Upholsterer

Upholsterers repair, cover or re-cover furniture with fabric or other material.

Upholsterers may perform the following tasks:

repair upholstered furniture by replacing covers, webbing, padding and springs
discuss colour, fabric, style and cost of upholstery with clients
staple lengths of webbing (like wide tape) on to the underside of the furniture frame
stretch webbing from side to side, interlacing it to form a base for the padding
lace tops of springs together to prevent sideways movement and staple hessian to the frame
cut and fit foam padding
measure and cut covering material, join sections and tack fabric on to the furniture frame
cover staples with decorative braid, trim, buttons or fancy nails and attach calico to the underside of the furniture.

Upholsterers may work in one of, or a combination of, four main fields:

Antique and Reproduction Upholstery which involves restoring genuine antiques or recreating the style of a certain era of history.
Custom Upholstery which involves building furniture for special purposes such as for use in hotels, ships and airports.
Production Upholstery which involves upholstering mass produced furniture in sections for the domestic or commercial market.
Renovation and Repair Upholstery which involves replacing old and damaged upholstery.

Upholsterers generally work in workshops but occasionally they may be required to work in clients' homes or other sites.

Upholsterers stand for most of the day as the furniture is normally placed on a bench top while work is carried out.

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