Furniture Repair

Common Repairs We Handle

Sagging Seats and Broken Springs

This is the single most common repair we carry out. You sit down and you sink too far. The seat feels soft in the middle and firm at the edges. Nine times out of ten, the cause is either broken coil springs, stretched serpentine (zig-zag) springs, or perished elasticated webbing underneath the seat.

For traditional furniture with coil springs, we strip back the seat, replace or re-tie the broken springs using an eight-way hand-tied method, and re-web the base with proper jute webbing. For modern pieces with serpentine springs, we clip in new springs and secure them with fresh mounting clips. The whole job typically takes one to three days depending on the size of the piece.

Worn-Out Foam and Flat Cushions

Polyurethane foam has a lifespan. Standard grade foam in a sofa used daily will start to lose its shape after about five years. Higher density foams last longer, but nothing lasts forever. When cushions go flat or develop a permanent dip where you usually sit, the foam needs replacing.

We cut new foam to the exact dimensions of your cushions using the correct density for the application. Seat cushions need a firmer, higher-density foam (typically 35 kg/m3 or above) while back cushions work better with a softer grade. We can also add a layer of stockinette or dacron wrap over the foam, which gives a smoother finish under the fabric and helps the cushion slide back into the cover more easily.

Torn Fabric and Split Seams

Fabric tears along arms and on the front edge of seats where it takes the most friction. Sometimes we can patch a tear invisibly if it is in a seam line or a hidden area. Other times, a section of the cover needs replacing. If the fabric is discontinued, we can often source a close match or use a contrasting fabric on the affected panel, which can actually look quite intentional.

Split seams are usually quicker to fix. We re-stitch using an industrial walking-foot machine with heavy-duty upholstery thread. If the seam has pulled because the fabric has weakened around it, we reinforce the area with a backing strip before re-sewing.

Wobbly Frames and Loose Joints

A rocking chair that rocks the wrong way is not charming. Loose frame joints are common in older dining chairs, especially where the legs meet the seat rail. We disassemble the affected joints, clean out the old glue, and re-glue with proper wood adhesive, clamping the frame square while it sets. If a dowel or mortise has worn loose, we drill it out and fit a new, slightly oversized dowel for a tight joint.

For more serious frame damage, such as a cracked rail or a broken leg, we splice in new timber and reinforce with corner blocks or steel brackets where needed. We do not do fine furniture restoration or French polishing, but structural frame repair is well within our scope.

Leather Repair

Leather furniture needs specific expertise. The repair approach depends entirely on the type of leather. Most modern sofas use pigmented (also called protected or painted) leather, which has a coloured coating on the surface. This type responds well to colour repair. We clean the area, apply a flexible filler to any cracks or scratches, sand it smooth, then re-colour using a matched leather dye and seal it with a topcoat. The result is hard to spot unless you know where to look.

Aniline and semi-aniline leathers are more delicate. These have little or no surface coating, so the colour goes right through the hide. Scratches and wear show more easily, and repairs need a lighter touch. We can improve the appearance of worn aniline leather with specialist conditioners and careful re-colouring, but we will be upfront about what is achievable. Some patina is part of the character of aniline leather, and over-restoring it looks worse than leaving well alone.

For peeling and flaking leather (common on bonded leather and cheaper bicast leather), we will usually recommend reupholstering rather than repairing. Once bonded leather starts to peel, it does not stop. Patching it is a temporary fix at best. We would rather tell you that honestly than charge you for a repair that will not hold.

Cushion Refilling and Reshaping

Cushion refills do not always mean new foam. Sometimes the internal structure just needs attention. Feather-filled cushions lose volume as the feathers compress and migrate. We can open the cushion, add new duck or goose feather, redistribute the fill, and stitch the inner casing closed again. If the feather channelling has broken down, we make new inner pads from feather-proof cambric.

For foam and fibre combination cushions, which are very common in mid-range sofas, we replace the foam core and add a fresh fibre wrap. This gives you back that plump, rounded look without the firmness of foam alone. We stock a range of foam densities and can adjust the feel to your preference. If you find your current cushions too firm or too soft, a refill is a good opportunity to change that.

When to Repair and When to Reupholster

The honest answer depends on the condition of the frame, the state of the cover, and your budget. As a rough guide: if the frame is solid, the springs or webbing are the main problem, and the fabric still has life in it, a repair makes perfect sense. You might spend between 150 and 400 pounds to fix the internals of a sofa, compared to 800 to 1,500 pounds or more for a full reupholstery.

On the other hand, if the fabric is worn through in several places, the foam is flat, and the springs are gone, individual repairs start to stack up. At a certain point, a full reupholstery is more economical because we are stripping everything back anyway. We will always give you an honest breakdown of the costs either way, so you can make an informed decision.

One thing worth mentioning: repair is almost always the right first step for sentimental pieces. If you have inherited a chair and you want to keep the original fabric because it means something to you, we can work around it. Repair the internals, leave the cover intact where possible, and only intervene where we have to.

The Repair Process and Turnaround

Start by sending us some photos through our quote form or by email. Clear pictures of the damage, plus a shot of the whole piece, are usually enough for us to give you a ballpark figure. For anything more involved, we will arrange to see the piece in person, either at your home or at our workshop in Kennington.

Most straightforward repairs, such as a spring fix, cushion refill, or seam repair, are completed within three to five working days once the piece is in our workshop. More complex jobs involving frame repair combined with internal rebuilds may take one to two weeks. We will always give you a timeframe before we start, and we will let you know if anything changes.

We offer collection and delivery across Central London. For smaller items like dining chairs and stools, you are welcome to drop them off at the workshop directly.