Guide · upholstery in Melbourne
As a rough guide using standard 137cm wide upholstery fabric, a drop-in dining chair seat needs about 0.5 metres, a fully covered dining chair around 1.5 to 2 metres, a tub or compact armchair 3 to 4 metres, a wingback 6 to 8 metres, a two-seater sofa 10 to 14 metres, and a three-seater 14 to 18 metres. Add roughly 10 to 15 percent on top for any fabric with a pattern repeat, and a little more again for velvet, directional piles, stripes, piping or buttoning. These figures are a starting point only, so before you buy, send us a photo and we will measure your piece and confirm the exact metreage.
Last updated: July 2026
Get a free quoteCall 0425 832 619Here in Melbourne, upholstery fabric is sold and measured in metres off a roll, and most upholstery-weight fabric is 137cm wide. The table below gives a realistic starting range for common pieces, worked out for plain fabric with no pattern to match. If you are shopping for fabric before you commit to a reupholstery job, these numbers get you close enough to compare options without over-ordering.
| Piece | Approx. metres (137cm wide, plain fabric) |
|---|---|
| Dining chair, drop-in seat only | About 0.5 m |
| Dining chair, seat and full back | 1.5 to 2 m |
| Tub chair or compact armchair | 3 to 4 m |
| Standard armchair | 5 to 7 m |
| Wingback armchair | 6 to 8 m |
| 2-seater sofa | 10 to 14 m |
| 3-seater sofa | 14 to 18 m |
| Chaise or modular, per seat section | 4 to 5 m |
These are honest working ranges, not exact cut lists. A low-arm, tight-back two-seater uses far less than a deep, rolled-arm lounge with separate seat and back cushions, even though both get called a two-seater. Frame size, cushion count, skirts and arm style all move the number, which is why we always confirm against the actual piece rather than the label.
A lot of the fabric calculators online are American and quote yards. One yard is about 0.91 metres, so if you use a US figure straight off the page you can end up ordering roughly 10 percent short without realising it. Australian fabric houses and workrooms all quote in metres, so it pays to think in metres from the start. When you see a fabric priced per metre in a Melbourne showroom, the ranges above are already in the right units.
Width matters just as much as length. The ranges here assume 137cm, which is the standard for upholstery-weight fabrics. Some prints and lighter fabrics come narrower, around 130cm to 140cm, and a narrower roll means you may need extra length to get the same coverage. Always check the width on the roll before you trust any metreage estimate.
The single most common reason a job runs short is that the estimate was done as if the fabric were plain. Most of the fabrics people fall in love with are not plain, and each of these adds metres.
A pattern repeat is the distance before the design starts again, both up the roll and across it. To keep a large floral or geometric looking right, every panel has to be cut so the pattern lines up across seat, back, arms and cushions. That means cutting to the repeat rather than to the exact panel size, and the offcuts add up. As a rule of thumb, allow an extra 10 to 15 percent for a modest repeat, and more again for a big repeat where the design is a feature. The larger the repeat, the more fabric ends up on the cutting room floor.
Velvet, chenille and other pile fabrics have a direction. Run your hand one way and it looks light, the other way and it looks dark. Every panel on a piece has to be cut with the pile running the same way, usually so it runs down the seat and back, or you get patches that look like different colours under the light. Because you lose the freedom to turn panels sideways to save fabric, directional fabrics almost always need more metres than the plain figure. Velvet is worth every bit of the extra, but budget the metres for it.
Stripes look simple but are unforgiving. A stripe that is not dead straight across a seat or running crooked up a back is immediately obvious, and matching a check at the seams uses more fabric again. Diagonal or off-centre placement is not an option on most pieces, so plan for extra length and expect a bit more waste than a plain weave.
Piping, also called welting, is cut on the bias in long thin strips to trim the edges and seams, and those strips come out of your metreage too. Deep buttoning and fluting need extra fabric so the material can be drawn down into each button without pulling tight, and a full skirt around the base of a sofa can add a surprising amount. If your piece has any of these features, tell us up front so the estimate includes them rather than getting caught out later.
If you have your heart set on a narrower fabric, the metreage climbs. Dropping from 137cm to around 130cm does not sound like much, but across a whole three-seater it can mean an extra metre or two because fewer panels fit across the roll. The same applies in reverse: an extra-wide fabric can occasionally save a little. Whenever you compare two fabrics on price per metre, check the width as well, because the cheaper-looking one can end up costing more once you account for how much you actually need.
The ranges above are designed to stop you over-ordering or falling short, but they are not a substitute for measuring the real piece. Before you outlay anything on fabric, it is worth getting the metreage confirmed, especially if the fabric is expensive or you are buying it in yourself.
A few things that help us pin the number down:
From that we can give you a confident metreage to take to the showroom, and we will always tell you honestly if a piece is or is not worth recovering before you spend a cent on fabric.
You are welcome to supply your own fabric, and plenty of our Melbourne clients do when they have found something they love. If you go that way, please get the metreage confirmed with us first and buy it all from a single batch, because dye lots can vary slightly and running short means a second lot that may not quite match. We can also order fabric in for you through our trade suppliers, which often opens up ranges you cannot buy over the counter. Either way, the metreage gets checked against your actual piece so nobody is guessing.
Good to know
For a plain fabric at 137cm wide, allow roughly 14 to 18 metres for a standard three-seater. A deep or heavily cushioned lounge sits at the top of that range or beyond, and a patterned or velvet fabric will need more again once matching and pile direction are allowed for.
Because every panel has to be cut so the pattern lines up across the whole piece. That means cutting to the pattern repeat rather than to the exact panel size, which creates offcuts. A modest repeat usually adds 10 to 15 percent, and a large feature repeat adds more.
Yes. Velvet and other pile fabrics have a direction, so all the panels must be cut running the same way to keep the colour even under the light. That removes the freedom to turn panels sideways to save fabric, so velvet almost always needs more metres than the plain estimate.
Most upholstery-weight fabric is 137cm wide. Some prints and lighter fabrics are narrower, around 130cm to 140cm, and a narrower roll usually means you need extra length for the same coverage. Always check the width on the roll before trusting any estimate.
Either is fine. If you buy it yourself, confirm the metreage with us first and buy it all from one dye lot so the colour stays consistent. We can also order fabric through our trade suppliers, which opens up ranges that are not sold over the counter.
A second lot bought later can come from a different dye batch and may not perfectly match, which is why we confirm the metreage and add a small allowance up front. Ordering enough in one go is always cheaper and safer than topping up midway.
A photo lets us give you a close, reliable estimate to shop with. We confirm the exact figure once we have measured the actual piece, taking into account the frame, cushions, and any piping or buttoning, so you order the right amount the first time.
If you are trying to work out how much fabric your sofa or chair needs, send a few photos through and we will measure it up and confirm the exact metreage, along with honest advice on whether it is worth recovering. We are a family upholstery workshop in Eltham North servicing all of Melbourne, and there is no obligation. Email [email protected] or call 0425 832 619 for a free quote from a photo, usually back to you within 24 hours.
Send a photo or the dimensions of your booths, banquettes or venue seating and we'll come back with a rough price and turnaround.
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