To Tuft or not to Tuft?

You may like the look of a tufted headboard or sofa, but what are the pros and cons?

Tufting is really a personal choice, you either love it or hate it, it's not really a take it or leave it style. So lets have a look.

Pros:

• Tufting looks great, but only if you like the look. If you like it, you like it.
• It is an ornate look, but not over the top.
• Depending on the fabric pattern, it can add details. 

Better to reupholster leather or buy new?

If your leather looks like this, you probably need some help.

Last time we talked about the formula on figuring out how many leather hides to buy if you are reupholstering. But here's a question - is it better to buy leather furniture or reupholster?  Well it depends on what it is and how meaningful the furniture is to you. If you are buying hides for a lounge suite, that's going to be pricey and then there is the labour involved of getting your upholsterer to complete the project. You can purchase a leather alternative which look very close to the real thing, but will also bring your costs down. But often you may find that even though leather lasts a very long time, it may be better to purchase new. However, if the the furniture is meaningful to you in some way (check out this post) then reupholstering it may be the best thing for your furniture. 

How many leather hides do I need to buy?

When you are getting a lounge suite covered in leather, you need to figure out how many hides you will need. Leather comes per hide, not on a roll from your local fabric store. That means it takes a little brain power to determine the number of hides you need to buy. In general, it's assumed that each hide will give you approximately 4.75 square metres of leather, but how does that translate to how many I need for my lounge suite?

Here are some basics so you can get a better idea of what you might need, but check with your upholsterer to confirm you will have enough for your project before buying. It is likely however, that your upholsterer has their own source on getting hides. So check that the deal you're getting is in fact better than what your upholsterer would be able to get within the trade. 

A Leather Sofa Question

"I recently bought a new leather sofa, and was told when I bought it that the cushions would bounce back after they were sat on. I've only had it a few weeks and the cushions are left wrinkled every time someone sits on them. I've been told that I need to smooth out the wrinkles every morning. I really don't want to have to keep doing this and I'm starting to regret buying leather."

Don't regret buying leather, if well maintained it can last a life time. But in your situation I can see why you're getting frustrated, I wouldn't want to be smoothing out the wrinkles everyday either! There are a lot of reasons why the wrinkles may be happening. First of all leather will have a tendency to stretch a little, it is a skin after all, but the softer the leather the more it will stretch. If you combine a soft leather with a foam that is too soft then you will find that the leather will wrinkle more. A soft leather feels fantastic to sit on, but there is a trade off.  It is likely then that in your situation that you have  a leather/foam issue. 

Foam is rated in two ways Density and Foam Hardness (compression). The density rating will let you know how long it is expected to last, and the hardness (compression) indicates if it is soft, medium or firm in feel.  So if your sofa has a low density and is soft in touch, although it may be comfortable when sitting on it in the showroom, it may not withstand the rigours of daily life.

You could go back to the company and ask what the density and the compression (hardness) of the foam is. If it is on the softer side, ask if they would replace the foam with a higher density foam with a medium to firm hardness.

So in future if you are investigating buying furniture make sure you understand the importance of foam. Most people just think about the the upholstery fabric, but don't realise, that just like a house, it's the foundation that has the biggest impact.

If you have any questions or would like some advice or help, feel free to call 0800 698 746

Upholstery and Headboards

Upholstery is more than just sofa's and chairs. You can pretty much upholstery anything really, but it still needs to be functional of course. 

Cute upholstered drawers

The Upholstery Tear Down Sequence.

When you are reupholstering a piece of furniture do you just jump into it, ripping and tearing and pulling out nails as fast as possible? If we did it that way we would be truly exhausted in no time. Not to mention there would be a huge mess that won't be much fun to clean up.

If you are attempting to complete some upholstery for yourself, then here is a system for you, that will make things a little bit easier and minimize the mess (there will be some mess, sorry.) (Thanks to Kimsupholsteryblog.com for the steps.

The Steps

1. Grab a camera and take lots of photos of your piece from many angles BEFORE you take anything off. Then take photos after each step to help you remember where to put the new pieces back on.

Trends with Upholstery

Upholstery is just like every other fashionable entity, it too follows the trends, but it is not as dramatic as clothing trends. The changes are often subtle, but you will notice them if you look in design magazines and online.

So what's 'on trend' at the moment?

