It sounds simple enough when a perfectly good wing chair arrives in need of a spruce up, a recover, and a fresh set of threads. The thing is, when a customer says ‘it only needs new fabric’, us upholsterers smile a knowing smile; rarely is it just new fabric. A good upholsterer will always look at ways of improving a chair, whether it’s in for full re-upholstery [...]

This week it’s really felt like autumn has been in the air. As well as the prospect of pulling out the cosy knits from the wardrobe and snuggling up for the darker evenings, it’s time for the launch of all the new season trends. If you’re after some inspiration for your next upholstery project, here’s a peek at a few [...]

One of the great joys of my job is finding beautiful fabrics and discovering designers with a fresh and inspiring look. Every now and again someone comes along who becomes a firm favourite. Becca Who’s statement fabrics are a riot of glorious colour and dramatic patterns. I decided to catch up with her as she launches her second captivating fabric collection – Earth Odyssey. Hi [...]

My first meeting with Vicky Grubb from The Upholstery Cabin was virtual, when she kindly agreed to appear on an Instagram live with me. I was launching Virtual Vintique: Upholstery Uncovered - my guide to getting into upholstery. It was only later that we actually met in person, which is a rare thing indeed in [...]

I talked earlier this year about something very exciting that I’ve been working on and today is the launch day! Very Vintique was born from a desire to create beautiful one-off pieces of furniture inspired by my own imagination. The idea of seeking out my OWN pieces, inventing a vision and creating something inspirational is [...]

I’m Sharon O’Connor from Vintique Upholstery and I thought it was about time to say ‘hello again’ to new followers and friends. It’s been a while since I started my blog - designed to spread the joy of upholstery as a business and an everlasting craft, but also, to show that we don’t need to [...]

We’ve already talked on the blog about single piping and double piping, so now that you’ve hopefully mastered these two techniques, let’s move onto one of my favourite upholstery skills. Next up in the masterclass is slip stitching. Also known as blind stitching, it’s the neatest, most efficient way to seal your seams and create [...]

Springs, stuffing’s, coverings, linings, webbing… There are all kinds of upholstery supplies, sundries and materials you’ll come across – even at a basic level. The list can seem endless and slightly overwhelming, so I thought it might be useful to talk through the basics. Choosing the right materials for the job is all part of [...]

A few weeks ago on the blog, we talked about how to master single piping. So, no surprises, next up in the masterclass is double piping. A slightly more elaborate version of single piping, double piping is one row of trim that is two rows of single piping sewn together. It's a common finishing element [...]