Upholstering an armchair can give a worn favourite years of comfort again. The wooden legs are often still fine, the model suits your interior perfectly and only the upholstery has seen better days. With good preparation, the right upholstery fabric and professional upholstery materials, reupholstering is also feasible for a handy DIYer.
Still, it is not a project to rush into. An armchair is more than a piece of fabric over a seat. The tension of the covering, the direction of the pile, the condition of the foam and a neat finish together determine whether the end result looks tight and is comfortable to sit in.
First assess: is your armchair suitable?
Check the base before you choose fabric. Carefully move the armrests and backrest back and forth. A solid frame without creaks, loose joints or woodworm is an excellent starting point. Small irregularities in the upholstery are usually not a problem, but sagging webbing, crumbled foam or a loose frame need repairing first.
Also look closely at the construction. A simple armchair with a loose seat cushion, straight surfaces and visible stapling edges is much more accessible than a classic model with deep buttons, fixed piping and complicated curves. That doesn't mean a buttoned armchair can't be reupholstered, but it takes more experience, time and material.
Take photos of all sides, seams, pleats and fixings beforehand. During assembly, those photos are often more valuable than any memory aid. Also note which way the fabric runs. With corduroy, velour and patterned fabrics in particular, you will see the difference straight away if a panel goes back upside down.
What you need to upholster an armchair
For a durable result you need not only beautiful fabric but also suitable tools and fixings. A good basic kit consists of:
- upholstery fabric with sufficient abrasion resistance for the way the armchair is used;
- a staple gun with suitable staples, plus a staple remover or flat screwdriver;
- sharp fabric scissors, a utility knife, a tape measure and chalk or a fabric marker;
- Dacron or fiberfill for a softer, even finish over foam;
- strong upholstery adhesive for foam, Dacron and loose parts where needed;
- new foam, webbing, piping cord and sewing thread if required.
Removing the old upholstery without losing information
Start at the bottom or the back, where the finish usually comes off most easily. Remove staples calmly and systematically. Never pull hard on the old fabric before all the fixings are loose, or the pattern will tear and you will lose a useful template.
Remove the upholstery layer by layer. Keep each old fabric piece and label it immediately: inside left armrest, outside back, front panel or seat. The old covers are your best patterns. When removing them, note the order in which the parts were fitted. In principle, the new fabric goes back on in reverse order.
More often comes to light under the upholstery than expected. Dacron may be flattened, foam may have lost its resilience and webbing may have stretched. Replace materials that no longer do their job properly. Putting new upholstery fabric over tired foam will give a better appearance, but not a more comfortable armchair.
Choosing the right fabric for your armchair
The best upholstery fabric depends on the use, the shape of the armchair and your interior. For an armchair used every day, abrasion resistance is more important than for an occasional chair in the bedroom. In a family with children or pets, how easy a fabric is to clean and how well it resists snagging or pilling also count.
Woven upholstery fabrics and chenille add warmth and comfort and are available in many textures. Bouclé gives a soft, full look but requires precise work at edges and seams. Velvet or velour looks luxurious, although you must lay the pile consistently in the same direction on every panel. Corduroy has the same point of attention and also shows crooked lines more quickly.
Faux leather and Skai are practical when you want a sleek, easy-care surface. They are especially interesting for intensive use, hospitality, campers or households where quick cleaning is a plus. Bear in mind that faux leather is less forgiving of misplaced staples: the holes remain visible.
If in doubt, order fabric samples first. A colour that looks warm grey on a screen may turn out cooler at home. Assess a sample in daylight, next to your floor and other furniture. Also feel whether the fabric suits the seating comfort you are looking for. A coarse texture adds character, but feels different from a soft velvet.
How many metres of fabric do you need?
Don't just measure the external dimensions of the armchair. You need extra fabric for turn-unders, seams, pattern matching and any cushions. With a plain fabric without a clear direction you can cut more efficiently than with a large design, check or rib. So always calculate generously and check the fabric width before you order.
For an average armchair, the amount needed depends heavily on the model and fabric width. A compact chair may need only a few metres, while a roomy wing chair with loose cushions needs considerably more. Lay out the old pattern pieces to scale or measure each piece separately, including at least a few extra centimetres on all fixing edges. With a patterned fabric, repeat the measurement with room for neat matching.
Upholstering an armchair: working in the right order
Once the frame has been repaired and new foam or Dacron is in place, you can cut the fabric to size. Use the old pieces as a pattern, but first check that they are not stretched or torn. It is better to cut slightly too generously than too tightly. You can trim off excess fabric later, but a shortfall can rarely be solved neatly.
First place a fabric piece loosely on the armchair. Find the centre of the fabric and the centre of the furniture, for example at the front of the seat. First fix one staple in the centre, then on the opposite side. After that, always work from the centre towards the corners. This spreads the tension evenly and prevents the fabric from pulling crooked.
Pull the fabric firmly, but not as tight as possible. Too little tension causes creases and a sloppy seat. Too much tension can strain seams, distort the texture or stop the seat cushion from sitting nicely. After every few staples, check the visible side. You would rather spot a mistake before a whole edge is fixed.
On rounded armrests and curved backrests, small, even pleats on the underside are often needed. Cut only small notches in the seam allowance and stop well short of the visible edge. Work calmly: a well-distributed curve looks much better than one big pleat you try to pull away.
Finishing seams, piping and the underside neatly
Piping gives an armchair a clear, professional line and hides the transition between two pieces. You can make your own piping by sewing piping cord into a strip of bias-cut fabric. With strongly textured fabrics or faux leather, ready-made piping is sometimes more practical because it stays more even as you work with it.
Ideally, do any sewing before fixing a fabric piece to the frame. Use a sturdy needle and thread suitable for upholstery. Test the stitch length on an offcut. A stitch that is too short can perforate the fabric, while a stitch that is too long is less strong on a heavily loaded seat.
Finish the underside with a dust cover or black bottom cloth. This hides the staples and protects the inside from dust. Finally, check that legs, caps and fittings are firmly attached. It is these details that make the difference between a refurbished armchair and a piece of furniture that really feels like new again.
When is a professional's help the smarter choice?
Upholstering yourself is an excellent choice if the frame is sound, the shape remains manageable and you want to take time for the learning process. For antique armchairs, complicated buttoning, damaged springs or valuable designer furniture, a professional upholsterer may be the safer option. A mistake in an exclusive fabric or a damaged old frame is often more expensive than having an expert look at it beforehand.
If you want to get started yourself, choose materials that suit your level and your use. At BLADI upholstery fabrics you will find upholstery fabrics, faux leather, foam supplies, Dacron, staples, adhesives and other upholstery accessories for small and large projects. With a fabric sample, a calm working pace and attention to detail, you give that familiar armchair exactly the second round it deserves.
