So how did I become an upholsterer? Well some might say it was because I had a sign …

 

I’ve always had a passion for design and became a graphic designer in the corporate world. During 15 manic years I designed all kinds of stuff and managed a design studio too. Unfortunately an office closure meant I was made redundant.

 

And job hunting can be so so hard, the endless days trawling job sites and making phone calls, the application forms and CVs. After one really arduous day I needed a break from it all, a distraction, something more productive to do.

 

An old book on the art of upholstery, bought on a whim and parked on a shelf many years before somehow caught my eye. What about that tired red velvet nursing chair in my bedroom, maybe I could do some thing with that?

 

But wait, it’s been in the family a long time, my Grandmother’s handy work perhaps? Maybe I’ll just check with Mum before I pull it all apart. “Your Dad upholstered it.” she said. I was so surprised.

 

Dad sadly died when I was only 10. I knew he was a bit creative but never thought of him as an upholsterer. All coincidence? It suddenly felt like a whole lot more than a one-off creative project.

 

No, this was a career change. I was walking in Dad’s footsteps and was going to make him proud. I wasn’t scared, it was meant to be. With AMUSF qualified tutoring and the creation of Beastly & Beautiful, I became an upholsterer with a specialism in fabric design.

 

I never did reupholster that little red chair… it was perfect the way it was. 

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