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[Lilysmom]

@Grammyto3 , if you want to get an idea of the cost, take a photo to the upholsterer and ask him to apply a mid range fabric cost and give you an estimate.  I did that with a chair and got a ballpark figure.  LM

[gardenman]

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@Grammyto3 wrote:

Wow, I didn’t expect it to be so high. 

A glider is a rocking chair that glides instead of rocking. The ottoman also glides. 

I paid $500 for it 18 yrs ago. It’s perfect except for the cushions and they do not sell replacements. 

I guess I’ll have to buy new. 

Thanks for for all your info!

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If the cushions are removable it's a very easy process to recover them yourself, even if you're not an expert sewer. There are two ways to do it. One is to carefully remove and unstitch the existing covers and use them as a pattern to make a new cover. That can be kind of tricky as manufacturers often don't leave much margin for error, especially if the existing covers were sewn on a serger type machine that trims the fabric as it's sewn. Option two (the safer and to me easier option) is to leave the old covers in place and place the new fabric over it with the good side facing in. Trim each piece slightly larger than need be. Then pin it together where you want the seams to be. Sew where the pins are removing the pins as you go, turn the covers right side out and slide them over the old covers, stitch them shut, and you're done. If there are fabric covered buttons, you can buy button cover kits for very little money (under $5 when I last bought them) that let you recreate that look also.

Even someone with very, very little sewing experience can easily make new covers using the pin and sew technique. I speak from experience having done it myself on several occasions. I recovered a glider/ottoman with very durable fabric for less than $20, including the button covers. The only tricky part was two fabric covered straps that wrapped around the top posts of the back of the chair to hold the back cushion in place, but even that wasn't too hard. My local Walmart had very nice upholstery fabric at a very low price and even the button covers. It took several hours to complete, but wasn't too bad.

[Eileen in Virginia]

@Grammyto3 If your ottoman and glider are high quality pieces (i.e., hardwood frames, brass fittings, quality fill and padding, etc.), it’s worth it to have it reupholstered. They don’t make furniture like they used to (and I’m not just talking about antiques). There are a number of factors that enter into the cost:

1. Type of fabric selected.

2. Patterns on the fabric selected. Think of the matching of stripes or prints that you’d

look for in a quality garment. An expert upholsterer will match the patterns throughout                        the piece of furniture so the transition from back to seat to skirt is seamless.

3. Complexity. Are there buttons that need to be tied down or a pleated skirt? These are time-consuming details that need to be done right.

4. Pick-up and delivery fees. The upholstery shop I use doesn’t charge for this, but I looked at one shop (very briefly) that charged $150 for this about 5 years ago. 

5. Frame issues. My guy will repair frame issues that aren’t major as part of the job.

6. Extras. Do you want them to make protective sleeves for the arms of the glider or a removable cover for the top of the ottoman that you can wash? If so, it’s best to do this now when the “dye lot” is the same. DH has psoriasis and had worn through the arms on his favorite chair (among other things). I had my guy make 3 extra sets of arm sleeves when we reupholstered it so we could just switch them out as needed. 

When I had my office furniture reupholstered, my employee sent digital pictures of the sofa and chairs to the upholsterer to obtain an approximate cost. The pieces were fairly straightforward, so it wasn’t a complicated job. Once I received the guesstimate, it was just a matter of the fabric selected. If you’ve got a few shops in mind, send them pictures and ask for a tentative estimate with good, better and best fabric grades. Also, be sure to ask them any questions you may have. They’re experts and can give you good advice. 

Hope this helps! 

[NickNack]

If it's a very high quality piece it's worth it to get it reupholstered.  If not, it's better to replace it.  I have an Ethan Allen chair in my bedroom that I've had for about 30 years.  It's in perfect condition.  I've reupholstered it several times.

I've reupholstered sofas and other chairs, too.

[Boehm Collector]

@Grammyto3  ... my sister-in-law just had an arm chair reupholstered.  It cost her $500.00 plus the cost of the fabric.   I was thinking about having my couch, love seat and chair in my living room reupholstered.   I only checked for prices on line.  But it seemed like it would cost less to just buy some good quality, new furniture.