How much fabric to reupholster a chair

You will need about 3 to 7 yards of fabric to reupholster a chair. This all depends on the type of chair. Simple dining room chairs with no arms, back, and base cushion will need 3 yards of fabric. High wing back, formal chairs will need about 7 yards.

Find an upholstery professional near you  through our upholstery store locator.

We would recommend using a chair scale pattern.

So, what is a "chair scale" pattern? 

Designing chair scale jacquard patterns

When designing fabrics, particularly Jacquard patterns for indoor and outdoor upholstery applications, several generic categories are often discussed.  First, a base cloth is just that--the fabrics which are often found covering the bulk of the sofa frame, chair, or ottoman. 

These are often simple weave effects and textures comprised of a variety of yarns, including boucle's, chenille's, and other textured yarns.  Many bases created at STI in Kings Mountain are woven on Dobby looms.  Our Dobby looms are also used to weave stripes, which are designed to complement the colors and textures of our base cloths.  These looms are great for weaving bases but are very limiting when looking at the possibility of patterns. 

Revolution Jacquard Fabrics open up the possibilities for much more intricate, multi-layered fabrics.  Often, when planning a "grouping" or "collection" of patterns, we begin the process by selecting artwork for a feature pattern.  The feature is often a larger scale, multi-colored pattern with a repeat size anywhere from 6  and 3/4 inches up to 27 inches.  The feature, in a sense, is the "anchor" pattern of a collection and the correlates, stripes, and bases are all created to complement the feature. 

So, what is a "chair scale" pattern?  These patterns will typically have a smaller repeat size ranging anywhere from around 2 inches up to 6 and 3/4 inches.  A chair scale pattern is very versatile.  As the name implies, it can be used to cover a side chair, but chair scale patterns are also often found on ottomans, pillows, and the occasional sofa.  A well-rounded collection will often have the feature, a couple of correlates (including a chair scale or two), a stripe, and a base cloth.  Presenting Revolution Performance Fabrics as smaller collections help customers see what our designers have envisioned from a design perspective. 

 We are excited about the upcoming Showtime in High Point this June.  We have even created a small collection of miscellaneous chair scale patterns which are intended to be very versatile and can easily find their place among a diverse range of design styles.  With our new line of Revolution Outdoor Performance Fabrics added to our traditional offerings, there is much to be excited about!