• Originally published March 2, 2010 at midnight, updated March 3, 2010 at 4 p.m.

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You've looked at that old chair long enough to see that it's looking tired and worn. The fabric is wearing thin and the cushions have gone flat.

But, is it worth it to re-upholster the chair, or should you just go out and buy a new one?

That's a decision that many people wrestle with when trying to decide whether it's better to buy new furniture or re-upholster the pieces they have.

There are a number of factors that come into play when deciding to re-upholster or not.

Do you love it?

If you have an heirloom or a piece of furniture that is especially well-made or has unique features that you just adore, then re-upholstering makes sense. When you really love an item, it's always worth the investment to recover the item.

When I was first married, I bought a set of six dining chairs from an upscale resale shop and loved them for their classic elements, caning on the backs and details on the seats and arms.

When new, they were very expensive and from a high-end furniture maker, so they were also extremely well-made. After owning them a few years, I took them to an upholstery shop after we'd moved to North Carolina and got an estimate for the chairs to be recovered.

However, because so much of our interior décor furnishings, such as fabric and furniture, are made in North Carolina, I was able to find some incredible fabric that only cost $7 a yard. I saw the same fabric at the upholstery shop for more than $100 a yard.

Even with the discounted fabric, the labor cost was too high to recover my chairs.

But once we moved back to Texas, I was able to find a well-known upholstery shop to recover the chairs for a very reasonable price that was made all the more reasonable by the low $35 dollars I paid for five yards of gorgeous chenille upholstery fabric that was eventually put on the chairs.

A smart buy

All re-upholstering isn't equal either. Some of it is just a quick change. Dining room seats that pop in and out easily can be quickly changed with some fabric and a heavy duty staple gun. When you have fast and easy recovering projects like this, it's a great way to give your furniture a new look quickly and inexpensively - and you should definitely do it. It's also a good idea when you are prowling around flea markets, antique stores or garage sales because you can pick up some bargains that can be remade by some fast upholstery.

When it doesn't make sense

Many standard upholstered pieces of furniture can be purchased inexpensively. And for that reason, it's a good idea to visit your local upholstery shop and furniture store to compare costs to buy a piece new, versus recovering a piece you currently own. Many times, it will cost as much or more to recover an upholstered piece than it is to buy a new one. In that instance, it really doesn't make sense to recover an old piece of furniture because it's economically more sensible to buy a brand new piece of furniture. Again, it's a question of economics.

If you can get a bargain, though, it might be worth it to recover. As an example, I was able to find fabric and an upholstery shop that could recover two 80's mint green armchairs with a more fashionable Tuscan gold chenille very reasonably. The price to re-upholster the two chairs for labor and fabric was a mere $300, and that included an Ottoman thrown in. If I hadn't gotten the fabric so inexpensively or found an upholsterer who'd recover those green monsters so cheaply, I would have bought a new pair of chairs.

Re-upholstering is a good idea if you love an item and it's special to you, or if you can get the work and fabric costs down to a price you want to pay. In either case, it can be more cost effective to recover, but not always. Do be sure to look into both buying and recovering options fully before deciding.

Hint

Shhhh ... I have a major sourcing secret for you. If you'd like to buy gorgeous new fabrics to make into curtains, custom linens or recover furniture, you have to give Not Just Linens in Vass, N.C., a call. Their number is 910-695-1803. You'll need to tell them the kind of fabric you're looking for (chenille, damask, etc.), the colors you want and the amount you need, and they'll send you swatches of what they have.

If you have a swatch of something you like, send it to them and ask them to match it or find something close.

Best of all? Every yard of their fabric is (are you sitting down?) $7.99. This is where I buy almost all of my interior fabrics. And don't worry, these are top-shelf fabrics - not dated or tired styles.

If the Vass store doesn't have what you're looking for, try the Durham store. Their number is 919-402-8555.

Once you find a swatch you like, they'll take your order over the phone and send it out by UPS delivery. Or, if you want something made, they'll even refer you to someone who can do custom sewing.

Kathryn Weber is a home and decorating columnist and publishes the Red Lotus Letter feng shui E-zine. For more information or questions, e-mail katie@redlotusletter.com or write to her at P.O. Box 531, Cuero, TX 77954. Please include your e-mail address or a SASE for a reply.

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