Re-Upholster, Is It Worth It?

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This is the chair and the polish/reviver

Thank you for all your advice.

I’m sitting in the chair as I write this, it’s comfy.

I feel quite guilty, as I realise I should have looked after the leather better over the years, bit late now. It’s been used a lot, the seat is worn and starting to rip. The top of the chair where DH’s head has rested has an oily tinge to it, and the back of the chair has faded from the sun.

Am definitely going to have it re-covered, will be much more aware of fading.

As someone said, am lucky to have it.

How bad is the leather. I have revived a leather sofa using Renapur. Google the company and see what you think.

You're so lucky having a lovely chair to care for! I'm getting a huge, heavy, very dark chest of drawers made by my GGF. I love the idea of it being handled for over a hundred years by my family but Lord knows where I will put it.

If you love it, get it recovered.
We priced up loose covers, but decided our sofa and chair needed more than that. The firm that redid it also boosted the fillings as well so it felt like new. I could have bought new for only a bit more, but I we loved what we had.

Excellent idea, MissF. If it were me and I knew of a company who could revive and restore the chair as successfully as *aggie"s, then I'd let them restore the leather chair in its current state. But it's possible specialist companies like that are few and far between these days.

Given that the chair is over 70 years old, unless it hasn't had a great deal of wear, it probably indicates that it was well-made. Furniture these days is often glued and stapled and clearly not going to last for years as in the past. I'd definitely want to keep the chair for sentimental reasons and maybe think of it being passed down through my family at some stage. If money isn't a problem, I'd have it restored and reupholstered in leather, or for a more modern twist and perhaps to reduce the cost of the work, I'd choose some very nice fabric instead of leather.

And in either case, maybe a toning throw on it if it's going into the conservatory ? As glammananna points out, lots of sunshine maybe would fade the chair whatever is used to restore it!

If it’s just the seat that’s worn could you have that reupholstered in fabric and leave the rest.
Leather mixed with tweeds and tartans works well.

I love that chair as well Peasblossom so pretty.

Love my reupholstered chair. It’s my favourite bit of furniture!

You obviously are very fond of the chair and I would get it re covered either doing it yourself or professionally.
Is there anywhere else in your home it could be placed as being in the sunlight in a conservatory would fade what ever material you decided on.

Aggie, I’m interested by your polish, I had a leather man come and he put a polish on my suite which for weeks after when it got damp or wet,the colour would come off onto clothes. I stopped having the suite redone in fear of friends getting the colour (dark brown) on their white trousers! Our dog has been jumping all over the suite so it now looks quite a mess. Which polish do you use please?

I would either have it done by upholsterer or attempt it myself. Linseed oil is good at reviving leather. I think it’s a shame to throw a good piece of furniture out.

I think that if it gives you joy, then go ahead and get it done.

If you can afford either new or reupholstering what is the problem?

Is there no way to revive the leather ? My leather suite was redone about 30 years ago , it was my Mother’s pride and joy , in fact it could have been old when she got it . The frame got sighs of delight from the firm that did it for us
I use a reviving polish on it whenever I think