Look up the word UPHOLSTERING in any dictionary and its definition will be very dull;
'To provide chairs, sofas or similar soft furniture with stuffing, springs, cushions, and covering fabric’.
But for the Upholsterer who has vision and enthusiasm the word means just so much more ...
- It means taking an old chair and peeling back the layers of history - each giving clues to its past.
- It means repairing the frame that has worked loose over the years - to make it strong and serviceable for decades to come.
- It means restoring the show wood back to its former glory - with stains and polish and wax.
- It means creating a seat exactly the way it should be - to make it really comfortable and supporting, using webbing, springs, stuffing, hessian, cotton flock and calico.
- It means choosing a fabric that will delight, dazzle, amaze, or perhaps quietly please the senses.
- It means that when you have finished you have created a piece of furniture that is you in every sense of the word. Not produced by a factory down to a price - but tailored by you to be what you wanted. Its shape, its comfort, its strength and beauty - you did it all!
One of the most rewarding things I have ever done is to breath fresh life in to a tired old piece of furniture, using the skills I learned on an upholstery course a few years ago.
A course at The Upholstery Workshop will offer you the same opportunity. The courses are run in Wiltshire by John Maxfield and with only three students per course the amount of tuition you receive individually is exceptional. You can also learn about soft furnishings and loose covers as well .
We are members of the Association of Master Upholsterers.
If you already have experience of the above, either as a result of night classes or have attended one of our courses before, you may want to go on to more advanced upholstery.
For those wishing to pursue this as a fascinating hobby we will be able to help you rebuild a piece of your choice, though we recommend that you start with a modest piece, that can be completed in a week.
Just telephone for advice and we will be happy to help you.