Did you know the terms “recovering”, “reupholstering”, and “restoring” are not the same things?
While these three terms can overlap, they refer to different scopes of work:
Recovering:
Recovering generally means updating or renewing the fabric on an upholstered piece. This process typically involves removing the old fabric and installing new fabric over the original structure and padding. Some use the terms “recover” and “reupholster” interchangeably, but with “recovering” the padding, springs, etc are left as they were found. In my experience, I’ve found that many DIYers will “recover” a piece, leaving the old padding, webbing, spring ties, etc, and state that it’s been “reupholstered”. When “recovering” an antique or vintage piece, the padding and other upholstery components will then (many times) wear out before the new fabric does (this is also one of the reasons we began teaching upholstery).
Reupholstering:
Reupholstering involves removing the old fabric, inspecting the padding, webbing, spring ties, etc, then removing and replacing them (in most cases) with new materials.
Restoring:
Restoration is a more comprehensive process. It often involves returning a piece of furniture to its original condition or improving its overall quality while preserving its historical or sentimental value. Restoration can include structural repairs (like fixing joints or replacing broken parts), refinishing the show wood surfaces, repairing or replacing hardware, and then reupholstering. We tackle a lot of full frame restorations here, and while it’s a lot of work, I love it. Some will restore a piece exactly as it was originally (fabric style, original types of padding, etc), but our restorations encompass restoring the wood frame as it was originally then updating the upholstery and padding to modern upholstery (and fire code) standards.
So in short, recovering generally refers to giving an upholstered piece a new fabric; reupholstering is a specific task of replacing fabric and padding and often other upholstery components; and restoring encompasses bringing a piece back to its original or best condition, which includes reupholstering as well as repairs and frame refinishing.