Fabrics

• A lot of the 'new' has to do with fabric choice, with stripes and geometric shapes such as chevron and herringbone being big favourites, but there is also Aztec and Asian influences too.
• 'Occasional' chairs are often be upholstered in a 'wow' fabric which complement other more classic furniture.
• Wrapping furniture. Not technically upholstery, but something that is coming up more and more, is furniture 'wrapped' in fabrics such as linen, leather or raffia. It is an interesting element when done well. often this is paired up with the use of studs.
• Different patterns in the same colour. You will see something like gold used, and it will be used in a chevron print, a dot print, and a floral. So it looks interesting but not overpowering.
• A fabric that has been popular for a long time, continues to do so - plain natural linen. 

Pops of colour

• This is probably influenced by web sites such as Pinterest and StumbleUpon, where brightly coloured furniture such as chairs and dressers sit amongst other more traditionally coloured furniture.
• Jewel colours are popular with deep emeralds, amethyst and amber being the top favourites.

Design Lines

• Straight precise lines that are classic in style with details in stitching, piping, studs and deep buttoning. This makes sense as you try and purchase furniture that will last a long time. If you get a piece that you love the lines of, when you are no long run love with the colour you can reupholster it, and it will feel new again.
• Pieces that are polar right now are sleek sofas with low backs  which are coupled with deep seats and ottomans.

So what do you think? Do you like the idea of these trends? Or do you try and stay away from what's 'in' and stick to the classics? 

Choosing a Couch - a Great Couch

A great couch is something everyone can enjoy.

If you're going to buy a couch, go for gold and buy a great couch. Finding a great one means you need to be aware of a few details. Only then can you decide if it's the one for you.

But before you head out the door, think about what you are looking for. The style the shape, the size, colour, texture and don't forget to measure out the size that you are looking for. Everything seems smaller in a huge warehouse, so don't make the mistake of thinking 'that will fit, it doesn't look that big', only to get it home and it takes up over half the living room.

So here's what to look for:

Restore or Buy New Furniture?

Are you debating about whether to restore a piece of furniture or buy something new? Well here's a little help in determining if it's worth the time and effort in restoring a piece

Have you 'Invested' in the piece?

When you originally acquired the piece in question did you just 'nip down to the shop' to buy it? Or is there more to it than that? Is it a family heirloom? Did you commission it to be made? Is their sentimental value involved? 

So what is a 'Contemporary Style'?

I think we all understand what antique furniture is, but what about 'contemporary'? Does it have to be this year's furniture or the latest models?

Well technically contemporary means that it's design is from 'the moment', but in reality it's more a change in direction from the 'traditional look' - where furniture has an antique feel to it, with floral print fabrics being used. You can imagine it in a swanky New York city, Upper East Side apartment like below.

Example of the 'Traditional' style.

Cats scratching your Upholstery

Do you have an upholstered couch that you seem to have claw marks all over it? It stops you wanting to reupholster it because you're worried it's just going to happen again.

Well here's some tips and trick that might go some way in saving your couch from your furry friend.

Soft Paws looks like nail polish.

Soft Paws

I just recently read about this product that you can apply to cats nails called Soft Paws, which isn't supposed to be annoying for you cat and makes it look like they have nail polish on. I have no experience with this, so would be interested to hear if you've had any success with it.

Success Vs Failure: It's in the details.

So you've had a piece upholstered - either you've done it yourself or you've had a professional do it. Well it's not quite right and you don't think it's been a screaming success. Do you know what the problem is?

It is likely the the problem lies in the details. The devil really is in the details when it come to upholstery.  Here's some areas that may have needed some more attention:

Wrong type of fabric for piece - Was the fabric the right choice? Did you decide to use a fairly lightweight fabric when what was needed was a durable fabric that would withstand a lot of wear and tear? Just because a fabric looks good, doesn't mean that it will automatically work on your piece of furniture. This is especially true in a business setting, because you know durability and maintenance are what should be your priorities.

If you MUST DIY here's some tips.

Last week we talked about  deciding whether to bring in a professional upholsterer or if you should try doing upholstery yourself.

Well if you have decided that your piece is ok to have a go at yourself, then here's a few tips to get you started.

Fabric

When should you call in the professional upholsterers?

Well it depends on what sort of finish you want, what the piece is and how sentimental you are about the piece.

You have probably read blog after blog on how to upholster a chair or a bench seat, and you're wondering if you should tackle it yourself. If you want to have a look at some resources have a look here.

Now if you are running a business, it's a no brainer, you can't afford to do anything that could compromise the quality of your business. There are so many cons against attempting upholstery for a business, from time, quality, durability. I recently wrote about a quick way to make upholstered furniture look cheap. In business you need your furniture to look good, for it to last a long time and be easy to care for. If you attempt to upholster anything for business, you really are taking a big risk.

