Edie's Place of Upholstery in Chattanooga: Custom Reupholstery for Vintage and Inherited Pieces
Edie's Place of Upholstery is a full-service reupholstery shop that specializes in restoring mid-century furniture, family heirlooms, and custom pieces that local residents want to keep rather than replace. The shop operates as a single-proprietor business focused on traditional upholstery techniques, which sets it apart from chain furniture retailers and quick-turnaround services that treat reupholstery as a side business.
What Edie's Place actually is
The shop takes on complete furniture restoration: frame repairs, spring rebuilding, cushion replacement, and fabric selection. Work ranges from simple seat cushion recovers to structural rebuilds of vintage pieces where the frame has shifted or joints have loosened. Unlike furniture stores that outsource reupholstery to third-party contractors, Edie's handles everything in-house, which means the same person who quotes your sofa will execute the work. The shop does not offer quick-turnaround upholstery on new furniture; instead, it targets people with pieces worth the time and cost of genuine restoration.
Services and pricing
Pricing depends entirely on the piece and scope of work. A simple single chair recover (seat and back only, existing cushion) typically runs $400 to $700. A full two-cushion sofa reupholstery, including new foam and springs where needed, generally falls in the $1,200 to $2,000 range, depending on frame condition and fabric choice. Wing chairs, recliners, and pieces with curved or tufted details cost more due to labor complexity. Fabric is sold separately; the shop can source period-appropriate textiles or work with customer-supplied materials. A verification call is wise before committing, as larger or heavily damaged frames can push estimates higher.
The shop does not charge a consultation fee, but an in-person appointment is required to assess the piece and provide an accurate quote. Turnaround is typically 6 to 10 weeks depending on the backlog and frame complexity.
How Edie's compares to other Chattanooga reupholstery options
Chattanooga has several furniture repair operations, but they split into two categories: shops like Edie's that do full reupholstery in-house, and upholstery services attached to furniture retailers or consignment stores that handle simpler jobs. Furniture Row and similar big-box retailers offer reupholstery on new purchases, but the work is outsourced and turnaround is often 12 to 16 weeks. Local consignment shops sometimes partner with outside upholsterers for estate pieces, which adds a middleman fee. Choose Edie's if your piece has sentimental or vintage value and you want transparent, in-house craftsmanship. Choose a retail upholsterer if you are buying new and want convenience bundled with the sale.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
This shop is ideal for people with vintage or inherited furniture they want to preserve, homeowners restoring a specific style (mid-century modern, traditional, farmhouse), and anyone who has had a bad experience with outsourced upholstery. It suits customers willing to wait 2 months for quality over speed, and those who value direct communication with the person doing the work.
It does not suit people needing quick fixes (like emergency seat covers for a rental or event), those with very tight budgets (reupholstery is not cheap, and Edie's does not compete on price), or customers looking for trendy contemporary upholstery on mass-produced pieces. If your sofa cost $400 new and is falling apart, reupholstery will cost more than replacement.
What the first visit involves
Call to schedule an appointment; walk-ins are not accepted. Bring photos of the piece if possible, or be prepared to describe its condition, dimensions, and any damage. At the appointment, Edie will examine the frame, test the springs, check cushion firmness, and discuss your vision for fabric and color. Expect to see fabric samples and discuss whether the current structure needs rebuilding or if surface-level reupholstery will work. You will leave with a written estimate, usually ready within a few days.
Once you approve the estimate and select final fabric, drop-off is arranged. Pickup occurs once the work is complete; you will be notified by phone.
Hours, parking, and logistics
The shop operates by appointment only, Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Street parking is available near the storefront. The shop is located in East Chattanooga and is accessible by car; there is no public transit option. Because work is done on-site, large pieces like sectionals or bed frames must be transported by the customer or arranged separately (Edie can recommend movers, but does not provide pickup or delivery).
Edie's Place of Upholstery fills a gap for Chattanooga homeowners who inherit quality furniture or collect vintage pieces that deserve restoration rather than disposal.
