Have a HM Time Life chair (leather) in my office in desperate need of reupholstering. Am thinking about doing it in a slightly lighter shade of brown than original...but that's besides the point.
Received a quote from a local upholsterer that strikes me as a bit high (granted-it is NYC). So, some questions:
-Wondering if anyone has ever had one of these done and what was paid just for the labor (not the fabric/ hides) or What is a fair/reasonable cost to do the labor?
- How much leather is required for this chair (people who gave me quote, said 1.5 hides....really?)
- How does the back get handled? Back does not seem to be leather....but something leather grained....and hard?
-Ultimately, is it worth the $/effort?
Thanks for any info/advice! 
I don't think that
one and half hides is that far off. I've done five or six Plycraft lounge chairs & ottomans with a 50 square foot hide (each) and it's tight. You have about the same size pieces for your chair plus one extra, plus the boxing, which takes up more leather than you'd think.
You can get hides that are as big as 60 square feet. That size might work. But there's a lot of waste with any given hide when you're doing things that need large pieces. You can squeeze the boxing pieces and welt and armrest parts in around the big pieces but that's a lot of parts and a lot of squeezing. And many times hides have small imperfections that upholsterers like to avoid if possible. So I'd said 1.5 hides is probably about right.
I have not done a Time-Life chair but I've seen a few. I think the back is leather glued to a rigid material, like heavy chipboard maybe.
I redid one at christmas...
I redid one at christmas with nice Edelman leather $200.(ebay) labor $400. (I own the shop). new Herman miller base $250.00 New aluminum arms $250.00 new casters $40.00. Chair bought on Ebay for $650.00
So I have $1850.00 in chair, I priced the chair at $3500.00 with Edelman leather with my discount from Herman Miller.
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