"WHY re-upholster?"
I’m often asked, "why would I re-upholster when I can buy new furniture so cheaply"
1. Creativity
Re-upholstery offers a wonderful creative opportunity to give much loved and tired pieces of furniture, a refreshing new lease of life that will last for years to come.
2. Environmental
Manufactured furniture has a huge impact on our environment including influencing the natural processes of forests, the use of fossil energy for operations and logistics and the over-use of land and soil*. Lovingly re-upholstering something old that was originally built to last, ensures you have something totally unique and is the sustainable and environmentally friendly solution keeping stuff out of landfill and reducing your footprint.
* (Scharai-Rad et al., 1996)
3. History
Imagine the stories each piece of furniture could tell! Re-upholstery incorporates history and soul creating a connection between the present and the past and brings the story of the individual piece along for the ride!
4. Uniqueness
Why would you want a piece of furniture that is mass-produced when you can have something personal and to your specification? When you re-upholster, no one else is going to have the same piece of furniture as you have. The look of your piece is going to be completely original with the perfect fabric, the right colour and to the highest quality giving you a sense of individuality that cannot be replicated.
"What are the tools you use in upholstery?"
Tools of my trade
Many of the hand tools used in upholstery are specific to the craft and remain unchanged over many centuries. We do however make use of modern equipment like pneumatic staple guns to make certain tasks quicker and more efficient.
Button maker
I just love my Osborne #W-1 button maker. It’s the most expensive piece of equipment I’ve bought to date but it will last a life-time and allow me to make customized buttons for deep-buttoned pieces like my ottoman and French chaise.
"Why are traditionally upholstered pieces often more expensive than modern pieces?"
Simply put – because of the skill and craft that goes into it. There are many more layers to a traditionally upholstered chair than you might think. The techniques, which use tools that have hardly changed in centuries, require skill, patience and great attention to detail. Discover more about the stages of upholstery, or click on the infographics.
