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A Solitary Industry, Reupholsterers Find Comfort in Technology & Community
The daunting COVID-19 restrictions of social distancing and shelter-at-home have put immense pressure on businesses across the country. Musicians are playing concerts at home, veterinarians are providing TeleVet mobile appointments, and restaurants are offering modified food and cocktail menus for pick-up or delivery. Not all services, however, require high customer interaction–like reupholstering furniture. This ancient craft tends to be tucked away in basements or busy workrooms. So how is this behind-the-scenes industry coming to terms with the crisis? By harnessing technology, like everyone else. The first ever Upholstery Community Meeting was held on March 25, 2020. Hosted by the National Upholstery Association (NUA), around 40 upholsterers from across the country…
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Women are Saving the Trade
In my experience and research, women are often not made to feel welcome in the repair trades. Despite women making up the majority of my reupholstery class, my teacher was adamant that we couldn’t be professional upholsterers. I laughed out loud the time he called us all over to see another student’s completed project. She was the most experienced in our cohort. In front of everyone he praised her beautiful work, and then said, now you can run a shop and hire a man to do the upholstery. Ha! What? She laughed it off but the comment cast doubt in my mind. Hand-tying springs on couches was a massive undertaking,…
