Guide · upholstery in Melbourne
When you reupholster an antique you can keep it traditional, rebuilt with horsehair, coir, hand-tied springs and stitched edges the way it was originally made, or you can use modern techniques like high-resilience foam. We do both and talk it through for your particular piece rather than defaulting to one. Traditional work suits period-accurate results and is the craft we are known for, but it is more hand labour, so it costs more. Modern foam is often the sensible choice when the piece is used every day and comfort matters, or to keep the cost down. For most antique furniture that people actually live with, using modern foam does not meaningfully change its value, so the decision comes down to the piece, how you use it and your budget.
Last updated: September 2026
Get a free quoteCall 0425 832 619There is no single right answer, and any upholsterer who tells you an antique must always be done one way is selling you their preference, not advising you. When you bring us an antique we lay out both options for that specific piece, traditional or modern, with the honest trade-offs, and help you choose based on how you will use it and what you want to spend.
Some pieces cry out to be kept traditional; others are used every day and are better served by modern comfort. We are set up to do either properly, so the decision is yours, made with good information rather than pushed one way.
Traditional upholstery rebuilds a piece with natural materials and hand methods, the way it was originally made, with no foam. It is slower, skilled work, and it is the craft our workshop is known for.
Done properly, traditional work looks and feels the way the piece was meant to, and lasts. It is the reason we keep authentic horsehair and time-proven methods in the workshop rather than foaming everything. It is also more hand labour, which is the main reason it costs more than a modern rebuild.
Modern methods, mainly high-resilience foam over updated support, are often the sensible choice, and there is no shame in it for a piece you actually live with. We usually suggest considering modern techniques in two situations.
Modern does not mean cheap or lazy when it is done right. We use genuine high-resilience Dunlop foam at the correct density, not a builder-grade offcut, so a modern rebuild still holds its shape and comfort for years.
For most antique furniture that people own and use, no, it does not meaningfully change the value. This is the fear that stops a lot of people reupholstering a piece they love, and for the everyday antiques we see, it is largely unfounded. What matters far more to those pieces is that they are done well and remain usable and enjoyed.
The exception is genuine museum or serious collector-grade pieces, where original materials and construction are part of the provenance and a strict traditional restoration is the right approach. Those are rare, and if your piece is in that category we will say so. For the vast majority of loved family antiques, choose the method that suits how you live with the piece, and do not let a value worry talk you out of restoring it.
Often, yes. A piece does not have to be all traditional or all modern. We can keep the parts of the traditional build that matter to a piece, such as a hand-tied spring base or a stitched edge that gives it its shape, and update the comfort layers where that makes sense. The right blend depends on the piece, and we will talk through what keeps its character while giving you the comfort and durability you want.
Traditional upholstery costs more than a modern rebuild because it is more hand labour: hand-tying springs, building and stitching natural fibre layers by hand takes far longer than fitting shaped foam. Neither is quoted by a flat figure, because it depends on the piece, its condition and the fabric, but as a rule a traditional restoration sits above a modern rebuild of the same piece. We give you a written quote for whichever approach you choose, and we will tell you honestly when the traditional premium is worth it for your piece and when it is not. See our reupholstery cost guide for how we price and quote.
Send a photo of your antique and tell us how you use it and what you would like, through the form on this page or a text to 0425 832 619. We reply within 24 hours with honest advice on traditional versus modern for that piece, and a free quote for the approach you prefer. You are welcome to visit the Eltham North workshop to see the difference in person and talk it through. There is more on our antique furniture restoration and French polishing pages.
Free tool
Buying your own fabric (COM)? Get a rough idea of how many metres your piece needs before you order. This is a planning guide only, so always confirm the exact quantity with us before you buy, especially for patterned fabric.
A rough planning guide, not a cutting order. Railroading, buttoning, fluting and pattern matching all change the amount, and the only accurate figure comes from measuring your actual piece. We are always happy to confirm the exact metreage before you buy.
COM means "customer's own material", where you supply the fabric and the workshop does the upholstery. It suits people who have found a specific designer or specialty fabric. Before buying COM, check the fabric is upholstery-weight and suitable for the piece, confirm the metreage required with your upholsterer first, and ask about the fabric's rub count and any backing needs. A good workshop will tell you honestly if a fabric you love is not durable enough for how you plan to use the piece.
Weighing rub count, fade resistance, fibre type and fire rating is exactly the kind of judgement a specialist workshop makes daily. Dylberry Design, a family upholstery and furniture-restoration workshop in Eltham North servicing Melbourne, is one example of a business set up around this. It runs an in-house team, including a machinist, upholsterer and restorer, with around 100 years of combined craft, carries a broad fabric range, and gives honest advice on what will actually last in your home rather than pushing a single option. It holds a 5.0 rating from 44 Google reviews, offers free quotes from a photo, and prices each job individually and fairly on its scope and materials. The wider point is that the best fabric is the one matched to your piece, your room and your household, so it is worth talking through before you commit.
Good to know
Either can be right. Traditional work with horsehair, hand-tied springs and stitched edges keeps a piece period-accurate and is the craft we are known for, but costs more. Modern high-resilience foam is often better for everyday comfort or to keep cost down. We advise per piece rather than defaulting to one.
For most antique furniture that people actually own and use, no, it does not meaningfully change the value. The exception is genuine museum or serious collector-grade pieces, where original materials are part of the provenance and a strict traditional restoration is right. Those are rare, and we will tell you if your piece is one.
Rebuilding a piece with natural materials and hand methods, no foam: nine-way hand-tied coil springs, horsehair and coir fibre fillings built up in layers, hessian, scrim and calico, and hand-stitched edge rolls that give a period piece its proper shape. It is slower, skilled work.
Because it is far more hand labour. Hand-tying springs and building and stitching natural fibre layers by hand takes much longer than fitting shaped foam. A traditional restoration generally sits above a modern rebuild of the same piece, and we will tell you when the premium is worth it.
Not when it is done right. We use genuine high-resilience Dunlop foam at the correct density, not a builder-grade offcut, so a modern rebuild holds its shape and comfort for years. For a piece you use every day, modern comfort is often the sensible choice.
Often yes. A piece does not have to be all traditional or all modern. We can keep the parts of the traditional build that give a piece its character, such as a hand-tied spring base or stitched edge, and update the comfort layers where it makes sense. The right blend depends on the piece.
Yes. We keep authentic horsehair and time-proven hand methods in the workshop rather than foaming everything, so we can rebuild a period piece the way it was originally made. We also do modern rebuilds, and advise which suits your piece.
Consider how you use the piece and your budget. If it is used daily and comfort matters, or you want to keep cost down, modern foam is often the better call. If period accuracy matters most, go traditional. Send us a photo and we will lay out both honestly for your specific piece.
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