The Journal

Upholstery advice, costs and care from the Palmetto workroom

What the bench has learned.

The questions we get asked before an estimate, answered properly. What a rebuild costs, when a frame is worth saving, which fabric survives a boat, and how to keep a piece looking right once it is back in the room.

Recent from the workroom.

Written by the people who do the work, not by a content team.

Custom cushions made on Hilton Head: striped armchairs with new cushions
cushions

Where to Get Cushions Made on Hilton Head

Replacement cushions are a job in their own right, not a small reupholstery. Here is what gets made, what it needs from you, and how quickly.

5 min read ·

What is reupholstery: reupholstered wingback chair in a Lowcountry home
reupholstery

What Is Reupholstery, and What It Is Not

Reupholstery, upholstery cleaning, furniture repair and refinishing are 4 different trades that get used interchangeably. Here is what each one actually is.

6 min read ·

Upholsterer measuring a sofa being reupholstered in the Palmetto workroom, Hilton Head Island
Charleston

What Goes Into a Sofa Reupholstery Quote

We do not publish price lists, because no 2 pieces are the same job. Here is how the number is actually built, so you can read...

11 min read ·

Still not sure?

Send us the piece.

Reading only gets you so far. Send photos and rough dimensions and we will tell you honestly what it needs, what it costs, and whether the frame deserves the work.