What to put in your Cushions

We have talked about the shape of the cushions on your furniture before but what about the inside of them?

When it comes to furniture just like any building, it's the parts that you don't see that are the most important. You need a solid foundation for a solid house. Even the Three Little Pigs figured out it's quality that stands the test of time (and wolves).

With furniture, the most important part is the frame and how solid it is. If a couch is wobbly, squeaks, or springs are poking you in the backside, no matter how good it looks, you won't want to sit down. So if the frame is the most important what comes next? The cushions - if you are talking about a couch, banquet seating or chairs. 

The Repeat

What is a repeat and what does that have to do with my furniture?

A full repeat

The repeat is the size of the pattern of your fabric. This is measured both vertically and horizontally. In the above image you see the 9 flowers  - this is the whole 'repeat' since each line is different. These 9 flowers will be 'repeated' though out the fabric. Therefore, you need to measure 3 flowers across and 3 high to get the size of the repeat.

Reupholster or a Slipcover?

Not a good slipcover candidate

I'm sure you've asked yourself which is the better option at some point. Each option has it's benefits, and it depends on what you are trying to achieve with your furniture.

When a piece of furniture is reupholstered it will be stripped back inspected and any parts will be replaced (such as springs). Then new fabric is sewn to create the cover and cushions. The end result is a tailored, professional 'new' piece of furniture. We can also even make a few changes to the style of cushions and padding on the arms to make it look like a new piece.

To protect your furniture or not?

You've invested money in your new upholstered furniture, but do you have it protected? If you have had your furniture upholstered by a professional upholsterer or if you have bought new furniture then chances are you have had your furniture protected by a product that most people think of as 'Scotchgard'™ But not everyone has their couches protected, or you may have had your couch for a long time, then the 'Scotchgard'™ has probably worn or washed off over time so is it a good idea to get hold of a can or two (you can find it HERE and HERE) and protect your furniture?

Yes it's a good idea, a very good idea, even if you don't have kids. If you have animals or if you've ever spilled some juice on the couch, accidentally made a mark with a pen or had some other incident then you'll be glad you did.

How to make your upholstered furniture look cheap.

I think we've all seen those pieces of furniture. They initially look good, but something is a bit off that makes it look more 'home made' than professional. Do you know what it is?

It's the mismatched fabric pattern.

This tropical chair looks great, the chair is a lovely style, the fabric looks inviting, but look closely at the box cushion. 

How to choose patterned fabric for your upholstery.

When you are getting a piece of furniture custom made or reupholstered the fabric will determine the look and feel of the piece. Do you want the finished product to look crisp with clean lines, or something more cosy and inviting?

The fabric you choose will determine what the end result will be.

Once you have decided on what feel you are going for with your furniture, then you can think about plain or patterned fabric.

Patterns are fun and inviting, but you do have to know what you are doing with the fabric. This is where your upholsterer will be able to guide you. This is what upholsterers do everyday, so they can help you decide what fabric will create the look you are going for.

If you have decided on a patterned fabric (lets not even talk about colors, that is a whole separate post!), then you need to consider a few more points:

Cushions and Upholstery

When you think of upholstery, you no doubt automatically think of a sofa, or possibly a big plush arm chair. A big chunk of those pieces come down to the cushions that sit on them.

Some of the custom details on your sofa/arm chair can make quite a difference to the look of the piece.

Cushions can be tailored in different ways, lets look at a few:

Buying Vintage Furniture

Choosing vintage furniture is a good move, it's usually solidly made, it reduces your impact on the environment and can give your home a point of difference, but how do you choose wisely?

A 1950's piece.

First of all vintage furniture is not antique furniture, it's between 30-100 years old so that would be anywhere from 1913-1983. Most people when buying vintage furniture tend to look at the 1950's-1960's but remember the scope is much larger than this. If you are looking at buying a piece because you want to reflect that era, then make sure that the piece (or pieces) are of a classic shape and design. It would be a bit pointless to buy furniture that although was made at the right time, looks like it was made 20 years earlier or later.

For example if you are looking at a piece made in the 1930's it should have an Art Deco look, and may have lacquered wood. 1950's Mid Century pieces often were made with brightly coloured fabric, and chrome tables were also very popular at this time.

An Art Deco seat.

