We all have furniture pieces we love—maybe for their comfort, style, or sentimental value. But over time, even the best-loved chairs and sofas start to show their age. That’s where reupholstering comes in. The question is: is it really worth it? Let’s take a closer look.

The Cost of Buying New

High-quality furniture isn’t cheap. And mass-produced options that are affordable often sacrifice comfort, durability, or style. Reupholstering allows you to keep the pieces you already love—ones that fit your space and lifestyle—while giving them a brand-new look for significantly less than buying quality new furniture.

Endless Customization

When you reupholster, you’re not limited to what’s on the showroom floor. At Teal Tomorrow, you can choose from an extensive range of fabrics, textures, and finishes to create something truly one-of-a-kind. Want piping, tufting, or bold prints? We can do that—and more. Your design vision is only limited by your imagination.

A Sustainable Choice

Reupholstering is also the greener choice. Instead of tossing your furniture into a landfill, you’re extending its life and reducing waste. If sustainability is important to you, this is a smart way to reduce your environmental footprint while preserving well-built, quality-made furniture.

**When It’s Not Worth It**

Reupholstering is ideal for well-made pieces with strong frames. If the structure is damaged or poorly constructed, investing in upholstery may not be the best route. In that case, we recommend replacing the piece with a new or vintage option that’s built to last—and possibly reupholstering that one in the future.

When Not to Reupholster

Throw Away Furniture

Not All Furniture Is Built to Last

Over the years, I’ve owned many sofas, but one in particular stood out—it had a beautiful real wood detail along the front that really caught my eye. Unfortunately, that appreciation faded when I noticed the matching loveseat didn’t sit quite right.

A closer look revealed the problem: the back frame was broken. I had hoped it could be repaired, but after taking it apart, I discovered the frame was made mostly of OSB (oriented strand board) and held together with staples. The structure was already pulling apart.

While it was technically possible to fix, the time, labor, and cost of materials far outweighed the piece’s value. Even just the foam and fabric would have made the project impractical. In the end, I had to make the difficult choice to discard both the sofa and loveseat.

Before doing so, I responsibly removed and disposed of the foam, following safety guidelines to avoid environmental and health hazards.

The staples securing the back frame were failing, causing it to come apart. Additionally, the support webbing was either insufficient or entirely absent, further compromising the structure.

Rather than being properly finished with edge roll, the arm edges were simply covered with a thin piece of Dacron.

By this point, my disappointment had turned to frustration due to the substandard quality and clear lack of craftsmanship evident in the construction of this piece.