Reasons To Upholster Your Furniture

We have had our sofas for approximately 10 years and the upholstery on them is now starting to look tired and worn in places. This is why we are definitely coming to a decision as to what to do next. Do we buy new sofas, or do we re-upholster our current sofas? The dilemma we face is our sofas are still in very good condition. It is just the upholstery which is not looking so good. Truth be known, we don’t want to get rid of them.

So after doing a lot of research online and generally asking friends and family, we have decided that the best way forward is to re-upholster our current sofas and there is no doubt that they will last another ten years or more.

Nowadays there are many companies that will re-upholster your furniture. You only have to go online and you will find a company local to yourself. We live in South Wales and I found Upholstery services in Bristol which for us is just a short journey to get our sofas re-upholstered. In particular, we found a company called South West Upholstery who have 23 years experience and have fantastic reviews and can supply all our upholstery needs so without a doubt this was going to be our best option to get our sofas re-upholstered.

Here are five reasons why re-holstering your furniture is a better option than buying new.

1. Helping the environment

Nowadays the amount of furniture that is disposed of in the UK is absolutely massive and the effect on the environment is having a devastating impact.

The amount of energy required to produce new furniture is massive. This is then doubled up when getting rid of old furniture. This whole process will contribute to pollution and waste production. By re-holstering our old furniture we help by using less energy and consequently reduce pollution.

Ultimately by re-upholstering our old furniture we will reduce pollution and waste disposal and regenerate nature which in turn helps our environment creating a better world for our children.

2. The expense of getting rid of old furniture

The laws have changed in the UK as to the disposal of old furniture and sofas. They have discovered that there is hazardous waste in sofas such as POPS. So to remove and dispose of old furniture requires a special license so this is very likely cost you a lot of money to get rid of just one sofa.

This is one of the reasons why we have now decided to re-upholster our old sofa, because quite simply it is a much more cost effective way forward and will undoubtedly be a cheaper option.

3. Re-upholstery of your furniture means you can put your stamp on it

We all have our very own style and this is never more obvious than in our homes. As a family we are no different. What we like will not suit the next person etc, which means when you have decided to re-upholster your old furniture or sofas it’s the perfect time to put your own stamp on it that will show your style, character and personality.

When buying new there is a limit to choice and more often than not they are all very similar in design. This is why re-upholstery of your furniture allows you to be bold and go for something that will add a little bit of sophistication to your home.

4. Old furniture can have a special meaning

Many pieces of furniture will have a special meaning or sentimental value to all of us. It could be a family heirloom that has passed down the generations of our family, or it could be a special armchair that your mum or dad used to always sit in when you would visit them and sadly they have now passed away, but that old is a wonderful memory for you of them, but sadly the old armchair is looking very worn out. So if you get it re-upholstered it will keep the memory alive of your family member.

It could also be an old sofa that is special to you as a couple. It may well be the first sofa that you bought when you got married and bought your first home and it has a special meaning for the both of you. This is another great reason to have it re-upholstered and by doing so you will help the environment so it’s a win-win situation.

5. The laws to dispose of old furniture has changed

The laws have recently changed in the UK because legislation was passed of how we can dispose of old furniture. Some upholstered seating such as sofas and armchairs contain POPs (persistent organic pollutants). The legislation means that it has changed the way we dispose of sofas, armchairs and also office chairs to name a few.

What this actually means is if POPs is present in furniture it cannot be disposed of in landfill, mixed with other waste that doesn’t contain POPs and cannot be reused or recycled by a waste carrier.

This type of waste can only be incinerated, so if you reuse your old furniture you will reduce the amount of harmful pollutants entering the environment.

So there are my reasons to re-upholstered your old furniture and there is no doubt they are very justified reasons.

Have you had a sofa or armchair re-upholstered? I would love to hear your experiences in the comments below.