Upholsterer
An upholsterer is a skilled professional who specializes in covering and restoring furniture, such as sofas and chairs, with various materials like fabric and leather. This occupation involves not only reupholstering furniture but also repairing or replacing springs, padding, and other components to ensure both aesthetic appeal and functionality. Upholsterers may also work on a range of items beyond traditional furniture, including automobile interiors, marine seating, and aircraft components, showcasing the versatility of their craft.
Most upholsterers work in their own shops or are employed in manufacturing and government settings, typically following a regular forty-hour work week. However, those who are self-employed often adjust their schedules to accommodate client needs, which may involve evening and weekend hours. The job requires a combination of creativity, attention to detail, and physical strength, as upholsterers often handle heavy furniture and intricate materials.
Training for upholsterers can be obtained through vocational programs, apprenticeships, or on-the-job experience, emphasizing skills in sewing, measurement, and business practices. As the furniture industry faces challenges from overseas manufacturing, job opportunities may be limited, but those with a solid skill set and business acumen can still find success in this art form.
Upholsterer
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Human Services
Interests: Fabric, Design, Furniture Design, Interior Design, Visual Arts, Industrial Design
Earnings (Yearly Median): $42,730 annual $20.54 hourly
Employment & Outlook: -3% (Decline)
Overview
Sphere of Work. Upholsterers cover couches, chairs, and other furniture with fabric and leather and repair or replace their springs, padding, and stuffing. Some also cane chairs, re-web lawn furniture, make slipcovers, or build footstools, cornices, headboards, and other commonly upholstered wooden items. Some upholsterers specialize in restoring antiques or commercial furnishings. Others specialize in custom automobile upholstery, re-covering worn-out seats and other interior components, fabricating new convertible covers, and replacing carpeting. Marine upholsterers cover indoor and outdoor seating on boats and fabricate boat covers, tops, dodgers, and other items, while aviation upholsterers cover seats and aircraft interiors.
Work Environment. Upholsterers operate their own shops, are employed in government and various industries, such as tourism, and work in manufacturing settings. Most work a regular forty-hour week, although overtime might occasionally be necessary. Self-employed upholsterers tend to work some evenings and weekends to accommodate their customers’ schedules.
Occupation Interest. People attracted to upholstery careers are project-oriented and enjoy solving problems with their hands. Their creativity allows them to visualize the final appearance of an upholstered item, such as a restored divan or bucket seat in a Corvette. At the same time, the ability to pay attention to details, measure accurately, and remain organized gets the job done. Upholsterers must also be physically fit and have good eyesight at close range.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Upholsterers spend most of their time reupholstering or restoring quality pieces of furniture. While customers usually bring small items to their shops, upholsterers typically make house calls for couches and other large pieces of furniture. They take along fabric samples and help each customer choose suitable fabric based on budget, fabric durability and safety, furniture style, interior decorating scheme, and other factors. They assess the condition of each piece, measure the quantity of fabric and other materials that will be needed, estimate the price and time needed to make the repairs, and arrange to transport the furniture to the shop.
The upholsterer removes the old cover from the furniture at the shop and repairs the springs, frame, webbing, or support fabric if needed. To reupholster the item, they prepare pattern pieces based on precise measurements, lay out the pattern pieces on the fabric, and cut around the pieces. The upholsterer also removes foam, cotton batting, or other cushioning material. They then attach cushioning material and the fabric to the frame with tacks or staples. Cushion covers, skirts, and other components are crafted with a sewing machine, with cording and zippers added as needed, and then finished by hand. Some jobs involve special trims, buckles, upholstery buttons, or special techniques such as tufting.
Specialty aviation, marine, and automobile upholsterers also cover metal frames and tend to work more with vinyl and leather, although they also sew cushions, valences, boat covers, and many other items from both natural and synthetic fabrics. Self-employed upholsterers must also perform many business tasks, including billing, bookkeeping, scheduling, marketing, and ordering supplies and fabric.
Upholsterers in manufacturing settings are more likely to perform assembly-line work, where they handle just one or two operations, such as sewing, fitting, cutting, or installing.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Upholsterers kneel, squat, and work in other awkward positions and lift heavy furniture and bolts of fabric, making them prone to back and knee problems. They use sharp needles, powerful staple guns, and other hand and machine tools, which put them at risk for hand and eye injuries. Using goggles, work shoes, and other personal protective gear is recommended.
Plant Environment. As the furniture industry has mostly moved overseas and robotic systems have largely replaced humans in the automobile industry, few manufacturing positions exist for American upholsterers. Those who work in factories are most at risk for repetitive injuries related to performing the same tasks over and over, as well as hand and eye injuries.
Human Environment. Apprentice upholsterers work closely with their supervisors. After becoming experienced, they might train assistants. Contact with customers is direct and usually involves some sales effort. Upholsterers may consult interior designers, textile artists, hotel management, and other professionals.
Technological Environment. Upholsterers use measuring tools, hammers, pliers, and other standard hand tools; staple guns, button presses, grommet machines, webbing stretchers, hot knife cutters, and other tools of the trade; heavy-duty sewing machines and various hand-sewing tools and supplies; digital cameras to take photos of projects; and computers for ordering, billing, and other business uses, and sometimes for computer-aided design (CAD). Those who work in manufacturing settings use computerized sewing machines and additional industrial equipment.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. Interested students can pursue a vocational or academic program. Fundamental courses include math for measuring, determining square footage, billing, and other purposes; sewing and textile courses; industrial arts and crafts; interior decorating; and classes that teach CAD. Part-time or summer employment in used or antique furniture stores, volunteer work designing costumes or sewing theatrical sets, and other types of extracurricular experiences that build on sewing and industrial arts skills will be beneficial.
Postsecondary. Most upholsterers learn their skills in formal or informal apprenticeships, often in conjunction with some postsecondary training and independent learning experiences. Upholstery courses and programs are offered in vocational and technical schools, trade schools, and some colleges, as well as through large fabric stores and craft schools. Students will have to learn sewing skills and techniques, including operating industrial-strength sewing machines, repairing various frames, and measuring, cutting, and attaching different types of fabrics to other surfaces. Students interested in self-employment should also consider taking business courses.
Related Occupations
Bibliography
"Data for Occupations Not Covered in Detail." US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 24 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/about/data-for-occupations-not-covered-in-detail.htm#516093. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.
"Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023 51-6093 Upholsterers." US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes516093.htm. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.
"Upholsterers." O*NET OnLine. National Center for O*NET Development, US Department of Labor, 2024, www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-6093.00. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.