Much of the furniture on the market today is what I would consider "starter furniture" or "disposable furniture". By that I mean it's really not made to last more than about 5 years before the foam and fabric breaks down. Sometimes even the structure. Now if you are fresh out of college or a newlywed and that is what fits in your budget there's nothing wrong with it. Just know that you will be replacing it in a few years.
Where furniture is concerned buying the best that fits in your budget is a good guideline. When you buy better quality furniture it will last for decades. In this case choosing a classic style that you love is a great idea!
Vintage furniture is always good quality. You can see in the photo that the wood frame is thick, solid wood. Constructed with glue and dowels. Not plywood and staples. Another sign of good quality furniture is the support system. Quality furniture has coil springs on the seat and sometimes on the backrest. In addition the foam is denser and the fabric is more durable which makes both last longer. If you discover that the furniture that you own is not of the quality that would make it worth reupholstering you can also consider purchasing used furniture and reupholstering that. You can often get them for close to nothing!
Custom upholstery can be less expensive than buying higher end or designer furniture. It can be a comparable price to good quality furniture.
Do you love the style of the piece you are considering reupholstering?
Does it fit well in your home?
Is it a family heirloom?
Is it good quality or vintage?
Do you appreciate the value of recycling and reusing?
These are a few of the questions that you can ask yourself to decide if it's worth reupholstering instead of buying new. Here is a chart that will help you decide what would be considered good quality furniture.
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