date, giving them a whole new lease of life.

What is restoration?

Restoration can be much more delicate, as it concerns itself with preserving the furniture in its original form. Whether the fabric is torn, faded or musky, it must be fixed in order to keep the original look and feel by fixing what is there rather than replacing it.

The idea of furniture restoration is not to significantly alter what is there and must therefore value the history and craftsmanship of the piece, as this is often where the value lies.

The benefits of restoration

Restoration means that all of the history, style and design of your piece of furniture will be fully maintained. It is not a process which is designed to change the function, make it more modern or even more comfortable.

This is a more sympathetic process that will get it looking like it was when it was new and does not make it appear as though it was something you bought yesterday. Restoring furniture is something which should be considered whether you have a piece which is of historical significance, such as having been made by a notable designer, or if it has an intrinsic value.

However, it can also be a more appropriate route when dealing with family heirlooms in order to maintain the history and sentimental value that the piece might carry.

If you have a piece of furniture which needs some attention, then you should think carefully about which process is the best option. Look at the age of the piece and what you may do to its value in order to decide which path will be the most appropriate. You can then decide whether reupholstery or restoration will be best for your furniture and find a qualified and experienced professional to carry it out.