So when you come across a great looking piece at your local garage sale, what do you look for? Make sure it is well made! Trying it out before you pay money for it is a smart move. Feel if the legs are sturdy, if the back is wobbly or if there is any sagging in the seat. Keep in mind that if the bones are good, you can always get it reupholstered to bring a tired piece back to life. Tired looking pieces are usually pried accordingly so it's often a great way to to not only get the right look but also have it fit with your surroundings.

When you purchase from a vintage dealer, you will be paying more, but this is because they often have restored the piece first and they have chosen furniture that is likely to be in better condition than you local op shop.

Here is a great video from a woman who runs a vintage furniture shop in Austin, Texas.

Have you purchased a good piece of vintage furniture? Did you leave it as is, or did you have it reupholstered?

Furniture Trends

I'm sure over the years, you've seen trends come and go, and it's no different with furniture.

What are some of the trends that we've seen recently:

Environmentally Conscious Furniture

With the environment being top of mind in all areas, 'eco-furniture' is here to stay. This means recycled or repurposed materials, wood from sustainable forests, and chemicals that have a lesser impact on the environment.

What girl could refuse?

In 2008 Bruce (my husband) alluded to a romantic leisurely drive from Christchurch to Wanaka. Winding our way through rugged mountains, coffee and champagne lunches beside picture perfect lakes with spectacular snowy alpine views, all to celebrate our 29th Wedding anniversary, I just couldn't refuse.

But there was more to it than that: Warbirds over Wanaka.  Adding that into the weekend would be the icing on the anniversary cake. However, what that truly meant was walking the talk…sales and marketing…with over 80,000 people in attendance and the aircraft manufacturers, pilots, engineers, and enthusiasts lined up to hear about our Amazing Leather Repairs.

Yes it turned into a fantastic opportunity to display and talk about Fibrenew.

How Big is it Really?

You're considering buying a piece of furniture, it's the perfect colour, it's the perfect shape, it would look great in the room, but will it fit? 

It happens to a lot of us; we we see a piece of furniture sitting in someone's house, or on a showroom floor and it doesn't seem so big, and then you bring it into your own house and what do you know, it's much bigger than you really thought. That plush upholstered couch takes up a 1/3 or your living space, and lets not talk about the fight it was to get it in the front door?

So where do you start?

Source

How much fabric do I need?

When you are looking at reupholstering a piece of furniture, how much fabric it will take?

Well if you are using a professional upholster, they will take care of that for you. They will be able to recommend the right fabric for the piece and how much fabric is required. The upholsterer will also provide you with options for what fabric to use. Remember, not all fabric is created equal. If you purchase the fabric yourself, you need to be aware that there maybe flaws in the fabric you choose. This is especially true if you purchase the fabric at a discounted rate. You may not notice it when you unroll the bolt of fabric about 1/2 a metre or so,So go for gold and unroll  4 or 5 metres and lay it out and inspect it.  You may find that there a pulls, stains, holes even. If that is the case, you need to decide if it's worth the lower price, or how you can work around it. If your upholstered piece is going to be your  pride and joy then you do need to to inspect your fabric, and discard anything that is not perfect.

How can I remove mould from my upholstery?

You may have just discovered that you have some mould on your upholstery. Better get rid off it now, before the problem gets worse. Not only does it look unsightly, but these organisms destroy the material that they grow on - by digesting it! Mould also can cause health problems, especially those who are allergic.

If you have mouldy curtains, or your couch has some mould on it, don't go shaking it or beating it. This will release more spores into the air, which will settle around the room and potentially make a bigger problem.

So what do you do?

Lighting is Important

Motivating space at Pinkeye Design Studio

We usually talk about upholstery and the different types of fabric and how to care for them. I wanted to change tack slightly and talk about lighting.

You may have gorgeous upholstery in your office space, but if it is poorly lit, then not only will you not get to appreciate it (and the money you spent on it), but your productivity is not likely to be at it's peak.

Upholstery Thread

Can you use regular sewing thread for upholstery projects?

Upholstery thread is a heavy-duty thread that is much stronger than standard thread and is designed to hold up against fairly rough treatment. There are different types of thread for different uses and fabrics, as you would expect. 

Here's a quick look:

A common thread is nylon that is similar looking to fishing line. It is very strong and is ideal when you are trying to make the seams disappear.

Cotton is another commonly used upholstery thread. It is important to keep in mind however, that cotton does not stretch so you need to ensure that the thread is pre-shrunk, so that the stitching will remain flat. (If the fabric gets wet then the thread will shrink and the seam will take on a 'puckered' look.) A great advantage to cotton is that it is easy to dye and match to fabric.

