Where to Get Dining Chairs Reupholstered?

Dining chairs can be reupholstered by a local upholsterer, a furniture repair workshop, a soft furnishings studio, or through a national mail in service that collects and returns the chairs. For simple drop in seat pads, many curtain and blind makers will also take the work on. Local independent upholsterers usually offer the best value for a set of four to six chairs, because the job is straightforward and does not require the frame to be dismantled.

The harder question is not where, but whether. Reupholstery makes financial sense on solid frames, inherited sets and anything with genuine craftsmanship in the joinery. On a basic modern chair, the labour cost across six seats can exceed the price of replacing the set entirely, so it pays to understand what you are commissioning before you ask for quotes.

Independent upholsterers

Most towns still have at least one traditional upholsterer, often working from a small workshop on an industrial estate rather than a high street. They are the natural choice for dining chairs because the work sits comfortably within their everyday output and they will have offcuts and foam already in stock.

Look for someone who will let you visit the workshop. Seeing work in progress tells you a great deal: whether frames are being properly stripped, whether staples are being removed rather than hammered flat, and whether the finished chairs look crisp at the corners. Ask how long they have been trading and request photographs of previous dining sets rather than sofas, since the techniques differ.

Turnaround is typically two to four weeks depending on their order book. Many will collect and return locally for a small charge, which saves you loading chairs into a car twice.

Furniture repair and restoration workshops

If your chairs need structural attention as well as new fabric, a restoration workshop is the better fit. They handle loose joints, split rails, broken spindles and refinishing alongside the upholstery, so the chair comes back sound rather than simply pretty.

This route costs more, but it is the right one for antique or mid century chairs where the frame carries the value. A specialist will also advise on whether original webbing and springs should be retained or replaced, a judgement that affects both comfort and the character of the chair.

Expect a longer wait. Restoration work is sequential and glue needs curing time, so six weeks is not unusual for a full set.

Soft furnishings and curtain makers

For drop in seat pads, where the padded section simply unscrews from the frame, a soft furnishings studio can often help. The work is essentially cutting and stapling, well within the skill set of anyone who makes blinds and cushions professionally.

The advantage is fabric choice. Curtain makers hold large sample books and can source almost anything, which is useful if you want the chairs to relate to existing window treatments. The limitation is that they will not tackle frame repairs or sprung seats, so check the chair construction before you approach them.

National mail in and collection services

Several companies now operate nationally, arranging courier collection, completing the work centrally and returning the chairs to your door. This suits people in rural areas without a local workshop, and anyone who wants a fixed online price rather than a site visit.

Read the terms carefully. Confirm whether the quoted price includes foam replacement or only the outer fabric, and check how transit damage is handled. Ask for the fabric to be sent to you as a physical sample before work begins, because screen colours are unreliable and dining chairs are seen in daylight every day.

What a reupholstery quote should include

A clear quote separates labour from materials. Labour should cover stripping, staple removal, any minor frame tightening, new wadding, and fitting. Materials cover fabric, foam and backing cloth. If a quote is a single figure with no breakdown, ask for one.

• Fabric quantity in metres, so you can price the cloth independently
• Whether foam is being replaced or reused
• Whether the frame will be cleaned, tightened or refinished
• Collection and delivery arrangements
• Expected completion date rather than a vague timescale

Get two or three quotes for a set of six chairs. Prices vary widely between workshops for identical work, and the difference is often availability rather than quality.

Supplying your own fabric

Most upholsterers are happy for you to supply fabric, and it usually saves money. Ask for their required metreage in writing before you order, and buy from a single roll so there is no colour variation between chairs. Add a spare half metre for repairs.

Be honest with the upholsterer about what you have bought. A lightweight cotton that is fine for cushions will not survive daily dining use, and a good workshop will tell you so before cutting into it. If you want the durability of a purpose made chair without the guesswork, browsing the fabric dining chairs UK sale range gives a useful sense of the fabric weights that hold up over years of use.

When replacement is the better decision

Run the arithmetic before committing. Six chairs reupholstered with mid range fabric represents a meaningful spend once labour is included. If the frames are unremarkable, that money may deliver more if it goes towards a new set that also suits the room better.

Sentimental value changes the equation entirely, and so does quality of construction. A set of solid oak carvers passed down through a family deserves restoration. A flatpack set bought a few years ago rarely does. Where you decide to replace, the dining chairs UK sale selection covers everything from simple wooden frames to fully upholstered designs, and the modern dining table and chairs sets UK options remove the matching problem in one go.

Preparing chairs before they go

Vacuum each chair thoroughly and note any existing damage with photographs. Remove any cushions or ties that are not part of the job. If the seats unscrew, taking them off yourself can reduce the labour charge, since you are handing over pads rather than whole chairs, and pads are far easier to transport.

Label each pad if the chairs differ slightly, which they often do in older sets. Carvers are usually wider than side chairs and getting them mixed up creates a poor fit that is not the upholsterer’s fault.

Making the finished chairs last

Once the chairs come back, keep them out of strong direct sunlight and rotate their positions around the table every few months so wear spreads evenly. Vacuum with a brush head rather than a hard nozzle, and blot spills straight away instead of rubbing them into the weave.

Check the seat fixing screws after a month. Chairs settle once they are back in daily use and a quarter turn at that point prevents the slight creak that otherwise develops.

At Furniture in Fashion we work with customers who take both routes: some restore a treasured set, others start again. If you are refreshing the whole room, it is worth looking at how chairs relate to the table itself, since the dining tables UK sale range varies in apron depth and that affects how neatly recovered pads tuck underneath.

Questions worth asking before you book

A short conversation before work begins prevents almost every dispute that arises afterwards. Upholsterers are generally straightforward people and will answer all of these without hesitation.

• Will the frame be checked and tightened, or is the quote for fabric work only?
• Is new foam included, and what density will be used?
• How will the corners be finished, and can I see an example?
• Will a backing cloth be fitted to the underside?
• What happens if the fabric runs short partway through?
• Is there a deposit, and when is the balance due?

Ask to see the workshop’s own recent dining chairs rather than sofas. The techniques differ and a workshop that mainly reupholsters three piece suites may have less recent experience with drop in seats, though most handle both comfortably.

Agree a completion date rather than a vague timescale, and confirm how the chairs will be stored while they wait. A busy workshop may hold your chairs for a fortnight before starting, which is normal, but you should know it in advance.

Finally, ask about care once the chairs come back. Most upholsterers will tell you exactly how to clean the fabric they have fitted, and following their advice rather than a general cleaning product keeps the finish looking right for far longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to reupholster dining chairs?

A local upholsterer typically needs two to four weeks for a set of six. Restoration work involving frame repairs and refinishing can take six weeks or more.

Can I supply my own fabric?

Almost always, yes. Ask the upholsterer for the exact metreage required in writing, buy it all from one roll, and include a spare half metre for future repairs.

Is it worth reupholstering cheap dining chairs?

Usually not. Labour costs are the same regardless of the chair, so the total across a set often exceeds the price of replacing basic chairs entirely.

Do upholsterers replace the foam as well?

Some include it and some quote separately, so confirm it upfront. Reusing tired foam under new fabric leaves the seat sagging within weeks.

Should I take the seat pads off before dropping the chairs in?

If they unscrew easily, yes. It reduces handling for the workshop, may lower the quote, and makes transporting the job far simpler.