How to photograph a chair for an upholstery quote

The easiest way to start a project with Sassafrassity is also the simplest: send pictures. The studio works from emails, which means the photos you take do most of the talking. A good set of five or six pictures saves a lot of back and forth, and it gets you a more accurate answer.

You don't need a fancy camera or a tidy house. You need decent light, a few angles, and a minute to jot down some details. Here's what to shoot.

Start with the whole piece

Stand back far enough to get the entire chair in the frame, with the legs touching the bottom edge and nothing cut off at the top. Take it straight on from the front, then from the side. Turn off the flash if you can. Flash flattens the shape and washes out the fabric color, and the shape is exactly what someone has to see to understand the job.

Daylight from a window is your friend. Move the chair near one if it's tucked in a dim corner, or carry it out to the porch. Overcast days are great because they give soft, even light without harsh shadows across the arms and back.

Add a photo of the back, too. Plenty of chairs look plain from the front and surprise you from behind, with tacked trim, a pleated panel, or a different fabric entirely.

Show the underside and the frame

This is the picture people skip, and it's the most useful one. Tip the chair carefully onto its side or back, or lift the cushion and photograph underneath. You're showing the dust cover (the black cloth stapled to the bottom), the springs or webbing if they're visible, and the way the legs meet the seat rails.

Take a close shot of any joint that moves when you wiggle it, and another of any crack in the wood. A crack is easier to read in a close-up than in words like 'it's a little loose.' If the finish is scratched or worn, photograph that too, since refinishing is a separate conversation from the fabric.

A gentle caution: if the chair is heavy or fragile, ask a second person to help you tip it rather than wrestling it alone.

Close-ups of the trouble spots

Photograph anything that worries you. Tears, stains, flattened cushions, a sagging seat deck, stretched-out cane, a missing button. Move in close enough to see the weave or the stitching. Put a coin or a pen next to the damage if you want to give a sense of scale.

Mention the history in a sentence, too. Did the dog chew a leg? Has the sag been there for years or did it show up last month? A single line of backstory helps someone sort out whether they're looking at ordinary wear or a bigger repair.

The room and the ideas you love

Here's where the studio's process gets fun. Along with the furniture, clients send pictures of ideas they like and photos of the room the piece is headed for. A snapshot of your living room tells more than a paragraph about it. It shows the wall color, the rug, the light, and the other furniture the chair has to get along with.

Screenshots from magazines, a pinned fabric, a pillow you adore, a swatch from an old drapery panel: all fair game. You don't have to know what you want. The point of the exchange is to narrow your choices down to final selections, and a few reference images get that started much faster than 'something blue, maybe.'

The details to type out

• What the piece is and roughly how big it is (width, depth, and height in inches).
• Where it's going and how it will be used: a daily seat, a guest chair, a bench by the door, a barstool with kids.
• Whether you plan to bring your own fabric or would like to order through the studio.
• Whether you'd like pick up and delivery.
• Anything with a story attached, such as an heirloom or a piece that has been repaired before.

Measurements are optional but nice. A tape measure and ten seconds will do it.

Then hit send

Put everything into one email so it travels together, and keep the image files a reasonable size so they actually arrive. If your phone makes you choose, medium size photos are plenty.

As the owner puts it, 'Already know what you want? Email me a picture and details and I will get a quote to you as quickly as I can.' Send your pictures to sassafrassity@hotmail.com, or call 503-245-2453 if you'd like to talk it through first. The studio is on Instagram at @sassafrassity_furnish too, which can be a handy place to collect ideas before you write.