Dining chairs are the most common thing that comes through the workshop. Here's what you should know before you drop off a single chair or a full set of eight.
One Chair or the Whole Set?
Always do the full set at once if you can. Pattern matching across six identical chairs is straightforward when they're all on the bench together. Doing two now and four later means fabric dye lots might not match, and you'll pay setup time twice.
What Gets Recovered
Most dining chairs need seat recovery — sometimes seat and back. The frame usually stays as-is. Padding gets replaced if it's flat. Webbing gets checked; if it's sagging, we re-stretch or replace it before new fabric goes on.
Choosing Fabric for Dining
Dining chairs need at least 25,000 Martindale rubs — higher if you have kids or host regularly. Spill-resistant treatments help but aren't magic. Darker colours and patterns hide the inevitable tomato sauce incident better than pale linen.
Pattern Matching Matters
Stripes, checks and geometric repeats need alignment on every seat. That's skilled work, not just cutting and stapling. It's also why quoted prices for patterned fabric run higher than plain — more fabric waste, more time aligning.
What to Bring
Bring all chairs, or at least one representative chair plus a count. If you're supplying fabric, bring the full metreage — I'll tell you exactly how much you need when you visit. If you want me to source fabric, come with room photos and colour preferences.
See our dining chair service page or book a consultation.