Upholstery History

Upholstery History

The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder, which referred to an artisan who help up their goods. A person who works with upholstery is an upholsterer. An apprentice upholsterer is often called an outsider or a trimmer. Nowadays they usually just call them an apprentice upholsterer. Historically, upholstery used materials such as straw and hay, animal hair, coconut husks, burlap, linen, wadding, and anything else upholsterers can shove into a piece of furniture to make it comfortable.

In 18^th century London, upholders constantly served interior decorators. These decorators were often used by the mid-upper to upper-class individuals to decorate their homes and estates.؜ Today, interior designers work with upholsterers to satisfy their client’s needs. Usually, the interior designer has a full space she is designing for her client.