Project Case Study · Lebanon, Tennessee
Before and After: Church Pew Upholstery in Lebanon, TN
This Lebanon, TN sanctuary started with rows of hard, bare wood pews. It ended with fully padded, fabric-covered seats and backs, and it kept every original pew frame. Here is what changed, how a wood-to-upholstered conversion like this comes together, and how to tell whether your own pews are good candidates.
The Lebanon Pews, Side by Side
Both photos come from the same Lebanon, TN sanctuary. Look at the scroll-topped pew ends, the dark wainscot, and the tan carpet. Those never changed. The after shot is taken from the opposite side of the room, which is why the window shows up on the right.
The takeaway: if your pews look like the photo on the left and the frames are still solid, they can look like the photo on the right without buying a single new pew.
Where This Lebanon Sanctuary Started
Lebanon is the Wilson County seat, about half an hour east of Nashville. Locals call it Cedar City for the red cedars that cover the area, and the town takes its name from the cedars of Lebanon in scripture. The forest is still there. Cedars of Lebanon State Park sits about 10 miles south of town.
It is also a place with deep roots. Cumberland University was founded here in 1842. Towns with that kind of history tend to have sanctuaries full of solid wood pews, built to outlast everyone who ever sat in them. Comfort was not really the design brief.
That is what the before photo shows. These pews were structurally sound, with heavy scroll-cut ends and long, straight seat boards. But every surface you actually touch was bare wood. The finish on the backs had gone cloudy from years of contact. For a short service that is fine. For a long service, a revival week, or an older member with a bad back, it is a long hour.
So the problem was never the pews. It was the part of the pew that meets the congregation.
What Changed, Detail by Detail
Put the two Lebanon photos next to each other and four changes stand out. None of them required moving a wall, pulling carpet, or changing the layout of the room.
Padded seats
The bare seat boards now carry foam under a tight fabric cover. It is the change the congregation notices first, usually within about ten minutes of sitting down.
Full-height backs
The fabric covers the whole back panel, not just a strip. That also hides the worn, hazy finish that showed up so clearly in the before photo.
A clean wood cap line
A slim wood rail still runs along the top of every back. It gives each row a crisp edge and keeps the pews reading as wood furniture, not a theater row.
Color chosen for the room
Red against dark wainscot and cream walls is a classic sanctuary pairing. The exposed pew ends now read as a darker, even frame around the fabric. For a color change on pews that were already upholstered, see our orange to hunter green pew reupholstery.
How a Wood-to-Upholstered Conversion Comes Together
Turning solid wood pews into upholstered ones is one of the most common requests we get, and the process follows the same sequence whether the church is in Lebanon, TN or down the road from our Autryville, NC shop. You can read the full service overview on our church pew upholstery page.
-
Walk the sanctuary and check the frames
It starts with a free consultation. We look at the ends, joints, and seat boards before anything else, because foam and fabric only belong on a frame that will last as long as the upholstery does.
-
Pick the fabric and the color
Our fabrics are woven in the U.S. from domestic yarns and built for commercial use. We help match color to the room, the way red works against dark wainscot in Lebanon.
-
Choose the foam
We use high-density LUX foam and set the thickness and firmness to the congregation. A seat that feels plush in week one and flat by year three is a foam problem, so this step matters.
-
Prep the wood underneath
Seat and back surfaces get cleaned and checked, and anything loose gets fixed now. Once fabric goes on, nobody sees that wood again, so this is the last chance to do it right.
-
Upholster the seats and backs
Foam is cut to each pew, then fabric is pulled tight and fastened so it sits flat from end to end. The top edge finishes cleanly under the wood rail.
-
Finish the exposed wood and reset the room
The ends and rails left showing get cleaned up so the wood frames the fabric. Then the rows go back exactly where they were, ready for the next service.
Upholstering Existing Pews vs. Buying New
When a church decides its pews are uncomfortable, the first instinct is often to price new ones. The Lebanon project is a good example of why that is not always the right call. The same logic holds at any size, as our large two-level sanctuary reupholstery shows.
| Question | Upholster what you have | Buy new pews |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | For about a third of the cost of new pews, existing furniture gets new life. | Full purchase price for every pew, plus removal of the old ones. |
| The room | Same rows, same spacing, same look of the sanctuary your members know. | New layout, new style, new measurements to plan around. |
| Wood quality | Keeps solid frames built from the kind of wood that is hard to buy today. | Depends entirely on what the new pews are made of. |
| Disruption | Many upholstery projects are finished within a few days, scheduled around services. | Lead time for manufacturing, then delivery and installation. |
Upholstery is not the only fix, either. If your congregation wants padding but you would rather keep the wood fully visible, lay-in pew cushions are a lighter option. If the wood itself is the problem, start with church pew refinishing.
Why Tennessee Churches Call a Pew Company From North Carolina
Lebanon is a long way from Autryville, NC. Churches there and across Middle Tennessee still call us, for the same reasons congregations do from Eastern North Carolina to Texas. We are a family-owned company, and the people who quote your job are the people who do it. More on our work across the state is on our Tennessee church furniture page.
- A 15-year upholstery warranty. That is rare in this trade. We can offer it because we do every stage ourselves.
- No outside contractors. Upholstery, refinishing, repairs, and installation are all done by our own team.
- Work around your church calendar. We schedule around services, weddings, and funerals so worship never stops.
- USA-sourced materials. Wood, fabric, and foam are domestic, and our cushions use high-density LUX foam.
- Two generations on the job. Norman McPhail and his son Nicholas still run projects together.
- Free consultation and quote. We tell you what needs attention now and what can wait a budget cycle or two.
“We appreciate your dedication to your job and concern to complete the installation in a neat and orderly manner.”
“Mr. McPhail did an excellent job in the restoration of the pews.”
Want to see more sanctuaries like this one? Browse the full before-and-after photo gallery, or read more about the McPhail family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can solid wood church pews be upholstered without replacing them?
Yes. That is exactly what this Lebanon, TN project shows. As long as the frames are sound, foam and fabric can be added to the seats and backs of existing wood pews, and the original ends and rows stay in place.
How long does it take to upholster church pews?
Many pew upholstery projects are completed within a few days. The real timeline depends on how many pews you have and whether any repairs are needed first, which we confirm during the free consultation.
Will our church have to cancel services during the work?
No. We schedule every project around your church calendar, including services, weddings, and funerals, so the sanctuary stays available for worship.
What warranty comes with pew upholstery?
McPhail Church Services offers a 15-year warranty on church pew upholstery, which is rare in this industry. All of the work is done by our own team, so there is never a question of who stands behind it.
Do you work with churches in Lebanon and elsewhere in Tennessee?
Yes. This project was in Lebanon, TN, and we have also restored pews for churches in Clarksville and Knoxville. Our shop is in Autryville, NC, and we serve churches across the East Coast and as far west as Texas.
How do we choose a fabric color for our pews?
We bring a wide selection of U.S.-woven fabrics and help you choose a color that suits your sanctuary’s wood, walls, and carpet. We can also color-match fabric to furniture you already have.
More answers on our FAQ page. Back to top
Your Sanctuary Could Be the Next Before-and-After
If your pews look more like the Lebanon before photo than the after, let us take a look. The consultation is free, the quote is honest, and your church never has to miss a Sunday.
McPhail Church Services, Inc. · 59 Vickers Lane, Autryville, NC 28318 · 910-322-5673