AMUSF-accredited · traditional & modern method · thirty years at the bench

Learn to upholster — properly.

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

The work behind the book

Wing-back armchair re-covered in an autumn tartan Mid-century armchair re-covered in teal velvet Victorian open armchair re-covered in a blue ticking stripe
See all our work Readers’ first seats

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


What's inside

Part One

Foundations

History, the anatomy of a piece, the workshop, the toolkit, materials and fabric — the why beneath the craft.

Part Two

The techniques

Webbing, springing, stuffing & stitched edges, foam, cutting plans, buttoning, trimming, loose covers — each in traditional and modern form.

Part Three

Seven full pieces

Complete walk-throughs, from a drop-in dining seat all the way to a full Chesterfield.

Part Four

The working workshop

Pricing, customers and the business year — the side of the trade the old manuals never mention.

Part Five

Reference

A long glossary, materials and yardage charts, knots and stitches, standards and trade bodies.

Part Six

Workshop stories

A short set of tales from thirty years at the bench.

See the full contents

Free tool

How much fabric will your project need?

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 calculator

From the workshop

Free upholstery tips by email

The occasional practical tip from the bench — webbing, fabric, the little tricks that save a job. No spam, just the good stuff.

We'll only use this to email you upholstery tips.


New · free AI tool

See your chair in your fabric — before anyone lifts a staple

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.

Try the fabric visualiser

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.