I. SOFA REUPHOLSTERY
Frame-up sofa reupholstery, built to last forty years.
Strip the cover, inspect the frame, replace the webbing and springs as needed, hand-tie eight-way jute springs, hand-stitch the edges, layer horsehair and Dacron under the new cover. Every sofa is rebuilt at the bench in our Alexandria workshop. Lead time 4 to 6 weeks once your fabric arrives.
II. WHAT HAPPENS AT THE BENCH
Strip, inspect, rebuild — never just recover.
Every sofa is stripped to the frame on arrival. Joints are inspected and re-glued with hide glue and pegs where the originals were so constructed; modern frames are re-blocked with corner blocks and dowel-and-screw reinforcement. Old jute webbing is replaced. Springs are evaluated and either re-tied or replaced with new eight-way hand-tied jute coils. Edge rolls are stitched by hand. Padding rebuilt with horsehair, cotton batting, and Dacron. Only then does the new fabric come on.
III. EIGHT-WAY HAND-TIED
The single most important construction decision.
Eight-way hand-tied uses jute twine to knot each coil spring in eight directions — front-to-back, side-to-side, and both diagonals — so the springs flex as a system rather than independently. It is the difference between a sofa that holds its shape for forty years and one that sags in ten. Available on most rebuilds; we will tell you up-front if your frame cannot accept it (some thin modern frames cannot). The sinuous-spring alternative is faster and cheaper but is not what we recommend.
IV. FABRIC
Trade library or your own material.
Our trade-only library carries Schumacher, Brunschwig & Fils, Pierre Frey, Kravet, Lee Jofa, and Donghia. COM (customer's own material) is welcome — we receive it, photograph it, condition-report it, and confirm yardage before any cutting. Standard residential 3-seat sofa runs 14 to 18 yards of 54-inch fabric for plain-weave construction; pattern repeats and channel-stitching add 20 to 40 percent.
V. COST & TIMELINE
$1,800 to $4,500 + fabric. 4 to 6 weeks.
Frame-up sofa reupholstery runs $1,800 to $4,500 plus fabric, depending on size (loveseat through sectional), construction choice (eight-way hand-tied vs sinuous spring), and detail work (deep-button tufting, channel stitching, contrast piping, slipcovered cushions). Standard lead time is 4 to 6 weeks once your fabric arrives; complex sectionals run longer. Free pickup and delivery across the DC metro for residential clients. Antonio gives a firm quote at the in-person consultation.
Frequently asked
Is my sofa worth reupholstering?
Usually yes if the frame is sound and you like the lines. Look at how the arms meet the back (any movement when you press them?), whether the seat rails are still glued tight, and whether the springs sit level when you press down. Modern flat-pack construction with stapled-particleboard frames is not worth rebuilding. Solid hardwood frames almost always are — and many sofas built before 1990 have those. We will tell you at the in-home consultation. Free.
How long does sofa reupholstery actually take?
4 to 6 weeks from when fabric arrives at the workshop. Complex pieces (deep-button Chesterfield, sectional, curved arms) run 6 to 8. Same-shop turnaround — we do not subcontract.
What's the difference between eight-way hand-tied and sinuous spring?
Eight-way hand-tied uses jute twine to knot each coil spring in eight directions; the springs flex as a system. It is what holds a sofa together for forty years. Sinuous (S-shaped) springs are zigzag metal coils that drop into the seat frame — fast to install, cheap, and they sag in less than ten years. For a rebuild that should outlive you, eight-way hand-tied is the answer.
Can I bring my own fabric (COM)?
Yes — we welcome COM. The day fabric arrives we log it, photograph it, condition-report any defects, and confirm yardage before any cutting. There is no markup on COM. A standard 3-seat sofa runs 14 to 18 yards of 54-inch plain-weave fabric; patterns and channel-stitching add 20 to 40 percent for matching.
Do you offer pickup and delivery?
Yes — free across the DC metro for residential clients. Blanket-wrapped, white-glove transport. We photograph the piece on pickup, again on delivery. Larger sectionals are loaded with two-person teams.
Do you do channel stitching, deep-button tufting, contrast piping?
All by hand. Channel stitching with hand-laid jute cord, deep-button tufting (the Chesterfield pattern) with waxed thread and the proper tension to hold the buttons at depth, contrast piping cut on the bias for clean curves. Detail work adds time and yardage; the quote calls it out explicitly.
