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Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design
This is the only book you’ll need to learn the craft and art of upholstery from start to finish. With clear instructions illustrated by more than 900 step-by-step photographs, the five projects included here are designed to teach all of the techniques and skills you need to reupholster any piece of furniture to suit your own taste and style.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2013
174 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Brown
4 books4 followersThere is more than one author with this name
In 2007, Amanda Brown began Spruce, a custom upholstery shop and design studio in Austin, TX. With an education in Architecture and Art History and professional upholstery training, she has combined design and upholstery to create a fresh aesthetic for interiors receiving acclaim from publications such as The New York Times, Metropolitan Home, Southern Living, Good Housekeeping, and Country Living, to name a few.
As resident upholstery expert on the largest U.S. design blog, Design*Sponge, and author of The Spruce Guide to Upholstery and Design (Storey Publishing, November 2013), Amanda welcomes furniture enthusiasts to share in her knowledge and create a lifetime of picture-perfect spaces through custom upholstery. When she’s not working with clients, upholstering, teaching classes, or working on her next instructional DVD, she can be found beating the Texas heat with an ice cold brewsky, hubby and toy poodle, Pixie, in tow.
In 2007, Amanda Brown began Spruce, a custom upholstery shop and design studio in Austin, TX. With an education in Architecture and Art History and professional upholstery training, she has combined design and upholstery to create a fresh aesthetic for interiors receiving acclaim from publications such as The New York Times, Metropolitan Home, Southern Living, Good Housekeeping, and Country Living, to name a few.
As resident upholstery expert on the largest U.S. design blog, Design*Sponge, and author of The Spruce Guide to Upholstery and Design (Storey Publishing, November 2013), Amanda welcomes furniture enthusiasts to share in her knowledge and create a lifetime of picture-perfect spaces through custom upholstery. When she’s not working with clients, upholstering, teaching classes, or working on her next instructional DVD, she can be found beating the Texas heat with an ice cold brewsky, hubby and toy poodle, Pixie, in tow.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 26, 2022
Wow! Who would have thought an instructional book on upholstering would be so interesting? Or contain such bright, stunning photos?
I don’t think I will do my own upholstering, but I sure do feel like I know what I am looking at when I consider an upholstered piece. This book was a bit long, but it fascinated me.
I don’t think I will do my own upholstering, but I sure do feel like I know what I am looking at when I consider an upholstered piece. This book was a bit long, but it fascinated me.
August 29, 2013
I started looking at this book & thought... What have I gotten myself into!?! Low and behold, I started reading the instructions & not only is it about reupholstering chairs etc., it also explains how to make the cushions/springs stronger! All of this is step by step with pictures showing exactly what she means when she gives an instruction. I can so do this!!
Since this was just an advanced copy loaner in order to give a review, I will lose it in a month from now... SO THANK YOU Pintrist for giving me so many project ideas that I am actually looking at this book, but NOW I can recover chairs people junk out for next to nothing!
Since I also resell furniture etc, This broadens my capabilities & what I can carry!!
Don't get me wrong... Now that I know what it takes to do a project like this, I know why people charge so much to do it!! You need some sewing skills & need to be able to follow instructions. Also realize the supplies needed aren't cheap either! It can be tedious, but the end result makes it worth it... And this book will teach you how to do it!!
I am so buying this book! It will save $100's in the long run! I really liked this book! I am excited to find funky fabric & to start on some of my chairs!!
Since this was just an advanced copy loaner in order to give a review, I will lose it in a month from now... SO THANK YOU Pintrist for giving me so many project ideas that I am actually looking at this book, but NOW I can recover chairs people junk out for next to nothing!
Since I also resell furniture etc, This broadens my capabilities & what I can carry!!
Don't get me wrong... Now that I know what it takes to do a project like this, I know why people charge so much to do it!! You need some sewing skills & need to be able to follow instructions. Also realize the supplies needed aren't cheap either! It can be tedious, but the end result makes it worth it... And this book will teach you how to do it!!
I am so buying this book! It will save $100's in the long run! I really liked this book! I am excited to find funky fabric & to start on some of my chairs!!
September 13, 2013
I am very much into upcycling and recycling old furniture as a way to reducing my carbon footprint, so when I was given the opportunity to review this book I jumped at the chance, thinking I would be now able to take on bigger projects and expand from the usual tables, bookcases etc., that I normally do.
The cover for this book is bright and colourful, and held at lot of promises as to what I might find within its pages, but it didn’t keep those promises. Firstly I looked for the easiest project, in my mind, in the index which was an ottoman; again I was wrong, this was not going to be the easy to follow guide I imagined it to be.
