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The fabric was threadbare and torn on the cushions, and several buttons were missing from the tufting across the back. Still, more than 25 years ago as newlyweds, we had little money and less furniture and couldn’t afford to turn down a free sofa.

But as they say in the furniture trade – it had good lines – and a sort of regal air about it that commanded your attention despite its shabby appearance and 20-plus year existence.

“The value of a piece of furniture is in the frame,” stresses Tom Bauer, owner of Bauer’s Upholstery in Mankato. “If the frame is hardwood, it’s worth reupholstering.” Many pieces of furniture more than 10 years old, and nearly all more than

20 years old have hardwood frames.

I threw one slipcover after another over my “new sofa” but none of them did it justice. Finally, I saved up enough money to have it reupholstered, after deciding that I couldn’t afford a seven-foot sofa I would like any better.

When to reupholster

People choose to reupholster a sofa or chair for any number of factors, including home decorating, sentimental reasons, or a belief in recycling something rather than throwing it out. “Today we live in a throw-away society.” says Bauer. “You can go out and buy a complete living room grouping for $500 and the pressed wood frame will wear out about the same time as the upholstery.”

A good piece of furniture, however, only gains in value as it ages.

When you compare the price of new furniture with reupholstering, you have to compare apples to apples. “Some people are shocked when they learn it will cost approximately $400 to reupholster their chair depending on fabric and condition,” acknowledges Bauer, “but that chair with a hardwood frame compares to the quality of a chair that costs $600 new, not $100 at the discount furniture outlet.”

Having a piece of furniture custom upholstered also offers you a wider range of fabrics and greater attention to detail than most purchased pieces.

Sentimental value

Family members often decide to recover “Grandma’s rocker” as a way to keep memories alive and pass them along to the next generation.

“I was asked to upholster an old rocker with a horrible squeak in it,” relates Bauer, “and the gentleman told me whatever I did I was not to change the squeak because that was how they remembered Grandma – sitting and rocking in her chair.”

There are pieces that are not strictly worth recovering but because they’re family heirlooms or hold sentimental value, we choose to anyway, adds Bauer. Antique furniture often needs to be rebuilt from the frame up, including springs and cushions.

Before you decide to reupholster

• Do you like the style and want to keep the piece of furniture?

• Determine the age of the furniture.

• Hardwood frames are a must.

• Expect to spend $350-$500 for a chair and $700-$1,200 for a sofa.

“Custom upholstery is really handmade with a lot of attention to detail like matching stripes and patterns on corners or making sure the print is on the piece straight, and that’s part of the reason it costs a little more,” says Bauer, who’s been in the upholstery business for 32 years.

My sofa gets rave reviews from nearly everyone who sees it – and it’s still my favorite napping sofa. I could sell it today for more than my reupholstery investment but I’m not sure I could find one I like better at three times the price.