What Does An Upholsterer Do?

At some point in your life, you may damage your furniture or maybe even acquire an antique piece that is looking a little worse for wear. To get your furniture back to looking its best, you will require the expertise of an upholsterer.

But what exactly does an upholsterer do? 

To simply put it, an upholsterer is a skilled worker who specialises in padding, covering and re-covering either old or new furniture.  

What does the work include?

Upholstery involves the process of providing furniture with padding, springs and fabric or leather covers. The primary goal is to improve the aesthetics and the condition of the furniture whilst restoring it back to its former glory.  

Types of furniture an upholsterer works on

An upholsterer can work on a variety of different types of furniture. With seating being the most common furniture type that suffers from general wear and tear, upholsterers typically see sofas, chairs and banquette seating more often than any other type of furniture. 

Other types of furniture that an upholsterer might come across could be outdoor upholstery, headboards, footstools, scatter cushions and even caravan or motorhome upholstery. 

When people think of upholstery, they tend to think of household upholstery it is a common form of upholstery, many different sectors across the UK require the skills of an upholsterer. Such industries can include

• Pubs, clubs and restaurants
• Health care businesses
• Offices

If you’d like to know about more situations where upholstery is required, check out our upholstery services page. 

Dealing with clients

Whether an upholsterer goes freelance or works within a business, they will inevitably work on projects for clients. Dealing with older or newer furniture, big or small, there are a few key aspects of the job that the upholsterer is responsible for. 

Deciding on the best fabric – Particularly on older pieces, an upholsterer would need to become familiar with a variety of different fabric type. They would need to know which fabric is most the durable or ideal for the specific furniture type involved in the project. 

Quoting a price – Like most skilled services, upholstery isn’t free. An upholsterer will be equipped with the ability to price up a quote based on the time it will likely take to finish the project. On top of this, the quote will also include the costs of any fabrics required. 

Time management – The client will be looking forward to seeing the finished product. Giving the client an expected completion date will help keep their expectations in line with an upholsterers workload. 

People skills – Different clients will have varied personalities, different levels of understanding when it comes to upholstery and specific requirements when it comes to their furniture. Part of being an upholsterer requires great communication skills and people skills in order to deliver a quality service that will satisfy the client. 

Hands on work – The main role of an upholsterer is the upholstery work itself. Within this element of the job, there are certain skills that an upholsterer must become familiar with. Cutting, sewing, stitching and detailing are some of the most prominent aspects of upholstery work. 

What does it take to be an upholsterer?

If you’re thinking about taking up a career in upholstery, there are a few paths that you can take to put you on the right track. With this in mind, some of the more formal ways of becoming a professional upholsterer includes:

• College courses
• An apprenticeship
• Unique courses led by professional upholsterers

At South West Upholstery, we are always looking for talented people to join our team. If you’re looking to start your career in upholstering, get in contact with us on our careers page.