Upholstery & reupholstery
in Research

If there is one thing that defines the work coming out of Research, it is chairs. Armchairs, wing chairs and couches make up most of what arrives from this suburb, more than dining chairs, more than commercial jobs, just a steady flow of well-loved seating that people want kept rather than replaced.

It is a small suburb tucked into the bush not far from our Eltham North workshop, which suits the kind of furniture that tends to come out of it: older, solidly built pieces that have earned a second life rather than a trip to landfill. A wing chair with a good hardwood frame is exactly the sort of piece worth doing properly.

Because the shapes repeat, armchairs and wing chairs mostly, we know the common trouble spots on these frames well: the arms, the wings themselves, and the seat deck where most of the weight sits.

A wing chair is a good example of what comes out of Research regularly. The shape puts a lot of demand on a small number of points, the wings, the arms and the front rail, and after enough years those are exactly where the frame loosens and the padding flattens. Recovering one properly means checking every joint before a scrap of new fabric goes anywhere near it.

Couches from the area follow a similar pattern: a frame that is still sound, foam that has given up, and an owner who would rather see it restored than replaced. We rebuild the seat and back, refit springs or webbing as the frame calls for, and recover it in the fabric or leather the customer has chosen.

It is not glamorous work, mostly, just the same handful of chair shapes done well and often, which is exactly why we know them as thoroughly as we do.

On an armchair or wing chair, the arms and wings are usually the first thing to go, the padding compresses and the fabric wears through at the points that get gripped and leaned on most. We rebuild that padding properly rather than skimming a thin layer of new foam over the old shape: the padding gets rebuilt with Dunlop HR35 foam, a grade Dunlop backs with a ten-year warranty, softer at 165 density or firmer at 200 depending on what the chair is for.

Underneath, springs matter as much as foam. Where the frame calls for it we use nine-way hand-tied springs, and where webbing is the better fit for the piece, we re-web it properly rather than patch what is failing. A chair with tired springs will feel wrong again within a year even with brand-new foam on top.

For couches that see daily family use, we recommend fabric rated to at least 25,000 Martindale rubs, and 30,000 or higher if there is a dog in the house. Our pet-friendly and kid-proof fabric guide covers this in more detail.

Upholstery, machining and French polishing all happen in the one Eltham North workshop, which matters on an armchair or wing chair that needs a repaired frame as well as new upholstery. Fifty years of restoration and French polishing, thirty years at the machine, twenty-two years of upholstery, all belonging to the three tradespeople who share our workshop, close to a hundred years combined.

A thirty-year guarantee covers every hardwood frame we build or repair, and full insurance covers the workshop itself. Research customers are welcome to visit the workshop and see fabric samples in person, it is close by and a short trip from most of the suburb, though it is a residential address so please call ahead.

Our quote includes stripping the chair back to its frame, repairing joints, rebuilding the arms and wings with proper padding rather than a quick layer over the old shape, replacing webbing and springs as needed, new Dunlop foam, and a cover cut and sewn to the piece. We price what the chair actually needs rather than chasing the smallest number, aiming for a finish that looks high-end at a price that is not. If a quote lands well under what good materials cost at wholesale, ask what has been left off.