For the experienced or intermediate upholsterer, this book is ideal and will help you take your skills to a top-notch level, but for beginners it will make you feel that all your successes up to this point have been failures, and this is not a feeling a book that describes itself as ‘the only book you’ll need to learn the craft and art of upholstery from start to finish’ should project. Yes, the step by step instructions and accompanying photographs are very clear and detailed, but it isn’t until you read the list of required tools at the end of the book that you realise this is not for those wanting to learn the basics.
I felt that the ‘tool recommendations’ would have been better placed at the beginning of the book, along with some upholstery techniques that the reader would need to be familiar with before trying to start on these projects. Also it needs to state that these are projects that may be best carried out in a workshop and away from inquisitive tiny hands due to the tools used, and that the materials suggested may turn out to be expensive for those on a limited budget.
I did enjoy looking at this book imagining myself doing these kinds of projects, and I do commend the Author for her skill in this area. With this in mind I would recommend this book to anyone with more than a basic knowledge of upholstery, and who may be looking to take it to the next level with the intent of turning a hobby into a business. Unfortunately this was not the book I was hoping it would be.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/09/13...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
The cover for this book is bright and colourful, and held at lot of promises as to what I might find within its pages, but it didn’t keep those promises. Firstly I looked for the easiest project, in my mind, in the index which was an ottoman; again I was wrong, this was not going to be the easy to follow guide I imagined it to be.
For the experienced or intermediate upholsterer, this book is ideal and will help you take your skills to a top-notch level, but for beginners it will make you feel that all your successes up to this point have been failures, and this is not a feeling a book that describes itself as ‘the only book you’ll need to learn the craft and art of upholstery from start to finish’ should project. Yes, the step by step instructions and accompanying photographs are very clear and detailed, but it isn’t until you read the list of required tools at the end of the book that you realise this is not for those wanting to learn the basics.
I felt that the ‘tool recommendations’ would have been better placed at the beginning of the book, along with some upholstery techniques that the reader would need to be familiar with before trying to start on these projects. Also it needs to state that these are projects that may be best carried out in a workshop and away from inquisitive tiny hands due to the tools used, and that the materials suggested may turn out to be expensive for those on a limited budget.
I did enjoy looking at this book imagining myself doing these kinds of projects, and I do commend the Author for her skill in this area. With this in mind I would recommend this book to anyone with more than a basic knowledge of upholstery, and who may be looking to take it to the next level with the intent of turning a hobby into a business. Unfortunately this was not the book I was hoping it would be.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2013/09/13...
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
October 11, 2013
Thanks to Storey Publishing.
Upholstery is something I've been wanting to dabble my hand in for a long while. I've even checked out a few books from the library on the topic. But all the books I've found have been at least 30 years old, with limited scope and confusing/lacking instructions. Or some combination there of. Spruce is different.
Firstly, its clean and modern. The pages aren't to cluttered, there's lots of white space and it has a nice, easy on the eye colour palette. So much better than all those 70's titles with orange drawings and so much small, crammed text that it's enough to make your head explode. The approach in Spruce is deceptively simple. It only contains 5 in-depth projects: an ottoman, a three-seater sofa, a wing back chair, a pair of slipper chairs and a louis chair. But it provides a genius mix-and-match guide which means that with a little in-depth reading and minimal adapting, you can reupholster anything yourself. It's surprisingly effective; reading through the instructions for each piece it was easy to see how they could be applied to completely different pieces. A final chapter gives helpful (if not as detailed) instructions for sewing matching soft furnishings. The appendix contains plenty (like a bucketload) of useful advice, from essentials in settling up your own upholstery business to fabric variations.
The instructions in Spruce are detailed, thorough and seem achievable if you follow them closely and carefully. The photos and drawings are very clear, and add to the instructions rather than making them more complex.
If I have one small criticism to make its that I wouldn't feel comfortable as a DIY-er just jumping in to upholstery on a Sunday afternoon with this book as my guide. Spruce is almost too professional. The tools are numerous and expensive, the processes lengthy. To some extent this is the reality of fantastic looking upholstery, but on the other hand I've seen other titles that are far more DIY friendly (even if offering a less polished look).
Overall, Spruce is a genuinely interesting and attractive package. Even if it made me more scared of home upholstery than I was before. I'm not sure if I'll be tackling my old wingback quite yet.
Upholstery is something I've been wanting to dabble my hand in for a long while. I've even checked out a few books from the library on the topic. But all the books I've found have been at least 30 years old, with limited scope and confusing/lacking instructions. Or some combination there of. Spruce is different.
