As someone who has been dedicated to upholstery for years, I personally love the art of breathing new life into treasured furnishings. To me, there’s something magical about taking an old, worn-out piece and giving it a fresh look, feel, and presence in your home.

Whether it’s a cherished childhood armchair, a meaningful family heirloom, or a well-loved sofa that has been the setting of countless heart-to-heart coffee dates, these items are more than just functional objects. Each piece holds a unique story within them — a wealth of memories, emotions, and connection.

Today, I want to share 5 of my favorite upholstery projects. With each stitch and every carefully chosen fabric, these furnishings exude comfort and beauty while effortlessly infusing the home with intention and character. I hope they inspire you to see the potential in your own well-loved pieces!

A Sophisticated Dining Room Chair

Upholstered chairs bring a lovely sense of comfortable elegance and sophistication to a dining room. While simple wooden chairs certainly have their place in some homes, I love using upholstery to add layers of texture, color, and pattern to complete a space.

This dining room chair in particular features a welcome surprise of two fabrics: a Ralph Lauren plaid and a traditional floral. We chose the dark welting to frame the floral fabric for a more formal appearance when viewed from the back, but it also complements the more relaxed plaid. I love to use more than one fabric on a piece to infuse a space with bold colors or patterns, bringing whimsy and interest without overdoing it.

An Antique Cushioned Rope Bench

There is no doubt that this antique rope bench has had a richly storied life. Perhaps it once adorned a living room, welcomed guests in a foyer, or even served as a small child’s bed. Its new owners wanted to revive this beautiful piece and give it purpose once again.

While the frame was in excellent shape, the bench needed a new functional cushion to match its style and enhance its natural beauty. We chose a French mattress-style cushion in cream with a neutral ticking stripe that matches the timelessness of this antique. 

Vintage Child Rockers

When our clients brought in two identical child rocking chairs that they had used and loved decades ago (when they were children themselves), we knew this was a sweet story in the making. They tasked us with reupholstering the rockers to be gifted to their own grandchildren and loved once again. 

As you can see in the before photo on the left, the green fabric was dated and worn, but thanks to high-quality construction, which is more common with antique furniture, the rocker itself was functional and had a well-made frame. We refreshed these two small rockers with a classic gingham and a whimsical bird print, bringing them back to life for the newest generation to enjoy. Talk about sharing the love!

Unique Custom Headboard

Your bedroom should embody your own personal sense of comfort and relaxation, whatever that may be. For this couple, that meant the soft colors, gentle curves, and rustic elegance of french-country design.

The headboard in this bedroom is a focal point — and with good reason. We collaborated with Rustic Red Door to create this uniquely stunning piece. They built the king-size wooden headboard, and we handled the upholstery, which is carefully inlaid and detailed with tufted buttons. The result evokes the soft, provincial French Country-style comfort that our clients wished for.

Boyertown Toile Accent Chair

When you have the perfect fabric for a unique piece of furniture…well, the result is pure magic. During this upholstery project, we transformed an antique French-style accent chair into a show-stopping statement piece.

We refinished the frame in a bold, rubbed black, and used our custom and highly beloved Boyertown Toile fabric as the final touch to bring this chair to life. The outcome is a unique, eye-catching piece with history — a perfect addition to one of our town’s historic homes.

P.S. Love this print? We made it! You can browse the many products featuring our Boyertown Toile design in the Becker Home Shop.

Another Reason to Revive Rather than Purchase New…

There are two other reasons that reviving an older piece is smarter than purchasing new. First, we must acknowledge the environmental impact of our choices, and the fact that most upholstered furniture has a limited lifespan. Instead of purchasing cheaply made pieces that will end up in a landfill after a few years, it’s always better to invest in quality furniture that will withstand time and last for generations. But… 

In today’s modern world, it can be challenging to find high-quality furnishings. Most frames made today and sold in your average furniture store are sub-par and not made to last. Finding well-made antiques is one way around this. The other is to invest in new furniture that is made to last. You just need to know what to look for.

One option is the Becker Home Showroom, where we offer designer furnishings that meet the highest standards of craftsmanship and durability. If you’re looking elsewhere, search for seating suspension made with “eight-way hand-tied” springs, “kiln-dried hardwood” frames (which resist cracking and warping), and fabrics with a “high rub count.” This is exactly what you’ll find in our showroom, too. 

And, of course, if you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Navigating the industry of home goods and services can be overwhelming, and it is my life’s work to make the journey easier and guide you toward creating a meaningful, purpose-filled home you’ll love.

Yours,
Monique