Polyester thread seems to be the great middle ground, strong, will not shrink and will not fade in direct sunlight. You will often see polyester thread used in jeans too.

When you have a delicate project you may use silk as the thread. The thread has a tendency to stretch, but is resilient. It is often used when the thread becomes part of the design of the piece - similar to embroidery.

So the answer to the question can you use regular thread? Well you can, but it depends on what you are using it for and what sort of results you want, as it will make an impact on the end result of the piece.

A few Upholstery Terms

If  you are not an upholsterer, there is a whole new language for you to learn. I thought I would choose 10 terms and educate you a little:

Huntly Loves UFO

I always take great pleasure in getting lovely comments from our clients. We strive hard to make our clients very happy.

McDonalds in Huntly is no exception, here are some wonderful words from Simon.

Upholstery Trim

Upholstery Trim is a quick way to make a piece of furniture stand out, get it right and you can take a boring utilitarian piece of furniture and make it stand out and look fantastic. But conversely, get it wrong and you can make something look quite cheap and unappealing. Feel the pressure to get it right?

What types are there:
There are a lot of options when it comes to trim. Most people get stuck at 'fringe' but there are more options than that.

Choosing an Upholstery Cleaner

We all need to clean our upholstery from time to time. It is the key in keeping your furniture looking good for as long as possible. You wouldn't buy a car and never clean the inside or outside (well some people might), and the same goes for your furniture. This is especially true if you have kids or pets.

But there is a wide range of cleaners, but which one do you choose?

Outdoor Upholstery Fabric.

What is so special about outdoor upholstery fabric?

A lot actually. It is designed to withstand the elements while looking great and giving you some  additional visual interest to your outdoor setting.

Outdoor upholstery fabric manufacturers know that the fabric will be baked in the sun and pummelled with the rain and wind and still has to look good. It's not meant to be indestructible by any means, but it is designed to withstand this treatment for a good long time.

Loyalty is the key!

Loyalty is important in all businesses, and the upholstery trade is no different. In fact it's a business where loyalty is probably even more important. Why? It's not like clients treat us like a supermarket and visit on a weekly basis to pick up essential items. So developing a solid relationship with our clients - creating loyal clients  - is the lifeblood of our business.

But it is easy forget about your clients' needs in pursuit of making a dollar. You often have a short term focus of 'paying the bills' rather than thinking about the partnership you have created with your clients.  

Vinyl - The Facts

One of the more popular fabrics we work with is vinyl. The reason for this, is that we work with a lot of restaurants and other high traffic hospitality businesses. When you are in the service industry, you need a versatile product that meets certain criteria.

Vinyl is a durable and easy to clean fabric, that comes in a variety of colors and textures. So no wonder it's popular in the restaurant trade.

For a hospitality business, the top 3 needs in a fabric usually are:

1 - Affordability

2 - Ease of use (i.e. how easy is it to keep clean.)

3 - Durability

How to Clean Velour Fabric Furniture

Velour fabric is a popular choice for furniture, it looks good and feels great but also needs to be looked after properly.

I thought it was wise to tell you how to keep it clean, because there are a few tricks you may not know. Follow these cleaning tips and your velour will stay in great condition.

A Little 'Secret' About UFO.

Guess what? I am personally not an upholsterer, repairer, nor manufacturer and UFO (Upholstery Fit Outs) has no intention of undertaking those skills either! So how on earth can I promote upholstery? Is UFO a fraudulent company? Absolutely not, we are the best because of who we employ!

UFO has created a NETWORK of upholsterers who uphold a similar business ethos, to provide quality work to a very high industry standard. So UFO won't touch your furniture, but we know the best people who do and should!

Enjoy your leather lounge suite, for longer!

Imagine sitting down on your leather lounge suite every night smelling that sweet smell of new leather, looking at it you think 'wow it looks as good as new'! (There's nothing quite like the smell of new leather, is there?)

I interviewed Bruce Bryant of South Auckland last year about leather furniture and he said:  “I have spent the last 12 years cleaning, repairing and re-dyeing leather in NZ”  (Bruce’s company has more than 32 years of solid industry experience, in the vehicle, aircraft, marine and residential markets.)  "I know that leather can last forever if cleaned and protected regularly."

A New Zealand Company Success Story: Carl's Jr.

I recently met with Darren Willmoth, Repairs and Maintenance Manager for Restaurant Brands, who was telling me about the success of their NZ owned company in the New Zealand market.