Firstly, its clean and modern. The pages aren't to cluttered, there's lots of white space and it has a nice, easy on the eye colour palette. So much better than all those 70's titles with orange drawings and so much small, crammed text that it's enough to make your head explode. The approach in Spruce is deceptively simple. It only contains 5 in-depth projects: an ottoman, a three-seater sofa, a wing back chair, a pair of slipper chairs and a louis chair. But it provides a genius mix-and-match guide which means that with a little in-depth reading and minimal adapting, you can reupholster anything yourself. It's surprisingly effective; reading through the instructions for each piece it was easy to see how they could be applied to completely different pieces. A final chapter gives helpful (if not as detailed) instructions for sewing matching soft furnishings. The appendix contains plenty (like a bucketload) of useful advice, from essentials in settling up your own upholstery business to fabric variations.
The instructions in Spruce are detailed, thorough and seem achievable if you follow them closely and carefully. The photos and drawings are very clear, and add to the instructions rather than making them more complex.
If I have one small criticism to make its that I wouldn't feel comfortable as a DIY-er just jumping in to upholstery on a Sunday afternoon with this book as my guide. Spruce is almost too professional. The tools are numerous and expensive, the processes lengthy. To some extent this is the reality of fantastic looking upholstery, but on the other hand I've seen other titles that are far more DIY friendly (even if offering a less polished look).
Overall, Spruce is a genuinely interesting and attractive package. Even if it made me more scared of home upholstery than I was before. I'm not sure if I'll be tackling my old wingback quite yet.
August 31, 2013
“Spruce” Will Give Even the Most Beginning DIY-er a Sense of Confidence
Have you been eying up that tired old wingback chair across the living room wishing you could give it a facelift but not sure where to start? Get yourself a copy of “Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design” by Amanda Brown. The aftermath of a devastating fire led Amanda to explore upholstery for herself and you can really benefit from her hard-earned knowledge. Amanda brings the expertise from her thriving design business, Spruce, and provides a step-by-step intimate look at reupholstering. I’ve done a tiny bit of upholstery myself and have a couple of books lurking in my library but none are as user-friendly as this one. After reading through the section on wingback chairs, I felt confident that I could grab my tools and actually succeed in giving my chair a facelift. This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to try their hand at updating a piece of upholstered furniture.
So, if you’ve been eying up that tired chair or sofa, grab a copy of “Spruce” and start thinking of colors. The clear and concise instructions and photos are like having a professional to coach you through each step. With “Spruce” in hand, you’ll feel ready to dive right in!
“Spruce” is scheduled for release in October, 2013. This book was provided to me by Storey Publishing for this review. The opinions, however, are entirely my own!
Have you been eying up that tired old wingback chair across the living room wishing you could give it a facelift but not sure where to start? Get yourself a copy of “Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design” by Amanda Brown. The aftermath of a devastating fire led Amanda to explore upholstery for herself and you can really benefit from her hard-earned knowledge. Amanda brings the expertise from her thriving design business, Spruce, and provides a step-by-step intimate look at reupholstering. I’ve done a tiny bit of upholstery myself and have a couple of books lurking in my library but none are as user-friendly as this one. After reading through the section on wingback chairs, I felt confident that I could grab my tools and actually succeed in giving my chair a facelift. This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to try their hand at updating a piece of upholstered furniture.
So, if you’ve been eying up that tired chair or sofa, grab a copy of “Spruce” and start thinking of colors. The clear and concise instructions and photos are like having a professional to coach you through each step. With “Spruce” in hand, you’ll feel ready to dive right in!
“Spruce” is scheduled for release in October, 2013. This book was provided to me by Storey Publishing for this review. The opinions, however, are entirely my own!
October 8, 2013
I was automatically drawn to this book because of the interesting cover. I like to think of myself as a creative person, but when it comes to home/furniture design, my imagination just isnt there. I figured this book could help me wrap my mind around upholstry and furniture design. And while it did help give me many many good ideas, it scared me a bit. This book is filled with step by step detailed instructions with pictures to help even a person with the worst imagination. However, just reading this book and seeing ALL of the work that goes into upholstery is daunting. This is in no way intended to reflect on the quality of the book. This guide is very well written and very helpful. I think, in some ways, it may scare novice designers because it is so thorough in detail. I havent actually tried a project yet, but I hope to get the courage to start such a huge task. Thanks to this book, I will definitely be reading through each and every step a few times. All in all, very descriptive and helpful. It is certainly the kind of book I like to use to guide me through projects such as these.
