At the end of the quiet wooded street I grew up on, there once stood an upholsterer’s workshop called Brownie’s Upholstery. The workshop was a landmark for me well into my twenties. When I was likely no more than four, my father took me to Brownie’s to visit the cheerful and bearded man while he reupholstered a chair from our living room. Although I never knew exactly how it was done, I was always fascinated by the fact that this chair used to look a certain way one day, and totally different upon its return. While Brownie has since passed on, and his workshop is no more, the crushed blue velvet armchair and ottoman have held up for the over twenty-five years since their recovering.
Today, I’m proud to say that I understand a great deal more about the artful process of upholstery thanks to my opportunity shooting with SpruceHome; a team that “brings an updated approach to upholstery.” Amanda and Lizzie, two Austin, TX based gals, are combining a long tradition of skills with a savvy design eye. Like many in the Process series, there is so much fascinating effort that goes into their work that it’s difficult to distill it down to just a few short minutes. – Etsy video producer Eric Beug
Read the full Etsy blog post.
6 comments so far
catsmeow2525
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3 posts in 4914 days
posted 07-10-2010 04:24 PM
That was really great. You showed how to redo the chair step by step and although there are many steps, you made it seem doable.
Thanks
-- catsmeow2525 from Palm Harbor, Fl
UnionLabel
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70 posts in 5017 days
posted 07-17-2010 01:36 AM
I have always marveled at the intricacies of upholstery work. You ought to open a retro type school. Your talents should be passed along.
-- Methods are many,Principles are few.Methods change often,Principles never do.
Huckleberry
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5 posts in 5658 days
posted 09-26-2010 05:21 AM
Wow I have to say that is really cool to see how that is done.
-- I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.
rrdesigns
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100 posts in 5063 days
posted 02-21-2011 09:29 PM
That was really interesting and nicely done. Thanks for sharing.
-- Beth, Oklahoma, Rambling Road Designs
grosa
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24 posts in 4683 days
posted 05-06-2011 04:29 AM
You guys do a great job. I really like your choice of tool that you use for a hammer.
-- Have a great and safe day.
Becky
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81 posts in 4799 days
posted 03-03-2013 11:17 PM
my dad recently started a reupholstery business, learning from a master that actually had a home shop just up the street from them. They’re right about it being a dying art – tho some day I’m hoping to take over the family business!
-- aspiring jill of all trades