Dagmar's Decor in Baltimore: Custom Upholstery and Fabric Selection for Mid-Range Home Refreshes
Dagmar's Decor is a small upholstery and home fabric shop in Baltimore that specializes in reupholstering existing furniture and custom fabric selection for homeowners who want to refresh pieces without replacing them. The business operates from a single storefront, stocks a curated selection of fabrics in the $12 to $25 per yard range, and handles projects from dining chairs to sectional sofas.
What Dagmar's Decor actually is
This is a full-service upholstery shop, not a furniture retailer. The work centers on taking a customer's existing sofa, chair, ottoman, or bench and recovering it with new fabric of their choice. The shop also sells fabric by the yard for customers who want to source their own material elsewhere, and offers consultation on fabric durability, color matching, and layout. The operation is owner-managed and takes walk-ins, though appointment booking is encouraged for more complex jobs.
Services and pricing
Reupholstering a single dining chair costs between $180 and $320, depending on fabric choice and any frame repairs needed. A two-cushion sofa typically runs $600 to $1,200. A full sectional or heavily detailed piece can exceed $2,000. These prices include labor and fabric; customers can supply their own material, which reduces the total by the markup Dagmar applies to fabric purchases (verify current pricing before committing). The shop charges a consultation fee of $25, credited toward any job booked within 30 days.
Fabric selection by the yard ranges from $12 to $25 per yard for mid-grade cotton blends, linen, and performance fabrics suitable for upholstery. Higher-end designer lines and specialty weaves are special-order only and cost more. The shop stocks a rotating selection of roughly 40 to 60 bolts at any given time, with seasonal rotation toward lighter, patterned fabrics in spring and heavier, neutral tones in fall.
How it compares to other Baltimore options
Baltimore has two other notable upholstery operations: Hecht's Upholstery in Canton and a smaller one-person operation called Sew & Recover near Johns Hopkins. Hecht's is larger and known for high-end residential and some commercial work, with pricing 20 to 35 percent higher than Dagmar's and a 6 to 8 week turnaround. Sew & Recover handles mostly smaller pieces and minor repairs, with lower cost but limited fabric inventory on-site. Dagmar's occupies the middle ground: faster turnaround than Hecht's (typically 3 to 5 weeks depending on workload), broader fabric selection than Sew & Recover, and pricing accessible to homeowners who are not shopping for investment-piece furniture. Furniture retailers like Room & Board and Article sell new upholstered pieces but do not reupholster existing furniture; customers seeking those services elsewhere often turn to shops like Dagmar's to extend the life of a favorite sofa rather than buy new.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
Dagmar's works best for people with a piece of furniture they like but want in a different color or pattern, or for those working with a tight decorating budget who want to refresh a room without major purchases. It suits homeowners comfortable with a 3 to 5 week wait and willing to drop off and pick up furniture. It does not suit anyone needing emergency turnaround, anyone with severely damaged frames that require structural carpentry, or anyone looking to buy new furniture. Customers who want designer-grade custom upholstery at any cost should go to Hecht's instead.
What the first visit involves
Walk in with photos of the piece you want reupholstered, or bring measurements and a description. The owner or staff member will assess whether the frame and structure are sound enough to reupholster (broken springs or cracked wood typically require additional repair work and cost). You will page through fabric samples, feel weights and textures, and discuss durability if you have pets or children. The $25 consultation fee is due at that point. If you decide to proceed, a deposit of 50 percent of the estimated cost is required to place the order and source fabric if it is not in stock. Pickup is typically 3 to 5 weeks after drop-off.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Dagmar's Decor is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday. Street parking is available on the surrounding blocks; the storefront does not have a dedicated lot. Delivery and pickup are not included in the quoted price; customers are responsible for transport or can arrange it through the shop for an additional fee (ask for current rates). Confirm current hours before visiting, as occasional closures for large jobs do happen.
Dagmar's fills a practical gap in Baltimore's home furnishing market: it makes reupholstery affordable and accessible for homeowners who have pieces worth keeping but want them to look new.