August 24, 2013
Excellent Book
I just read this book, and I feel like I am ready to take on the world, and my kitchen chairs. The author of this book made it understandable, took you through step by step, and even gave you picture instructions. I would recommend this book to anyone who is in need of re-doing their older chairs, or even couches. With that said, a lot of the modern chairs have an older feel, and could probably use the same techniques.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.
I just read this book, and I feel like I am ready to take on the world, and my kitchen chairs. The author of this book made it understandable, took you through step by step, and even gave you picture instructions. I would recommend this book to anyone who is in need of re-doing their older chairs, or even couches. With that said, a lot of the modern chairs have an older feel, and could probably use the same techniques.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest opinion.
September 13, 2013
Is it normal to "love" a book on upholstery? I sure hope so, because I do love Spruce. I taught myself how to upholster many years ago and researching how to do it was very trying and boring. Most books on the subject were mostly text, few pictures, and very few creative ideas. Amanda breaks it down to a simple to understand process that makes me want to run out and find something put out on the curb and turn it into a masterpiece. Definitely a book that is going to be my favorite "go to".
November 17, 2013
I'm the sort who occasionally decides to undertake massive projects involving specialist tools that take a long time. Upholstery is not one I've gotten to but once I have the opportunity, it's probably this book I'll grab to guide my way. The photos are detailed and diagrams supplement any points that are a little more obscure in the photos. I would not say this is a beginner's guide per say, it seems to require some previous experience in textiles and none of the projects seem easy but if you've some handiness or experience with other crafts, nothing in the book will seem impossible.
July 5, 2013
An attractive guide to upholstery for the professional or serious hobbyist. The design suggestions are stunning examples of modern-folk style furnishings, beautifully and originally combined to create character-filled spaces. The step-by-step upholstery instructions are straightforward but the projects are ambitious and require some carpentry skill. Reviewed for www.GoodReadingGuide.com
August 28, 2016
I tried to look objectively at whether or not this book provides adequate instructions for a beginner, and maybe it would for someone really dedicated or motivated by a tight budget. But mostly it just reinforced the decision I made last time I reupholstered a sofa that I never want to do it again.
October 4, 2013
I read an advanced copy of the book, and I'm amazed at how user friendly it is. Amanda takes the intimidating art of upholstery and makes it completely accessible to the beginning upholsterer and DIYer. This book is for sure on my Christmas list.
August 12, 2014
Detailed with step by step instructions and photographs. Great for learning both the basics of re-upholstery and advanced techniques! And I love the author's quirky eclectic style... the book includes many examples for future inspiration.
October 7, 2013
This is a very detailed book with excellent photography. I think anyone shold be able to do at least one of the projects in the book. Great guide or lesson book for upholstery projects.
January 27, 2014
This book has step by step pictures of how to upholster different furniture. It is a great book.
December 12, 2025
11 December 2025
This is probably super helpful to someone getting into upholstery in a much more serious way that I am likely to consider. Still, she introduces and provides definitions for specialized terms, covers concepts of design and comfort, covers the really vital requirements for equipment and the tools you can work without until the qualtity of working requires more tools to save time.
The greatest value to me was getting the overview. Somehow it never occurred to me there would be a lot of machine sewing involved. Now I comprehend the experience and skill involved in producing quality work, but also the artistry involved in the truly fabulous efforts: the time commitment can be enormous. Well, okay, I also really enjoyed the beautiful work featured in the book. Turns out Amanda Brown has formed my opinion of what how classic furniture forms can be visually more contemporary.
So yeah, I can recover a little storage cube adequately, but I would find slipcovers to be enough of a stretch to undertake without utter failure. And I see the value in visible mending and patching cat-shredded areas when most of the upholstery is good. And also, a better awareness of the value of regular care.
So, I learned enough to respect my limits, which is good, because I am fabulous at coming up with project ideas and utter crap at completing them once they become too hard.
Library copy
This is probably super helpful to someone getting into upholstery in a much more serious way that I am likely to consider. Still, she introduces and provides definitions for specialized terms, covers concepts of design and comfort, covers the really vital requirements for equipment and the tools you can work without until the qualtity of working requires more tools to save time.
The greatest value to me was getting the overview. Somehow it never occurred to me there would be a lot of machine sewing involved. Now I comprehend the experience and skill involved in producing quality work, but also the artistry involved in the truly fabulous efforts: the time commitment can be enormous. Well, okay, I also really enjoyed the beautiful work featured in the book. Turns out Amanda Brown has formed my opinion of what how classic furniture forms can be visually more contemporary.
