Your dining chairs are still sturdy, but the seat is worn, torn or simply out of fashion. In that case, reupholstering is almost always cheaper than buying new chairs. But what exactly does it cost? That mainly depends on two choices: do you do it yourself or have it done, and which material do you choose? Below is an honest calculation using the prices from our webshop.
Do it yourself or have it done?
A loose seat fixed under the chair with a few screws is perfectly easy to cover yourself. You need no experience, just a stapler, a pair of scissors and an hour per chair. Chairs with a fixed backrest, piping, buttons or rounded shapes are trickier. For those, an upholsterer is often the better choice.
Example calculation: covering four chairs yourself
Let's take four dining chairs with a loose seat of 45 by 45 cm. Add 10 cm all round to fix the fabric under the seat. That means you need a piece of 65 by 65 cm per seat. With a roll width of 140 cm, two pieces fit side by side. For four seats, 1.3 metres is enough; order 1.5 metres to leave some margin. Read more about calculating in how much fabric do you need.
- Faux leather: 1.5 metres of faux leather, from €7.49 per metre. That is €11.24 for an economical quality up to €37.43 for an extra hard-wearing quality at €24.95 per metre.
- Dacron: 1.5 metres of 100 gram Dacron at €2.99 per metre, €4.49 in total. This gives the seat a soft, full top.
- Staples: a box of type 71 staples, 6 mm for €2.89.
- Foam (only if the old foam is worn): about 10 euros for a sheet of 100x50x5 cm.
Without new foam, you will spend about €18.62 to €44.81 on materials for four chairs. That is €4.66 to €11.20 per chair. If you don't have a hand tacker yet, include the cost of buying one as well.
Prices are from September 2026 and may change. See the webshop for the current price.
What does an upholsterer cost?
An upholsterer usually charges per chair, plus the materials. For a loose seat that is around 80 euros. For a chair with a fixed back or a lot of sewing, it is more. Always ask for a price in advance and ask whether the materials are included. You can also buy the fabric from us yourself and take it to the upholsterer.
Where does the difference in price come from?
The biggest difference lies in the fabric. A faux leather for light use is economical. For chairs that are used every day, or in a family with children or pets, a hard-wearing or scratch-resistant quality pays off. It costs more per metre, but lasts longer. Because you only need 1.5 metres, the difference in total is often smaller than you think.
How to get started
Not sure about the colour or quality? Order a sample first or visit our showroom in Antwerp. If you want to do it yourself, follow our step-by-step guide to covering a loose chair seat.
