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antique you can keep it traditional, rebuilt with horsehair, coir, hand-tied springs and stitched edges the way it was originally made, or you can use modern techniques like high-resilience foam.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Traditional upholstery rebuilds a piece with natural materials and hand methods, the way it was originally made, with no foam.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.
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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
For an everyday family sofa, aim for at least 25,000 Martindale rubs. Lighter-use chairs can be fine around 15,000, while pets and constant use point to 30,000 or more.
Not necessarily. Rub count only measures abrasion resistance. Fade resistance, stain resistance, pilling and weave tightness also matter, so a very high rub count fabric can still be a poor choice for a sunny room or a pet household.
A tightly woven performance fabric or solution-dyed synthetic with a high rub count, or genuine leather. Tight weaves resist claw snags, and solution-dyed fibres allow easier cleaning without colour loss.
Quality full-grain leather and top-tier performance fabrics both last many years. Leather wipes clean and ages well but scratches and costs more upfront. Avoid bonded leather, which wears poorly.
Solution-dyed acrylics and polypropylene resist UV fading best. Natural fibres like cotton, linen and silk fade faster in direct Melbourne sun. Mid tones show fading less than deep saturated colours.
Yes. Commercial and hospitality seating should use contract-grade fabric that meets Australian fire-safety standards. Always confirm the fire rating before ordering for a venue.
As a rough guide, a two-seat sofa needs around 10 to 14 metres and a three-seat around 14 to 18 metres. Patterned fabrics with a repeat need more. Confirm the exact amount with your upholsterer before buying.
Yes, this is called COM (customer's own material). Confirm the metreage and suitability with your upholsterer first, and check the fabric is upholstery-weight with an adequate rub count for how the piece will be used.
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Yes, and we would rather do that than have you choose from a screen or under workshop lighting. Colour behaves differently in every room depending on which way the windows face and what time of day you look at it, and a fabric that seemed right on a small swatch can read completely differently across a whole sofa. We bring a selection to you, look at them against the actual piece and in the actual light, and talk through weight and durability at the same time. It costs nothing and it saves the mistake that cannot be undone once the fabric is cut.
Yes. Once the fabric is settled and ordered, we arrange collection and delivery as part of the job. If you are within a reasonable run of the Eltham North workshop and the piece is something one person can manage, we generally just collect and return it ourselves and it does not appear on the invoice. Larger pieces, full lounge suites or addresses further out go on a carrier, and we write that transport cost into the quote from the start so there is nothing added at the end. Tell us about stairs, narrow halls or a first floor room when you send photos and we will plan the lift properly.
Send a photo or the dimensions of your booths, banquettes or venue seating and we'll come back with a rough price and turnaround.
Send a photo of your piece and we'll come back with a straight quote, no obligation, no pressure.
Send a photo for a quote Call 0425 832 619