Custom helm chair upholstery
A fresh finish for your favorite seat on board.
Canvas Designers creates custom helm chair upholstery for boats and yachts. From worn seat covers to a coordinated new look, start with your chair’s condition, the details you love, and the way you use your boat.
Serving boat owners since 1985 Experience in the marine community.
Riviera Beach, Florida 1500 Australian Avenue, near West Palm Beach.
Details that work together Upholstery, stitching, and coordinated seating.
What can a helm chair upholstery update include?
Helm chair reupholstery replaces worn coverings on the seat, backrest, and upholstered armrests. The scope depends on the chair’s construction and condition. Discuss cushioning, panel design, and finish details together before choosing the material.
Seat, backrest & armrests
Refresh cracked, faded, or worn upholstery. Share photos of the whole chair and close-ups of damaged areas so we can review the pieces that need attention.
Look beneath the surface
Tell us about flattened cushions, uneven support, or areas that stay damp. The existing foam and cushion construction help determine whether recovering alone is appropriate.
Quilting, piping & panels
Explore custom quilting, contrasting panels, and piping to complement the helm. Pattern placement and detail options depend on the chair’s shape and material.
Choose the right material for your helm.
Sunbrella options include Horizon marine vinyl and woven marine upholstery fabrics. The right choice depends on your chair, its exposure, the finish you prefer, and how the seating will be maintained.
Marine vinyl for helm seating
Sunbrella Horizon is engineered for marine upholstery, including captain’s chairs. It offers fade, weather, mold, and mildew resistance. Explore Capriccio and Textil textures, coordinated colors, and quilting options suited to the selected material.
Explore Sunbrella Horizon & quilting →Coordinate the seating around your helm
Woven Sunbrella marine upholstery fabrics bring color and texture to cushions, guest seating, and pillows. Pair them with a suitable helm-seat material to create a consistent look across the flybridge or cockpit.
Explore coordinated exterior upholstery →Ask about the specific collection, color, application guidance, and care requirements. Sunbrella upholstery fabrics and fabrics intended for tops or covers serve different purposes. View Sunbrella’s marine upholstery guidance .
Ultrafabrics® Summit in Barro
Collection: Summit · Color: Barro · 421-3270
A recent helm-chair reupholstery project featured Ultrafabrics® Summit in Barro. Diamond-quilted inset panels and upholstered arm pads give these chairs a carefully finished look alongside the wood details.
Watch the helm-chair reel →
More Canvas Designers reels →
Choose materials for the actual application. Ultrafabrics excludes Summit from marine exterior use. For exposed helm seating, discuss a material specified for that environment. View the manufacturer’s Summit guidance .
Helm seating projects on Viking & Sunseeker yachts
These projects show how helm seating can work with the rest of a boat’s upholstery. Each chair is reviewed for its construction, condition, and environment.
Sunbrella Horizon at the helm
Our documented Viking refit included new helm-chair seat and backrest cushions in Sunbrella Horizon Capriccio Cloud with quilted Charcoal insets. The project also coordinated flybridge and mezzanine upholstery.
View the Viking 68 refit →Vinyl & woven upholstery together
The Sunny Sunseeker Facelift combined Sunbrella Horizon vinyl for sunpads and helm seats with woven Sunbrella in guest seating. The project received a 2023 MFA Award of Excellence in Transformations.
Read the Sunseeker award feature →Planning work on another boat? Share the make, model, chair photos, and seat location. Upholstery options depend on the actual chairs and their condition.
Helm chair project gallery
Explore upholstered seats, diamond quilting, wood accents, and contrasting panels from our helm chair gallery. Select a photo to view it at full size.
Recover the chair or replace it?
Recovering is worth discussing when the upholstery is worn and you want to retain the existing chair. The frame, base, and moving parts still need to be assessed. Upholstery work alone does not resolve structural or mechanical damage.
For a broader seating refresh, coordinate your helm with marine exterior upholstery , mezzanine seating, or interior upholstery .
Which material suits your helm?
An enclosed helm and an exposed flybridge can require different materials. Appearance is one part of the decision. Check the manufacturer’s intended applications and discuss:
- Direct sun, spray, humidity, and how the chair is covered.
- Surface texture, color, panel layout, and cleaning requirements.
- Cushion condition, seams, and areas where water collects.
- How the chair will coordinate with nearby seating and trim.
Plan your helm chair project
A few clear photos and the right details make the first conversation more useful.
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Share your chairs
Send an overall view, close-ups of worn areas, chair quantity, and your boat’s location. Include the make and model if known.
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Discuss the finish
Explain the exposure and desired look. Review material options, cushioning concerns, quilting, and piping.
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Confirm the scope
Review what is included, access or removal arrangements, material availability, and the proposed schedule before work begins.
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Plan ongoing care
Follow the chosen material’s cleaning instructions. Visit our care and maintenance guide for additional information.
Helm chair upholstery FAQs
What is helm chair reupholstery?
Helm chair reupholstery replaces the coverings on a boat’s helm seating. Depending on the chair and project, the work may include the seat, backrest, armrests, cushioning, and decorative details.
Do you use Sunbrella for helm chair upholstery?
Yes. Our documented 68-foot Viking Sportfish refit used Sunbrella Horizon Capriccio Cloud for new helm-chair seat and backrest cushions, with quilted Charcoal insets. Discuss the appropriate Sunbrella collection and care instructions for your chair’s exposure and design.
Which boats have featured your helm seating work?
Documented examples include a 68-foot Viking Sportfish and a 74 Sunseeker flybridge refit. These are examples of completed projects. For another boat, send its make, model, chair photos, and location so we can discuss your upholstery scope.
How much does helm chair upholstery cost?
Cost depends on chair quantity, size, construction, material, foam condition, and finish details. Send photos and your desired scope to request a project-specific quote .
Can I keep my existing helm chairs?
That depends on their condition and construction. Share photos of the chairs, bases, and worn areas. Any frame, pedestal, or mechanism concerns should be reviewed separately from the upholstery scope.
Can the foam be replaced during recovering?
Discuss the existing foam as part of the assessment. Flattened, damaged, or persistently damp cushioning may need attention. Replacement options depend on the chair’s construction and intended use.
Is Ultrafabrics Summit Barro suitable for exposed helm seating?
Ultrafabrics excludes Summit from marine exterior use. Although a recent helm-chair project used Summit in Barro, that material choice should not be generalized to exposed seating. Review Ultrafabrics’ application guidance and discuss a material specified for your helm’s environment.
How long does a helm chair upholstery project take?
Timing depends on the agreed scope, material availability, chair access, and the current work schedule. Include any travel or launch date when you request a quote so scheduling can be discussed before you commit.
Where is Canvas Designers located?
Canvas Designers is at 1500 Australian Avenue, Riviera Beach, Florida 33404, near West Palm Beach. Call 561-848-2111 to discuss your helm chair project.
Explore related upholstery services
Let’s talk about your helm chairs.
Share your chair photos, boat location, and the finish you have in mind. We’ll use those details to begin the conversation about your upholstery project.
