Upholsterer

First things first and in case you didn't know...

Upholsterers are skilled artisans who specialise in padding, covering, and re-covering furniture with a wide variety of materials, including leather, suede, cotton, and other fabrics. They carefully measure and cut fabrics, attach them to furniture frames using specialised tools, and often add decorative elements like buttons, tufts, or piping.

Upholsterers also repair worn or damaged upholstery, replace stuffing, and can even redesign or modernise existing furniture pieces.

Their work requires precision, attention to detail, creativity, and a deep understanding of materials and techniques.

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Key skills/talents

Here are some key talents/skills needed to be a successful upholsterer:

Manual Dexterity: The ability to work with your hands and manipulate fabrics, tools, and materials.
Attention to Detail: A keen eye for precision and accuracy in measurements, stitching, and finishing.
Creative Flair: A sense of style and design to choose appropriate fabrics, patterns, and colours to fit the customer’s brief
Problem-Solving: The ability to troubleshoot issues that may arise during the upholstery process.
Patience: Upholstery can be time-consuming and require patience for intricate tasks.
Physical Fitness: The ability to stand, sit, and move around for long periods.
Technical Knowledge: Understanding of upholstery techniques, tools, and materials.
Customer Service: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact with clients.
Business Acumen: If you plan to start your own business, basic business knowledge is helpful.
Adaptability: The ability to work with various styles, materials, and client preferences.
Building a Portfolio: Create a portfolio (predominantly on social media) showcasing your best work. Include a variety of pieces that demonstrate your skills and artistic vision to clients.
Networking: Connect with other upholsterers and furniture restorers and attend restoration events and workshops to meet people in the industry. Building a strong network can lead to opportunities for collaborations… and new clients!

Qualifications required

While formal qualifications aren't always mandatory, and Kerry very much advocated an apprenticeship route (if you have the financial bandwidth to do one), having a relevant qualification can enhance your credibility and job prospects.

Consider the following (course links further down the page):

Level 2 Certificate in Upholstery
Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Furnishings - Traditional Upholstery
Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Furnishings - Modern Upholstery

There’s also a City & Guilds Certificate in Upholstery

Rules and regs

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988: These regulations set fire resistance levels for upholstered furniture, soft furnishings, and other upholstery products. They apply to furniture manufactured in the UK after February 1988: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1988/1324/contents

General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR): These regulations ensure the safety of consumer products, including furniture. They require producers to assess their products for safety and comply with applicable standards: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1803/contents

Workplace health and safety legislation: Upholsterers must comply with workplace health and safety legislation: https://www.britsafe.org/training-and-learning/informational-resources/the-health-and-safety-at-work-act-explained

This article, by Law Donut, gives a great rundown of what is expected in terms of safety, law and insurances: https://www.lawdonut.co.uk/business/sector-specific-law/upholsterer-legal-issues. They also state the following as some ‘smart’ insurances to get in place…

Premises, premises contents and stock of upholstery materials/fabrics

Goods in trust

Goods in transit (for example being collected or delivered)

Business interruption

Employer's liability

Public liability

Product liability

Motor insurance (for delivery vehicles)

And they recommend visiting (and joining) the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF) website for details of special insurance packages available to members: https://amusf.org

The AMUSF also have a strict code of conduct for their members, and whether you join or not, we recommend taking a look at what they recommend: https://amusf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/AMUSF-Code-of-Conduct.pdf

Remuneration framework

Kerry is very candid in the chat about the peaks and troughs of this kind of role, and she has gone from being crazy busy, and employing about 5 people, to now just her with a skilled freelance team, so earnings really will go up and down in this field.

Item costs and profits also vary hugely, subject to the amount of work being done, the complexity of it, and the materials in use. In truth, no two jobs are the same.

Some Googling has told us the following, as a guide…

The average salary for an upholsterer in the United Kingdom can vary depending on experience, location, and specialisation:

Starting salary: Around £18,000 to £22,000per year
Experienced upholsterer: Between £25,000 and £35,000 per year or more
Specialist upholsterer: Can earn MUCH more, especially for custom projects in luxurious fabrics

Salaries tend to be higher in cities and larger metropolitan areas due to the cost of living and more opportunities.

Upholsterers typically work 43 to 45 hours per week, but they can also work freelance and perhaps most importantly, they manage their own hours.

Talent claim average salaries to be around £25k: https://uk.talent.com/salary?job=upholsterer

According to Reed, average salaries are around £35k: https://www.reed.co.uk/average-salary/average-upholsterer-salary

How to get started

As stated, you can take college courses related to upholstery at many colleges throughout the UK. The National Careers Service website is a great place to look locally : https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/find-a-course/page?searchTerm=Upholstery

You can also study for a City & Guilds qualification:

The Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF) lists training on their website https://amusf.org/training

Apprenticeships are also a great way to learn on the job. The UK Government's Apprenticeship website enables you to search for what's available in the area. This link shows what's currently available: https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeships?searchTerm=upholsterer&sort=AgeAsc

However, and as Kerry suggests, it can also be worthwhile reaching out to local companies in your area who may be able to take you on, even while you’re qualifying… Which is really useful, because once qualified, you need to figure out what you want to do next…

Do you apply for jobs in local upholsterers, or even larger furniture manufacturers?

Do you set-up on your own?

There may even be an option to do both… Work ‘for’ someone 2, 3, 4 days a week, and then work on your own projects/as yourself for the rest of the week. Be open-minded!

Kerry decided to go it alone, but it wasn’t straight forward doing so, which is why she recommends trying to work for someone else first. Learn the ropes in an established set-up and then from that, figure out what works for you… Being self employed is not for everyone.

Job site links

The AMUSF has a job board on their website for UK workers: https://amusf.org/job-board

Indeed and other larger job sites also show job listings, however, we really would recommend you think hard about where you want to work, and who you want to work for, and contact those companies direct.

Associations or official bodies to register with

The Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF) was founded in 1947 as the AMU. Its mission is to protect and promote the interests of upholsterers, small furniture makers, and soft furnishings businesses: https://amusf.org

The British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) is a trade association, which has represented the interests of the nation's furniture industry since 1947: https://www.bfm.org.uk/home

National Upholstery Association (NUA): Another association that represents upholsterers in the UK: https://www.nationalupholsteryassociation.org

Progression pathway

This is fully down to you and where you want to take this - and perhaps how ‘well known’ you want your work to be. The more well known you are, the more work you’ll get, and the more you/your business and/or ‘brand’ will grow.

Kerry discusses putting a lot of effort into social media, which really is key here… Showcasing your work well, and having an easily accessible online gallery, will make or break your success.

That said, word of mouth reputation and referral will also ALWAYS be up there. Careers like this, and skills like this, live and die by reputation and referral.