Upholstery

As a residential furniture fitter you work with what makes a room pleasant and beautiful to be in. You upholster furniture, sew and hang curtains, lay floors or cover walls — depending on your specialty. You become a craftsperson who combines technique with aesthetics and gives both new and old furniture and rooms new life.

§What do you do in everyday life?

Your day depends on your specialty but is always about materials dimensions and finish. You can strip an old armchair down to the frame and rebuild the upholstery sew and hang curtains to measure or install wall and floor coverings at customers' homes. You work both at the workshop and at people's homes.

• 01You learn to upholster furniture — from frame to finished covering.
• 02You learn to measure, sew, and install curtains and blinds.
• 03You learn about textiles, leather, and upholstery materials.
• 04You learn to lay flooring and cover walls.
• 05You learn to work precisely according to dimensions and drawings.
• 06You learn customer contact and advice on furnishing.

§How do you get started?

You take a basic course at a vocational school and then find an apprenticeship in a company within your specialty. You alternate between school and practice and get apprentice wages along the way. The trade suits you if you have an eye for fabric, colors, and the craft.

§The way forward

As fully trained you can work at upholstery and assembly shops at home furnishing companies or start for yourself. You can specialise in for example antique furniture restoration or commercial project assembly and build further with courses in design and interior design.

“You turn a house into a home — one piece of furniture and one room at a time.”