Reupholstering with Non-toxic Materials?
Natural latex foam, wool batting, and ticking fabric are the three main materials used in natural upholstery. They are more expensive than conventional petroleum-based foam and batting, but well worth the investment if you have the resources to use them in your upholstery project.
“How much will it cost me for the materials to have my sofa, chair or cushions reupholstered with safe, non-toxic, eco friendly materials?”
This is a question that I help people answer every day. Since it can be quite time-consuming to map out each individual project and crunch the numbers, I’m sharing some common examples here in hopes this will give you a helpful reference for what your own project might cost you in materials, without having to do the math.
Example: One Chair Cushion
Replace foam & batting in a single 21 x 21 x 4 inch chair cushion with natural latex foam & wool batting/ticking fabric, keeping the existing upholstery cushion cover, and building an inner cushion cover of ticking fabric to prevent the wool fibers from migrating through the cover fabric. This customer chose to do her own calculations using our wool measuring worksheet and latex foam measuring worksheet.
- Natural Latex Foam: the price may vary according to the firmness you choose, and a price range for this piece would be $115 + shipping.
- Wool Batting: one yard of 84” wide Premium Wool Batting would be enough to cover this cushion (with a little left over) – price: $54.75 + shipping.
- Ticking Fabric: one yard of 58” wide Organic Cotton Ticking Fabric would be enough to cover this cushion – price $19.75 + shipping.
Rough estimate of price range for natural upholstery core materials (not including the outer upholstery fabric) for a single 21 x 21 x 4 inch cushion: $189 + shipping.
Example: Six Dining Chairs
Replace foam & batting in six Scandinavian dining chairs with new natural latex foam & wool batting/ticking fabric in upholstered seats and backs. This customer chose to have me do her calculations (see cost below)
- Natural Latex Foam for seats & backs – price $195 + shipping
- Wool Batting: three yards of 84” wide Premium Wool Batting – price $164.25 + shipping
- Ticking Fabric: four yards of 58” wide Organic Cotton Ticking Fabric – price: $79 + shipping
Rough estimate of price for natural upholstery foundation materials for 6 mid-century style dining chairs (not including the outer upholstery fabric) $438 + shipping.
Example: One Sofa + One Love Seat + Two Club Chairs
Replace foam & batting in several pieces of furniture: one sofa with three seat cushions + three back cushions, one love seat with two seat cushions + two back cushions; two club chairs with seat cushion + back cushion. The cushions were replaced with natural latex foam & wool batting, with ticking fabric. This customer chose to have me consult with her on her project + do some of her calculations (see cost below).
- Natural Latex Foam for seat & back cushions + arm padding – price $1258 + shipping
- Wool Batting: job specified several yards of 84” wide Premium Wool Batting – price $685 + shipping
- Ticking Fabric: job specified same yardage as upholstery cover fabric of 58” wide Organic Cotton Ticking Fabric – price: $585 + shipping
Rough estimate of price for natural upholstery foundation materials for 1 sofa, 1 love seat, and 2 club chairs (not including the outer upholstery fabric) $2528 + shipping.
Example: Seat & Back Cushions for Two Love Seats + One Double-wide Rocker
Replace foam & batting in two love seat sofas, each with two wool-wrapped latex seat cushions + two back cushions with foam inserts for down envelopes (down envelopes were reused), one double-wide rocking sofa with wool-wrapped latex seat & back cushions.
- Natural Latex Foam for seat & back cushions – price $2404 + shipping
- Wool Batting: job specified several yards of 84” wide Premium Wool Batting – price $336 +shipping
- Ticking Fabric: job specified same yardage as upholstery cover fabric of 58” wide Organic Cotton Ticking Fabric – price: $185 + shipping
Rough estimate of price for natural upholstery foundation materials for seat & back cushions for 2 love seats + 1 double-wide rocker (does not include outer upholstery fabric) $2925 + shipping.
For more information, read “What is ticking fabric and why do I need it?” and “How much organic cotton ticking fabric do I need to order for my upholstery project which uses wool batting?”
Learn how to measure your cushion to see what size natural latex foam to buy (you can download the free worksheet on this page)
Learn how to calculate how much wool to buy to wrap your natural latex cushion (you can download the free worksheet on this page)
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