Restaurant Brands has opened their Carl’s Jr. store in Palmerston North last December which followed a first Carl’s Jr restaurant opening in Auckland in November -  situated on Bader Drive in Mangere.  

Our Work

It's one thing reading about what we do, but it's another to SEE what we can do for you. We can do a lot.

We can spruce up your leather or fabric to make it look new again by cleaning and repairing it. If you have repairs that need to be done, we are more than capable of taking care of it. Of course we can recover your existing furniture too.

But UFO can do more than that. If you have a space that you are not sure about, we can custom design and fit it to maximise the area, either at your home or work place.

Then there is the restoration of classic pieces. I fully endorse restoring well made furniture.  More often than not these pieces were well made in the first place, and will provide many more years of enjoyment if restored.

Sometimes when you peel off the top layer you find an endless array of things that might be wrong, we will put those right, quick smart.

Our speciality however, is your business. We can repair, or customise anything you need, and we do a good job of it.

Upholstery and Office Productivity

Business is all about productivity. The more productive your team, the bigger your results. So how can upholstery play a part in that? Acoustics.

When you think of an office space you most likely think of an open plan office. They have a smaller footprint, and on average, are easier on the budget when it comes to fitting it out -  when compared to individual offices. But open plan offices are noisy and distracting. 

7 Tips to Successfully Launch Your Business

You want to open a business which will have a lot of customer traffic. It could be a restaurant, a hotel, a bar, or maybe an insurance office. Whatever it is, if there's going to be a lot of customers spending time at your business, then you need to hit all the marks to entice, surprise and please them beyond doubt. But how do you get to that point?

To open with a bang, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1 - What are your business objectives? 

If you don't know what you want, your team won't know and certainly your customers won't know. If you want to be a bit of this and a bit of that, you won't be anything to anyone. So make sure you know everything from a business plan and research to the type of look and feel you are going for.

Service With a Smile, or Much, Much More?

You hear about 'service' all the time, in phrases such as "we provide excellent service" but that does sound fairly hollow. So what does 'excellent service' mean when you work with Upholstery Fit Outs?

To me, service is more than just returning phone calls and being there on time. First and foremost it's about finding out what YOU need. The customer. It comes down to your needs. To do my job to the best of my ability I need to know what YOU need, so then we can discuss all the following:

Imported Furniture - Ewww!

I have written about this topic and have it posted on the website but with a New Year I thought it was time to highlight this issue again, as it is not going away anytime soon.

Whenever we import furniture into New Zealand we are opening ourselves up to a couple of serious issues.  MAF Biosecurity New Zealand reported on furniture that was coming into New Zealand from some Asian countries and what they found was unsettling indeed.

Quality

The quality of the product was poor. The "construction materials used were of poor quality … undressed and dirty timber (even the occasional  tree branch"). I'm sure when you head out to buy new furniture, this is not what you hoping to find. Unfortunately this is nothing new to us in the trade, we have been seeing this happening for some time. If you are buying cheap furniture you are going to get sub par quality. Furniture is fast to produce when you have the resources, but like this image states, you can't get all 3 in one item - you have to pick 2!

How much is it going to cost?

The number one question I get asked is "how much will it cost?" My answer is usually some variation on: "Well that depends!"

Something that may seem straight forward such as repairing a tear in banquet seating, may turn into a much bigger job if the fabric/vinyl or leather is in a state where repair is not advisable (i.e. will create more issues in the long run). Admittedly this doesn't happen often, but until we know more about the item it's hard to know.

So when you call to ask for a 'general idea' on how much things will cost, we can only give you a rough guide. It is not until we are physically looking at the items(s) that we will be able to give you an estimate.

You can go to our website where you will find a place to input measurements and if possible attach a photo of what it is you would like worked on, this helps immensely in giving you a better ballpark figure.  

Cost is determined by:

• Fabric choice and quantity
• Labour  - is it a full re upholstery of a piece or a small repair
• Supplies - foam, thread etc

We will charge whatever amount it takes to do the job right! The last thing either of us want, is for the job to be repeated. We won't overcharge you, we charge a fair price for a fantastic job! 

If you feel the estimated price is too high we may have to ask you "What part of the job would you like us to leave out?" Then we can come to some arrangement where we might be able to lower the quality foam or fabric to adjust the price. Or we might be able find some other option that might work. 

We don't cut corners, because your upholstery has to withstand the rigours of your business. Rest assured, the price we charge is fair and not inflated. Call us on 0800 698 746 and we can discuss further. 

Do you have other questions you would like to ask? Leave a comment and I will be happy to answer them.