So yeah, I can recover a little storage cube adequately, but I would find slipcovers to be enough of a stretch to undertake without utter failure. And I see the value in visible mending and patching cat-shredded areas when most of the upholstery is good. And also, a better awareness of the value of regular care.
So, I learned enough to respect my limits, which is good, because I am fabulous at coming up with project ideas and utter crap at completing them once they become too hard.
Library copy
February 7, 2023
Considering the huge amount of furniture books out there, it seems a bit silly that so few deal with upholstered pieces or upholstery in general. This seems to be a solid introduction to the craft and is new enough that the supply sources are current.
Also pricing new coils may inspire one to more dumpster diving.
Also pricing new coils may inspire one to more dumpster diving.
October 16, 2017
This book is a pretty comprehensive and detailed. I loved how all the steps were illustrated. Doesn't skim over the more advanced techniques like some books do, while still managing to keep the instructions simple enough to seem doable. Another library borrow that I'll be adding to my to buy list.
November 11, 2020
This is one of the most comprehensive books that I have seen that truly explains what you need to do from start to finish on a project complete with photographs. This is truly one of the best resources that I have encountered.
October 23, 2018
I’m all thumbs and yet I might be able to do one or two things in this book. Plenty of pictures and clear instructions.
August 18, 2019
Great reference for upholstery, I can't wait to put it to practice.
November 4, 2019
Great reference book to have on hand for your uphostery projects.
November 8, 2020
Very good
February 7, 2017
Whenever a book waxes hyperbolic and blurbs "the ONLY book you'll ever need to ___", I think *meh*. BOY howdy, was I wrong. This book, lavishly photographed and meticulous, really delivers.
I'm what I like to think of as a keen amateur and fixer-of-things and am fairly comfortable with simple painting, refinishing, and the like. This book was not afraid to really dive into the deep end and tackle advanced concepts like channel stuffing, recovering wing and lyre back furniture, diamond tufting and a lot lot more, but in a clear and easy to follow manner that isn't intimidating.
I really love the setup of the book where each design element has its own chapter and you can progress through a project alacart...
It's not often in my experience that a book manages to be a really good tutorial book AND an all purpose encyclopedic reference book at the same time.
I borrowed it from the library and immediately went and purchased my own copy.
Highly recommended
I'm what I like to think of as a keen amateur and fixer-of-things and am fairly comfortable with simple painting, refinishing, and the like. This book was not afraid to really dive into the deep end and tackle advanced concepts like channel stuffing, recovering wing and lyre back furniture, diamond tufting and a lot lot more, but in a clear and easy to follow manner that isn't intimidating.
I really love the setup of the book where each design element has its own chapter and you can progress through a project alacart...
It's not often in my experience that a book manages to be a really good tutorial book AND an all purpose encyclopedic reference book at the same time.
I borrowed it from the library and immediately went and purchased my own copy.
Highly recommended
May 4, 2015
This book was a pretty good tutorial, although I think it might be easier if I was actually taking apart a piece of furniture while reading it. Several times, the directions were confusing to me and the pictures didn't provide the context needed. The only part that I didn't think was good were the pillow sewing instructions, but there are plenty of good explanatory tutorials on the web that cover this topic (Design Sponge comes to mind).
May 14, 2016
Beautifully illustrated with the author's own pieces, which are also shown in before-and-after pics, this is a comprehensive guide to upholstering. However, as the author states, she has spent years learning this craft, and the projects here might seem a bit daunting for the beginner, and may be more suited to those who already have some knowledge of upholstery and wish to take it further.
A preview copy was provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
A preview copy was provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
June 5, 2014
By page 27 - supplies for the Louis chair - I knew I was in way over my head! I love DIY but have learned over the years where my strengths and weaknesses are and I'll stick to basic dining chair seat recovering for now. If you're serious about it, this would be an excellent source because of the detailed instructions and photos. Ms. Brown is so creative and talented.
January 7, 2016
Amazing photographs of each step to guide you through the process. The shots are light, bright and clean. It skips the deconstruction messiness, viola! you have a piece taken down to the frame! Amanda makes it look foolproof, with a lot of tips from her experience. Can't wait to visit her shop in Austin. This is the book to have on hand when tackling your job.
October 13, 2014
Great step-by-step photographs and explanation of technique. I did not like that the book did not offer any options of organic/non-toxic materials to use in projects, such as organic cotton batting, wool, natural latex rubber, etc.
March 6, 2015
Provides many clear examples using full descriptions of techniques to repair just about any piece of furniture. Also has 3 ribbon bookmarks in the binding, which is really handy for a solid reference book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews