A good furniture frame should last for decades, if not forever. Fabric does wear out, suffer damage or go out of style, but furniture can be renewed through expert reupholstery. Zollingers uses the highest quality fabrics, loaded polyfoams, latex rubber, jute webbing, hemp twine and other high quality materials to refurbish your sofas, chairs and other upholstered furniture. Our craftsmen are skilled in the restoration and tailoring details that bring furniture from fine to fabulous.

 

Because the quality of upholstery is, by nature, hidden, Zollingers invites you to visit our shop at any time throughout the upholstery process. We will show you the details of our work, from the barebones frame through the padding process to the finished piece. When you entrust us with your furniture, you are free to “visit” it at any stage of the restoration process, or we will send you photographs at various stages.

 

Hallmarks of an expert reupholstery:

 

Frames

• Hardwoods such as oak, elm, ash, poplar, soft maple and hickory make the most durable frames. They should be kiln-dried to prevent twisting or warping.

• Joints should be double-dowelled as well as glued for long-term durability. Blocks are also used at corner joints for stability.

• Frames for upholstered headboards should be solid wood, for long-term durability.

 

Springs

• Springs provide support for both seat and back cushioning. Coil springs (rather than no-sag springs) are best for durability.

• Coil springs for seats should be 8-gauge steel, to provide a longer life and firmer seating. The higher the gauge for springs, the more “give.” Many shops use 9-gauge coils for seating.

• The more coils and the closer together they are spaced, the better the seating quality and durability. Zollingers places springs no more than 2 inches apart.

• Springs are hand-tied together and to the frame with hemp twine from front to back, side to side and diagonally (thus 8-way hand-tied).

 

Cushions and Padding

• Padding is applied to the frame in layers, to provide the best durability and the most pleasing shape. You should not be able to feel the hard edges of a frame through the padding.

• Cushions and padding are made of many materials, or combination of materials. Zollingers uses the best quality available. Our medium density loaded polyfoam, for example, has a density rating of 2.7 pounds per cubic foot, meaning that a 12-inch cube of medium density loaded polyfoam weighs at least 2.7 pounds.

• Cushions should be tailored to fit snugly into corners. Ideally, cushion units should be encased in a down proof ticking to protect the underside of the fabric from additional abrasion.

 

Fabric details

• Large patterns should be centered on the back of a sofa or chair—and should be aligned with the same pattern on the seat.

• Check corners: Does the pattern match in all directions (side to side, top to bottom)?

• Seams should be straight, with no fraying, loose threads or wrinkles. The grain or weave of the fabric should align with the structure of the furniture.

 

Upholstery Details

• Are details uniform? Button-tufting evenly spaced, nailhead trim perfectly straight, pleats uniformly sized?          

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