Guide · upholstery in Melbourne
Reupholstering, recovering and slipcovering are three different jobs at three different prices. Reupholstering means stripping the piece back to the frame and rebuilding it, usually with new fabric plus new foam, webbing or springs, and it lasts decades. Recovering means putting new fabric over internals that are still sound, so it costs less but does nothing for a sagging seat underneath. A slipcover is a removable, tailored fabric cover that slips over the existing piece and changes nothing permanently, the cheapest option and the least durable. As a rough order, a slipcover costs less than a recover, which costs less than a full reupholster, and the right choice depends entirely on whether the inside of your piece is still good.
Last updated: September 2026
Get a free quoteCall 0425 832 619People use these words interchangeably, but to an upholsterer they mean three distinct jobs. Getting the term right is the first step to getting an accurate quote.
Choosing for a busy household? See our pet-friendly and kid-proof fabric guide for rub counts, weaves and what to avoid.
Reupholstering strips the piece back to the frame and rebuilds it from the inside out. The old fabric and worn internals come off, the frame is checked and repaired if needed, then new webbing, springs, foam and padding go back in before the new fabric is fitted and finished by hand.
Because it rebuilds the support and comfort layers, not just the surface, a proper reupholster restores a piece to better-than-new and lasts for decades. At our workshop that means Dunlop HR35 high-resilience foam, nine-way hand-tied springs where the piece calls for it, and a 30-year guarantee on the frame work. It is the right choice when the seat has sagged, the foam has collapsed, the springs twang, or the frame is loose, none of which new fabric alone will fix.
Recovering is the right call when the inside of the piece is still sound and only the fabric has had it. If the seat still sits firm, the foam holds its shape, the springs are quiet and the frame is solid, you are paying for a fabric change, not a rebuild, so recovering saves a significant amount over a full reupholster.
The catch is that recovering does nothing for tired internals. Putting beautiful new fabric over collapsed foam and stretched webbing gives you a piece that looks new for a year and then sags again, and the fabric is now committed. This is why an honest upholsterer checks what is under the cover before quoting: a genuine recover and a job that really needs reupholstering can look identical from the outside.
A slipcover suits you when the piece underneath is comfortable and structurally fine, and you want a fresh look, protection, or the flexibility to change or wash the cover. Because it is removable and permanent nothing, it is the cheapest of the three and the easiest to live with for families and pets, since many slipcovers can be taken off and washed.
The trade-offs are fit and lifespan. Even a well-tailored slipcover never sits as crisply as upholstery bonded to the frame, it can shift and need straightening, and the fabric wears faster because it is not tensioned over padding. A slipcover also cannot fix comfort: if the seat is sagging, a cover over the top hides nothing and helps nothing.
As a general order, a slipcover costs less than a recover, which costs less than a full reupholster, because each step adds labour and materials. Durability runs in the opposite direction: reupholstery lasts longest, then a recover, then a slipcover.
The fair comparison is cost per year of use, not the sticker price. A reupholster on a well-made frame often works out cheaper over its life than repeated slipcovers or a recover that has to be redone once the foam finally goes. Reupholstering a quality piece also usually costs less than replacing it with new furniture of the same standard, which is covered in our guide on whether reupholstering is worth it.
Often yes, and it is one of the most cost-effective jobs we do. If the covers are the only thing that has gone and the frame and back are fine, we can recover or refoam just the seat cushions and leave the rest, which keeps the cost well below a full recover. If the cushions have also gone flat, we replace the foam at the same time. Send a photo and we will tell you honestly which parts actually need doing rather than quoting the whole piece by default. There is more on this on our cushion refoaming and foam guide pages.
Work from the inside out. The state of what is under the cover decides the job for you.
If you are weighing this up, the honest answer usually comes from one question: does the piece still sit well? If it does, you likely need a recover or slipcover. If it does not, no amount of new fabric will fix it, and reupholstering is the job. See also how to choose an upholsterer and our reupholstery cost guide.
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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
Reupholstering strips the piece back to the frame and rebuilds it with new fabric plus new foam, webbing or springs as needed. Recovering replaces only the outer fabric over internals that are still sound. Reupholstering fixes comfort and structure; recovering only changes the look.
Yes. A slipcover is generally the cheapest of the three options because nothing underneath is touched, followed by recovering, then a full reupholster which costs most because it rebuilds the internals. Durability runs the other way, with reupholstery lasting longest.
Yes, if the foam, springs and frame are still sound. Recovering puts new fabric over good internals and costs less than a full reupholster. But if the seat sags or the foam has collapsed, new fabric alone will not fix it and the piece needs reupholstering.
Reupholstery lasts far longer. Fabric bonded and tensioned over rebuilt padding on the frame can last decades, while a removable slipcover sits looser, shifts, and wears faster because it is not tensioned over padding.
Often yes, and it is one of the most cost-effective jobs. If the frame and back are fine, we can recover or refoam only the seat cushions and leave the rest, keeping the cost below a full recover. We can replace the foam at the same time if the cushions have gone flat.
Check whether the piece still sits well. If the seat is firm, the foam holds shape and the frame is solid, a recover is enough. If it sags, the foam is flat or the frame is loose, it needs reupholstering, because new fabric will not fix the inside.
If the frame is well made and sound, reupholstering usually costs less than replacing it with new furniture of the same quality, and lasts decades. Cheap flat-pack pieces with particleboard frames are often not worth it. The frame is the deciding factor.
No. A slipcover only changes the outer look and offers no support. A sagging seat is a foam, webbing or spring problem underneath, which a cover over the top hides poorly and does not repair. That needs a recover with new foam or a full reupholster.
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