Owning a leather couch can be an amazing experience. Leather couches certainly have a luxurious feel that many people enjoy.
If you don’t do a good job of maintaining the leather couch, it’s not going to look its best, though. Eventually, you might notice cracks on the cushions or the leather might start to fade.
When your leather couch starts to look worse for wear, is it possible to reupholster it? Would reupholstering a leather couch be practical?
Read on to learn about whether this is possible or not. You’ll have a better idea of what you can do to keep using your leather couch for years to come.
You Can Reupholster Leather Couches
Reupholstering leather couches is certainly possible. This is something that many people choose to do.
Your leather couch might not look as good as it used to. You might see cracks in the leather material, and that makes you want to get the couch reupholstered.
Sometimes people will want to do this when the couch has faded as well. Thankfully, reupholstering a leather couch is very straightforward.
You simply need to remove the old leather and apply the new leather to the couch. Removing the leather upholstery from the sofa will take a bit of time, but it’s not too tough to do.
The leather is held to the couch using staples. So you have to use a staple remover to get rid of the staples in question.
Once this is done, you can pull the leather off of the couch. Next, you just have to cut the new leather and apply it to the sofa.
Although the process sounds easy, it is something that takes a bit of skill. It’s easy to do things wrong if you’re not careful.
You want the material to be stapled tightly to the couch. It’s also important for everything to be even.
Many people choose to hire professionals to reupholster leather couches. This might not be something that you’ll want to attempt to do yourself.
Can You Reupholster a Leather Couch With Fabric?
Yes, it is indeed possible to reupholster a leather couch with fabric. You’d simply need to remove the leather before doing this.
To remove the leather, you’ll need to use staple removers and tack removers. This will allow you to safely get rid of the tacks and staples that are securing the leather to the sofa.
It’ll take a bit of time to get this done. You need to be careful not to tear things since you want the basic pattern to be visible when you’re applying the fabric.
Go slow and be sure to remove all of the leather from the couch. When you’re done, you can begin cutting the fabric that you wish to use for the sofa.
Understand that reupholstering a couch involves a lot of work. It’s not necessarily easy to do for amateurs.
Many people would be better off hiring someone to handle such a job. You can find local companies that specialize in reupholstering furniture for you.
They can reupholster your couch using whatever material you’re interested in. This will cost money, but it’s the best way to ensure that things turn out well.
If you have the necessary time and experience to do this work yourself, it’s fine to do so. Just know that it’s not something most people choose to do.
Is Reupholstering a Couch Worth It?
You have to consider whether it’s worthwhile to reupholster the couch. In some cases, it might not be a practical choice.
For example, your couch might not be worth that much money. If your couch is inexpensive, it might be more practical to simply buy a new couch.
The condition of the couch matters as well. The frame must be in good shape or it won’t be worthwhile to reupholster it.
You don’t want to spend money reupholstering a couch if it isn’t going to last much longer. Always take the condition of the couch into account before making decisions about whether to reupholster.
If your couch has seen better days, it might be best to simply buy a new one. You can always look at couches to see if you can find one that is within your budget.
Taking Care of a Leather Couch
Taking care of your leather couch will help it to stand the test of time. You don’t want to put yourself in a position where you feel the need to reupholster the couch.
To keep the leather in good shape, it’s recommended to treat the leather every so often. Leather needs to be given some type of leather conditioner once per year.
If you don’t do this, the leather is going to dry out. This can lead to the leather becoming cracked, and it won’t look nearly as good as it’s supposed to.
You also need to protect your leather sofa from the sun. The sun can easily damage the leather.
Never place a leather couch in direct sunlight. The sunlight will damage the leather over time, and this will cause the leather to look faded.
If you can do a good job of maintaining the leather, it’ll last for a long time. Just be sure to avoid situations that will cause the leather harm.
How Long Should a Leather Couch Last?
Leather couches have the potential to last for a long time. However, they can also last for just a few years.
It truly depends on the type of couch that you buy. There are different types of leather couches out there that you can choose from.
Inexpensive faux-leather couches will usually only look nice for three years or so. The less expensive leather couches don’t last as long either.
There are different types of real leather that are used to make couches. Full-grain leather and aniline leather are very durable.
Bonded leather doesn’t last nearly as long. So the type of leather that is being used for the upholstery makes a huge difference.
A leather sofa that is made using high-quality materials can last for twenty-five years. Couches that are made with less expensive materials might only last a fraction of that time.
When Is It Better to Buy a New Couch?
Reupholstering a couch isn’t always the best solution. There are times when it’s wiser to simply buy a new couch.
If your couch isn’t in great shape, spending money to reupholster it could be a waste of time. If the frame is in poor condition, the couch might not last much longer.
For example, the couch might be sagging or it could be a little wobbly. When a couch has issues such as this, it’s not going to make you confident that it’ll be good for many more years.
Reupholstering a couch will cost a fair bit of cash. You could take that money and put it toward a brand new leather sofa.
How Much Does It Cost to Reupholster a Leather Sofa?
How much money should you expect to spend if you want to reupholster a leather couch? The price can vary quite a bit depending on various factors.
Expect to spend at least $600 when reupholstering a leather couch. You might need to spend a lot more than that, but it depends on the size of the couch, the current price of materials, and how much a local expert will charge for labor.
You might spend thousands of dollars to reupholster a leather couch. It’s more likely that you’ll spend a bit over $1,000, but you have to take this information with a grain of salt.
The prices could differ a bit in your area. The best thing you can do is call around to different businesses that offer upholstery services.
You have to weigh the cost of reupholstering the leather couch against how much you’d need to spend to get a new couch. Depending on how much money you’ll need to spend to get the job done, it might be better to go shopping for a new couch.
Final Thoughts
Now you know that it’s possible to reupholster a leather couch. It’s fairly common for people to reupholster leather couches so long as it’s practical to do so.
It can help you to keep enjoying your couch for a longer period. However, your couch must be in good enough shape to justify reupholstering it.
You can do the job yourself, but it’s more common to hire a company to do it. It’s likely that you’ll spend over $1,000 to get the job done, but the price will vary based on the size of the couch and other factors.
It’s also possible to reupholster a leather couch with fabric. If you’d prefer to turn the leather couch into a fabric couch, it’s easy enough to do so.
The upholstery company can do this job just as easily. You simply have to specify what you want.
Do your best to protect your leather couch so you won’t feel the need to reupholster it too fast. Treat the leather with leather conditioner once per year.
Keep the leather sofa out of direct sunlight to keep it from getting damaged. So long as you keep these things in mind, it’ll be easier to enjoy your couch and keep it looking great.
I have two Associate’s degrees, one in Medical Assisting and the other in Computer Technician, and I am roughly five classes from a bachelor’s degree. Though I never ended up working in the medical field, I have five and a half years of experience in IT. I recently became a stay-at-home mom to my two young boys, and I’m so excited to start this adventure with them! In my spare time, I love to bake and read pretty much anything I can get my hands on.