SE06 EP 01: How can the art of upholstery become more sustainable?

Sustainably Influenced

Welcome back to season 6 of Sustainably Influenced.

This week's guest is Vanessa Butt of Vanessa Butt Upholstery. Vanessa runs a small, Lambeth-based upholstery business with expertise in both modern and traditional upholstery. They market themselves as upholstery with sustainability at it’s core.

Upholstery is a very inherently sustainable practice. If you are considering having your furniture repaired and reupholstered then you are already helping preserve raw materials and reduce waste. Traditional upholstery is one of the most sustainable crafts in the UK. This is mostly due to the natural materials that are used to build a strong and comfortable padding from the frame of the chair. The majority of work is done by hand tools, and the upholstery should last generations.

However, not all upholsters have a focus on sustainability and some of the materials used by them have questionable environmental impact. To embrace sustainable practices, upholsterers should focus on using natural, sustainable, eco-friendly materials- coconut fibre, Jute and Flax are becoming increasingly used. Wool is also an eco-friendly material and recycled Polyester is commonly used.

Sources:

• https://www.furniturenews.net/resources/articles/2021/11/51751589-why-does-sustainability-matter-upholstery-sector
• https://www.vanessabutt.co.uk/sustainability

Thanks to Vanessa for joining us. Please follow us on Instagram & TikTok @sustainablyinfluenced. Season 5 of SI is available to listen now on all good podcast platforms!

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