Spruce A step-by-step guide to upholstery and design

*Starred Review* It stands to reason that a big, heavily illustrated book of instructions on how to upholster furniture should be as attractive as the finished projects it presents. And that is certainly the case with this gorgeous book, which perfectly matches complete, precisely written directions with correspondingly crisp, helpful photographs. Brown is an Austin, Texas-based upholstery shop owner whose expertise simply leaps off every page. Her guiding philosophy is that upholstered furniture is the root of an interior, and to that end, she addresses nonprofessionals who are learning to upholster their own furniture, taking them through six projects that can be categorized as advanced but for which all necessary skills are taught along the way. These projects include a pair of slipper chairs, an ottoman, and a sofa. Specific activities required for completing the projects include padding and constructing boxed arms, attaching webbing and burlap to the arms, attaching the dust cover to the bottom of the sofa, and cutting out fabric for the cushions. Sound dizzyingly complicated? Take a breath and follow Brown step by step, and you'll be surprised at how talented you may become in the art of upholstery. This is a bible, a catalog, a wish book, and an excellent library reference source.--Hooper, Brad Copyright 2010 Booklist

Brown, a professional upholsterer in Austin, TX, knows how to breathe life into tired old furnishings. Her style is hip, eclectic, and delightful, and she injects her personality into the projects, showing off her upholstery prowess. Brown rounds out the manual by offering interior design options. Accompanying photographs demonstrate technique and illustrate each step. Readers will find information on skills requiring more detail, such as sewing and stripping furniture, in the appendixes. -VERDICT Though the author only covers five projects-a sofa, an ottoman, and three chairs-she does so in such great depth that quality wins out over quantity. Upholstering is for the brave, and there are a lot of specialty tools here that might intimidate would-be DIYers. Despite these limitations, this is a wonderfully readable volume that speaks to current style. Very highly recommended for any DIY collection. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Foreword I've been known to say that if I ever won the lottery, the first thing I would do is have all of my furniture upholstered in beautiful patterned fabric. And if I had my first choice of upholsterers, that person would be Amanda Brown. When I was younger I thought of upholstery as something only fancy or stuffy people had done. I remembered all of the scratchy formal couches my grandparents had and couldn't imagine ever being interested in such a thing. But in 2003 everything changed. I moved to Brooklyn, started immersing myself in the design world, and was blown away by all of the beautiful textile designs coming out from younger artists. Their fabrics were affordable, fun, and the opposite of stuffy. But unfortunately, no one seemed to be doing anything with them other than making pillow after pillow. Then I discovered Spruce. Amanda Brown led the wave of upholsterers who started looking at found and vintage furniture and reimagining it with bold, contemporary fabrics. In Amanda's skillful hands, old sofas, chairs, and ottomans were transformed into hip new furniture for younger families, and the community noticed. Spruce may have started as a local Austin business, but the influence of Amanda's work and taste has spread across the country. Whether you're looking to reupholster your very first thrift store score or want to tackle every piece of furniture in your home, Amanda can teach you how. But she doesn't stop there. Her ideas for combining different fabrics and using found materials like vintage embroideries will open your eyes to all of the incredible ways you can give your old or used furniture new life. Trust Amanda. She's been teaching students to reupholster for years now and you're all about to get a master class from a seriously talented -- and tastemaking -- master. -- Grace Bonney, founder of Design*Sponge Excerpted from Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design by Amanda Brown All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.