An entry · Work · Life
Upholsterer
The person who takes a tired old chair down to the frame and gives it another fifty years.
Why the human is the point
A good chair is worth saving, and the upholsterer is who saves it: stripping it to the frame, re-tying the springs, and stretching new fabric taut over horsehair and foam by hand. It is craft and thrift together, the opposite of flat-pack and landfill, keeping a grandmother's armchair in the family for another generation. A factory makes a sofa to be thrown away. An upholsterer makes an old one last, and hides a hundred careful decisions under the calm of a smooth new seat.
Work it
Do the work.
Jobs, apprenticeships, and training that put a person in the room.
Ways in
- Course
Upholstery course
Frames, springs, stuffing, and covering, taught hands-on.
- Apprenticeship
Workshop apprenticeship
Traditional and antique workshops train by the chair.
- Route in
Reupholster and sell
Rescued chairs at markets are how many build a trade.
Ways in, gathered by hand.
Add yours to the atlasLive it
Live the hour.
Experiences, classes, and places where the presence is the whole point.
On now
- Workshop
Week-long hands-on upholstery course
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship · Rockport, ME
Learn webbing, spring tying, and padding while building a slip seat and a sprung ottoman.
- Workshop
Weekend in-person upholstery workshops
LullCo Studio · Ann Arbor, MI · Weekends
Bring your own chair and get hands-on instruction, in person or over Zoom, at a studio running classes every weekend.
- Course
Strip and re-cover a chair over eight evenings
Portmarnock Community School Adult Education · Dublin, Ireland · Thursday evenings, 6pm to 9pm, from 24 September 2026
An eight week evening course with upholsterer Brian Mullen where you measure, cut and work fabric and foam to reupholster your own small piece of furniture, tools included.
Ways in
- Class
Reupholster a chair class
Bring a tired seat and take it home transformed.
- Visit
Restore an heirloom
Hand a loved chair to a maker instead of the skip.
Ways in, gathered by hand.
Add yours to the atlasKept nearby
