{"id":30620,"date":"2020-09-12T06:00:25","date_gmt":"2020-09-12T06:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.vintiqueupholstery.com\/?p=30620"},"modified":"2023-12-21T17:16:36","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T17:16:36","slug":"how-to-get-into-upholstery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.vintiqueupholstery.com\/?p=30620","title":{"rendered":"How to get into upholstery"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the questions I\u2019m asked the most is: \u201cHow can I get started in upholstery?\u201d Just this week, I had three calls from people enquiring about an internship, and so many people seem intrigued about what the best training course is if you really want to make it. I can\u2019t lie, it\u2019s not cheap or easy (the deposit I\u2019d saved for a house got spent on my training). But for me it\u2019s an amazing, fulfilling career and I always vowed I\u2019d help as many people as I could who wish to follow the same path. So, here\u2019s the advice I\u2019d give if you\u2019re thinking about a career in upholstery\u2026<\/p>\n

1. How did you get started in upholstery?<\/h2>\n

I lost my job in the 2008 recession and after a year or so of trying to get a similar job, I moved to a new rental home to reduce my monthly rent and decided something needed to change in my career. The world of fashion had changed.<\/p>\n

I bought a Guy Rogers sofa from eBay for my new living room, sent it to an upholsterer and the rest is history. I found a new love for re-purposing older items with history into new items for my home and loved how unique it made a room; I wanted to do this more.<\/p>\n

I completed my AMUSF course in a training centre that was a cold, converted pig shed in Kendal in the Lake District, it’s now closed. I\u2019d make the long journey up and down weekly, in my trusty Nissan Figaro car with an antique chair wedged in the passenger seat. Crazy!<\/p>\n

Why Kendal? At the time there were only two training centres in the UK that offered weekly training…two, that\u2019s unbelievable now! And they were both six hours from my home. I picked Kendal as it let me pay per week, so if I hated it I could stop. But once I started, I was hooked. To see a piece I\u2019d worked on come to life was such a buzz.<\/p>\n

After I completed that initial course, I begged the Head of Faculty at London Metropolitan University to let me on their very over-subscribed Advanced Upholstery course. This course focused on traditional techniques and it really brushed up my fundamental skills. I completed it over the course of a year while I studied for one day a week. It felt frustratingly slow and I took a bar job in the evenings to make ends meet. Ironically though, it was the bar job that got me my first customers. When the regulars heard about what I was doing, they started commissioning me for their upholstery projects<\/a> and it got me up and running. Then word of mouth worked its magic.<\/p>\n

\"Drawing<\/p>\n

2. What upholstery courses do you recommend?<\/h2>\n

The most important thing to look for is a decent accreditation. The guild I trained under was The Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF). Their qualification is based on acquiring all the practical and relevant skills tailored to people wanting to learn the craft for both traditional and modern re-upholstery.<\/p>\n

In particular, I\u2019d recommend:<\/p>\n

Shoreditch Design Rooms<\/strong><\/p>\n

Founded in 2013 by Louise\u00a0Boyland, Shoreditch Design Rooms<\/a>\u00a0offers both the AMUSF accredited upholstery diploma, as well as upholstery leisure classes. You\u2019ll learn modern and traditional upholstery techniques, and they have particular expertise in mid-century furniture.<\/p>\n

London Metropolitan University<\/strong><\/p>\n

This course at the School of Art, Architecture and Design<\/a> is a professional qualification that can be completed in a variety of ways over two or three years. At the end of it, you\u2019ll also receive guidance on what to do with your qualification and advice on starting your own business.<\/p>\n

\"Pile<\/h2>\n

3. Should I do an internship or work experience?<\/h2>\n

Honestly? Here\u2019s the thing, most upholsterers work on their own or with a small team who have specific roles within the workshop. Think of it as an artist \u2013 you have your canvas and your palette and the finished creation is all down to you. When I was starting out, I did a two-week internship with an established upholsterer. Unsurprisingly, I got the grunt work: emptying the industrial bins and stripping back some basic chairs if I was lucky. To put it bluntly, there was no way I was going to be trusted to touch even a scrap of good fabric for at least six years.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe best way to learn is to get on and \u2018do\u2019 what you\u2019ve been trained to do.\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

I felt disheartened and frustrated, but what I realised is that the best way to learn is to get on and \u2018do\u2019 what you\u2019ve been trained to do. Sure, it takes trial and error, but there\u2019s no better way to get up to speed and learn FAST. For me, on-the-job experience under someone else\u2019s instruction can work, but it’s slow as the upholsterer\u2019s time to stop what they are working on to help an apprentice navigate a corner or a cut is limited. In my opinion, working things out yourself is a much better bet. Many people I trained with were stuck in the cycle of ‘just one more course and I\u2019ll be ready to go solo’. Luckily, I ran out of funds so I had to go solo.<\/p>\n

\"Upholstery<\/p>\n

4. What\u2019s the best way to grow a business after I\u2019ve done my course?<\/h2>\n

Little steps led me to set up my business. I thought that doing a course and being qualified would mean I was an overnight \u2018professional\u2019, but the reality is that it takes practice, practice and more practice.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d really recommend getting hold of a double of each piece you work on during your training. That way, you can learn on one piece but practice and hone your skills on the other. Find your own projects and do a variety. Take them apart and start to get an understanding of how things are put together. Big pieces such as sofas can seem daunting at first, but now I really just view them as \u2018a big chair\u2019. The principles are the same.<\/p>\n

For me, the best test is a Wing Back chair. It requires all the tricky techniques you\u2019ll find in almost any modern project. Once you\u2019ve mastered one of those successfully, you\u2019re good to go.<\/p>\n

Don’t forget marketing too – tell people what you do and how you do it. Use social media to grow a following and nurture that following with great content and keep banging the drum for this beautiful craft. There’s no point being the best-kept secret!<\/p>\n

\"Upholstery<\/p>\n

5. What kit do I need to get started?<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t expect to be brilliant straight away. As with anything in life, you\u2019ll get better at it the more you do it. The main thing to remember is that your rate of progress will be quicker once you\u2019re up and running on your own. You don\u2019t need much equipment or a huge amount of space to get started. In fact, you only really need the following tools and sundries:<\/p>\n