- Older pieces generally have hardwood base construction free of knots and inferior wood. The springs are heavy gauge sinuous metal and may be 8-way hand tied. The standards for construction were higher years ago and inexpensive new furniture will not be the same quality.
- You often cannot duplicate the style of a fabulous older piece and certainly not retain the value of an antique.
- Furniture that is made abroad, especially when made with particle board, contains toxic chemicals that out-gas in your home for years.
- Joinery is glued and doweled in older pieces versus stapled and epoxied in newer ones.
- Jute and hand sewing edges in older pieces is far better than Styrofoam and glue used in newer ones.
- Superior foams and fills with high density are better in older pieces than low-density foam and batting that look nice initially but breakdown in just a few years.
- With new foam and fabric, re-upholstering your piece should cost less than buying the new piece yet you retain its quality and longevity.
- You can update the style with batting and even make small changes to the wood so a rolled arm sofa can become a sleek contemporary piece.
- If your physical needs have changed simple modifications to seat height, firmness, back pitch and leg height can be made. Customization like that is priceless.
- With so many fabric choices - including stain, abrasion, sun, and microbial resistance - you should be able to find the perfect pattern at the right price. Try off-priced outlets and on-line resources.
Depending upon the fabric you select, you might pay the same for re-upholstering your existing piece than you would to buy a brand new one, but the overall costs are lower.