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Upholsterer

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

Upholsterers may perform the following tasks:

discuss choice of colour, fabric, style and cost with clients
staple lengths of webbing (like wide tape) on to the underside of the furniture frame
stretch and staple webbing from side to side interlacing with other webbing
lace tops of springs together to prevent sideways movement and staple hessian to the frame
cut and design 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
repair upholstered furniture by replacing cover, webbing, padding and springs.

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

antique and reproduction upholstery involves recreating the style of a certain era of history and restoring genuine antiques
custom upholstery involves building furniture for special purposes such as for use in hotels, ships and airports
production upholstery involves upholstering mass produced furniture in sections for either the domestic or commercial market
renovation and repair upholstery 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 table or bench top.

Required Skills - Upholsterer