From our workshop
The work behind the book
AMUSF-accredited · traditional & modern method · thirty years at the bench
The whole craft, from the jute web up: webbing, springing, stuffing and stitched edges, foam, buttoning, trimming and loose covers — every technique in both its traditional and modern form, with the history and the workshop wisdom that most books leave out.
Search every chapter — results link straight to the right page, with the tools for the job.
From our workshop
A complete, in-depth upholstery reference — free to read, chapter by chapter.
I came into the trade the right way round — trained in the modern method with the traditional underneath it — and spent thirty years across workshops doing both, from domestic re-upholstery to vehicle interiors. The books I learned from were rigorous but cold: they told you what to do and never why. This one puts the reasons back in, integrates the two methods properly, and doesn't go quiet on the things that actually keep a workshop alive. Read it through once for the shape of the craft, then keep it on the bench.
— Shaun Greenwood, master upholsterer · AMUSF accredited · Greenwood Upholstery, Hebden Bridge
History, the anatomy of a piece, the workshop, the toolkit, materials and fabric — the why beneath the craft.
Webbing, springing, stuffing & stitched edges, foam, cutting plans, buttoning, trimming, loose covers — each in traditional and modern form.
Complete walk-throughs, from a drop-in dining seat all the way to a full Chesterfield.
Pricing, customers and the business year — the side of the trade the old manuals never mention.
A long glossary, materials and yardage charts, knots and stitches, standards and trade bodies.
A short set of tales from thirty years at the bench.
From the workshop journal
Most upholstery damage is caused by cleaning, not by use. The products that quietly wreck fabric and leather, why the…
Learning the TradeLegally, no — upholstery is unregulated and anyone can trade tomorrow. What training actually buys you, what it does…
Problems & RepairsPilling is loose fibre working to the surface, and it is usually not a fault. Why blends pill worst, why it normally…
Buying & CostsUsually because they are not quoting for the same work. The recover-versus-reupholster distinction, what gets…
Leather & VinylWhich finish you have decides everything, and there is a two-minute test that tells you. The routine that keeps…
FabricsThe construction matters more than the fibre. Why loops are the thing to avoid, which fabrics genuinely survive claws…
The business hub
Pricing, quoting, customers and the parts of the trade the old manuals never mention — written from thirty years of running a workshop.
Is upholstery a viable career?
Pricing & ProfitHow do I work out my hourly rate?
Quoting JobsIs it reasonable to charge for quoting a job?
Getting CustomersHow do I find work when nobody knows I exist?
Dealing With CustomersHow do I justify the price when a customer can buy a new sofa for less?
Money & FinanceHow do I stop upholstery income being feast and famine?
In the trade? Take the State of the Trade survey — thirteen questions on rates, lead times and what actually pays. Three minutes, anonymous, and the results are free for anyone to use.
Free tool
A quick calculator in metres or yards, a yardage chart for common pieces, and a plain-English guide to measuring your own chair or sofa — built for first-timers.
Open the fabric calculatorFrom the workshop
The occasional practical tip from the bench — webbing, fabric, the little tricks that save a job. No spam, just the good stuff.
New · free AI tool
Upload a photo of your furniture and a fabric swatch, and in about twenty seconds you’ll see the piece re-covered — free, emailed to you, with a route straight to a professional who can make it real. 100 free visualisations a day, three per person per hour.
Run a shop? Visualiser Pro is the trade version — no limits, printable choice sheets with your logo, and photos taken straight from the app on site. £39.99 for 100 pictures, no subscription.