There is a wingback in half the living rooms of Central PA that has reached the awkward stage: too comfortable to toss, too shabby for company. If you have ever wondered what actually happens between dropping a chair at our shop and picking up something that looks new, here is the whole trip, bench by bench.
One note before we start. This is about fully upholstered chairs, wingbacks, club chairs, overstuffed rockers. A dining chair with a drop-in seat is a much simpler animal, and we covered that project separately in how to completely recover a dining chair.
Strip-down: where the surprises live
An upholstered chair comes apart in the reverse order it was built. Dust cover first, then outside back, outside arms, and inward layer by layer. On a wingback that means pulling somewhere north of a thousand staples or tacks, one at a time, without chewing up the frame underneath.
This is also where the chair tells its history. We find scorch marks, coins from decades back, previous repairs done with whatever was in the garage, and occasionally evidence that mice spent a winter inside. Every surprise gets photographed and priced before we go further, so you are never billed for a mystery.
Can a DIYer do this? Yes, and it is the single best way to learn how upholstery actually works. Photograph every layer as it comes off and keep every old panel. Those rags become your pattern later.
The frame check
With the padding exposed, we rack the frame gently and listen. Joints loosen after decades of use, and covering a wobbly frame with new fabric is like painting over rot. Loose joints get taken apart, cleaned of old glue, reglued and clamped overnight. Cracked rails get repaired or replaced with matching hardwood.
DIY verdict: regluing a joint that is already apart is fair game. Injecting glue into a closed, dirty joint is not a repair, it just glues the dirt. And if the chair is an antique, stop here, because old pieces from Lancaster County auctions often hide fragile joinery that deserves a careful hand.
Springs, webbing and the deck
Under the seat, older wingbacks carry coil springs tied eight ways by hand to jute webbing. Newer chairs run sinuous steel springs front to back. Either way, this layer decides how the chair sits, and it is usually the real reason a seat feels tired.
We replace stretched webbing, then retie or re-clip the springs to the correct height and tension. Get this layer wrong and the finest fabric in Pennsylvania will not save the chair.
DIY verdict: this is where we honestly wave most people off. Hand-tying springs is a skill built over dozens of seats, and a bad tie job fails within months.
Padding, from the burlap up
New burlap goes over the springs, then an edge roll to keep the front of the seat crisp. Padding follows in layers: foam cut and shaped for the seat and back, cotton or polyester batting to smooth the transitions, and a muslin sub-cover on finer work.
Foam choice matters more than fabric choice for how the chair will live. A firm high-resilience seat foam over a softer back foam is the usual recipe, but we adjust it for the person. A reading chair for a tall farmer gets a different build than a sewing chair for a small grandmother.
DIY verdict: replacing the foam core in a loose seat cushion is very doable. Shaping attached padding over wings and arms takes practice to avoid lumps that telegraph through the new cover.
Pattern, cut, sew, fit
Those old panels we saved at strip-down now earn their keep. Each one gets squared up and used to pattern the new fabric, with seam allowances and stretch direction marked. A typical wingback swallows around seven yards of fabric, more if the pattern repeats and needs matching across seat, back and skirt.
Cutting is careful one-way work, nap running the same direction on every panel. Then the sewing: welt cord, curved wing seams and cushion boxing all run through our walking-foot Consew machines, which feed heavy layered fabric a home machine simply cannot manage.
Fitting is the slow, satisfying end. Panels go on, get pinned, adjusted and stapled in sequence, and the last seams close by hand with a curved needle and a blind stitch. A fresh dust cover goes on the bottom, and the chair is done.
DIY verdict: a patient sewer can manage straight seams and even decent welt. Pattern matching on a striped or floral wingback is the stage that breaks most home projects.
When to call a pro
Our honest scorecard: strip-down and simple regluing are fine home territory. Springs, attached padding and final fitting are where experience pays for itself. And if the chair is an antique or carries family history, have it assessed before anyone pulls a single tack, since original details can matter more than you think. That careful end of the trade is what our antique restoration service is for, while everyday pieces go through our regular furniture upholstery bench. Call 717-383-6917, describe your chair, and we will tell you which route fits.
FAQ
How long does it take to reupholster an armchair?
The hands-on work spans several days across the different benches, and the calendar time depends on fabric arrival and the shop queue. We give you a real timeline when we quote the job, and we stick to it.
How much fabric do I need for a wingback chair?
Plan on roughly seven yards of 54-inch fabric for a typical wingback, and more for large patterns that need matching. Send us photos and measurements before you order material and we will confirm the yardage so you do not overbuy.
Is reupholstering worth it on an ordinary chair?
If the frame is hardwood and the chair fits your body and your room, usually yes, because you end up with better-than-new construction under a fabric you chose. If the frame is particleboard, we will tell you to save the money. Every chair is different, so ask for an exact estimate.
Got a chair at the awkward stage? Send photos through our free online estimate form or call 717-383-6917. We will tell you what is hiding under that fabric and what it would take to make it the best seat in the house again.
