Summer 2018

The motivation for change arose from a decline in upholstery education. Trade schools in the U.S. were closing their doors, and apprenticeships were gradually giving way to the gig economy. Up-and-coming upholstery talent found themselves with limited resources to learn the skills they needed to enter the profession. To many, the community had lost a cohesive identity.

Let’s Get Social

The desire to learn the craft, however, was as strong as ever. Pockets of online educational content were drawing enthusiastic participants. Social media outlets were giving experienced tradespeople and rising stars a place to share their questions and knowledge. In this new mode of communication, a sense of connection and excitement was growing.

Collaborating for the Future

In the summer of 2018, an educator in Minneapolis put out an invitation to participate in a one year collaborative effort. The goal? To study the changed landscape of professional upholstery and design better training models for today’s promising students. Ten upholsterers from across the country joined efforts to discuss what might be possible.

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

The group soon recognized the dire need for a uniting force. They laid the groundwork to form a national association, and began recruiting more upholstery professionals and sponsors to join in their vision. On March 20, 2019 the National Upholstery Association was born.

The Next Stage

In summer 2019, the freshly-minted association will start accepting members. Upholsterers across the industry can join together in an official community defined by a common purpose: growing and perpetuating the upholstery trade.

The National Upholstery Association has grown out of the upholstery community itself. A handful of community members took the initiative, rolled up their sleeves, and got to work. Welcome to the movement. Let’s grow together!

We believe that skilled upholstery has a continued relevance in the U.S. We see upholsterers as artists, as entrepreneurs, as historians, as champions for sustainability.

We believe there is work to be done, and we believe there are smart, determined people excited to do it. And we believe that individuals can accomplish far more when they’re connected, supported and working together . . .instead of struggling in isolation.

The infrastructure of our professional community has quietly disappeared, and the time has come to rebuild. We believe in a future where all shops are joined together toward a common goal: a better landscape for everyone.

The challenges are considerable, but so are the possibilities. And what is a professional upholsterer if not a problem solver?

“Upholstery is a dying trade.”

We don’t believe that - do you?