Reupholstering an armchair can instantly give an interior a new look, but calculating the fabric deserves just as much attention as the colour. If you are looking for how much fabric an armchair needs, you won't get a reliable answer from one fixed number of metres. A compact tub chair needs something very different from a generous wing chair with loose cushions, armrests and a high back.
The safest approach is to measure carefully, take the fabric width into account and decide in advance how the fabric should run on the furniture. That way you avoid running a few decimetres short during upholstering – or buying far more than you need.
How much fabric does an armchair need on average?
For most armchairs, the amount of upholstery fabric needed at a fabric width of approx. 140 cm is usually between 4 and 8 running metres. A simple armchair without loose seat or back cushions can sometimes be covered with 4 to 5 metres. For a large armchair with a high back, wide arms, a loose seat cushion and a loose back cushion, 6 to 8 metres is more realistic.
That remains a guideline, not an order list. The shape of the furniture in particular makes a difference. Rounded arms, a buttoned back, a fixed headrest or a deep seat mean extra separate pieces and therefore more cutting waste. An armchair with contrasting piping or a separately upholstered back can also require more material.
So don't just look at the overall external dimensions of the armchair. Two models of the same width can have very different fabric requirements because of their construction.
Start with the fabric width, not the price per metre
Upholstery fabrics are usually sold per running metre. The width is fixed and is often 140 cm, but can also be 145, 150 or 280 cm, for example. That width determines how many pattern pieces you can cut side by side.
With a standard fabric width of 140 cm, back, arm and seat pieces are usually laid side by side across the width. If a piece is wider than the usable fabric width, it has to be made from several lengths. That costs extra fabric and can create seams. With fabrics 280 cm wide you can cut certain pieces in one go, but only if the pile and grain direction allow it.
Always use the usable width in your calculation. In some cases the selvedge cannot be fully used. With a very precise pattern or a delicate woven fabric, a professional will also prefer to allow a little more margin.
The grain direction determines the look
Most upholstery fabrics have a clear top and bottom, a nap or a pile direction. Think of velvet, corduroy and some chenilles. All visible pieces must then be cut in the same direction. If you turn an arm piece around to save fabric, the colour difference may be noticeable immediately.
With woven fabric without a nap there is sometimes more freedom, but even there the grain direction remains important. The length of the armchair often runs with the length of the fabric, because that looks best and is technically most logical. Don't just go for the most economical cutting layout if it comes at the expense of the end result.
How to measure an armchair step by step
Unpicking the old upholstery is the most accurate method. You then see exactly how many pattern pieces the armchair consists of. Lay each removed piece flat, measure the length and width and note where the top is. If you have not yet dismantled the armchair, measure the visible surfaces and add extra margin for turning under to the underside and fixing to the frame.
Note down at least these parts:
- the inside and outside of the backrest;
- the seat, including the front edge and any side pieces;
- both arms, inside and outside;
- loose seat and back cushions, including top and bottom;
- any borders, piping or decorative cushions.
Don't simply add up the areas and then divide them by 140 cm. That calculation ignores the shape of the pattern pieces and often gives too optimistic a result. It is better to make a simple cutting drawing to scale. Draw a rectangle representing the fabric width and place all the pieces in it in the right direction. That shows you which pieces fit side by side and how many running metres you really need.
Always allow for cutting waste and a reserve
Cutting waste is not waste; it is part of good upholstery work. With straight, compact pieces it is limited. With rounded arms, tapering backs and loose cushions, offcuts are inevitable that cannot be used for another large piece.
For a plain fabric without a nap, a 10 per cent reserve is often a workable minimum. Allow 15 per cent for armchairs with lots of curves or for a first DIY project. If you are working with a pile fabric, a coarse corduroy or a fabric where all pieces must run in the same direction, allow a more generous margin.
Extra fabric is also handy for future repairs. A small piece can come in useful later for damage, a worn armrest or a loose cushion. Dye lots can differ between productions, so exactly the same fabric may turn out subtly different at a later date.
Patterns, checks and stripes need more metres
A plain upholstery fabric is the easiest to calculate. As soon as a design has to run through, the amount needed increases. With stripes, for example, you want the lines on the seat, back and arms to line up logically. With checks or geometric patterns, the repeat of the motif has to match at the seams.
This pattern repeat is also called the repeat. If the vertical repeat is 30 cm, you may have to move on to the next full pattern repeat for each large piece. That leaves fabric that is technically unusable. With a large design, the extra requirement can rise to 20 or even 30 per cent.
Also check the direction of a pattern before you order. Some designs may only be worked from top to bottom. With other fabrics, the fabric can be railroaded (used horizontally), but that is only sensible if the manufacturer allows it and the pattern still looks calm.
Don't forget filling, bottom cloth and piping
If you only order the visible upholstery fabric, you sometimes miss materials that make the difference between a temporary spruce-up and a neat reupholstery job. For an armchair, Dacron or fiberfill, furniture tape, webbing, foam, staples and a sturdy bottom cloth are often just as relevant. When dismantling, check whether the foam is still resilient and whether the springs or straps have stretched.
Piping gives an armchair a finished, professional line, but it also requires extra fabric. Measure all the edges where the piping will go and add margin for curves and joins. For piping in the same fabric, an extra strip of fabric is often cut. With a patterned fabric or a fabric with a nap, that is yet another reason not to order too tightly.
When is professional advice wise?
With a straight dining chair, calculating it yourself is straightforward. An antique wing chair, a designer armchair with complex seams or a buttoned model requires more experience. Especially when an expensive velvet, bouclé or faux leather is used, having your calculation double-checked is wise.
Take clear photos of the front, side and back and note the overall width, height and depth. Also mention whether the cushions are loose, which parts are being re-covered and which fabric you have in mind. With that information, a specialist can assess more precisely whether your cutting plan is right. At BLADI upholstery fabrics there is a wide choice of fabric types and upholstery supplies, so you can match materials and finish properly.
If in doubt, order a little extra, especially with a bold colour, a patterned fabric or a fabric with a nap. The right quantity gives you peace of mind while you work: you can pull tight, finish neatly and upholster with attention to detail, without having to improvise with a last offcut.
