Rebecca Gibbs, owner of Divine Materials Upholstery, discusses how she gives furniture a future.
In a world where replacing can seem easier than repairing, reupholstery offers a sometimes overlooked alternative: keep what you have, make it beautiful again, and let it carry on being useful. That is the philosophy at the heart of Divine Materials Upholstery, where founder Rebecca combines a love of traditional craft with a distinctly modern appreciation for making furniture last.
From her workshop in Oswestry, Rebecca restores much-loved pieces, creates bespoke upholstered furniture and runs hands-on beginner workshops. She takes great pleasure in listening to the stories behind the furniture and restoring and reviving old and much-loved pieces. Whether that be a dining chair, sofa, wingback chair, chaise longue or footstool, she gives them a new lease of life for generations to come. Every piece of furniture receives the same attention to detail, time and care in order to bring about the transformation it deserves.
The business itself is built around a simple idea: every piece deserves a second chance. Restoring furniture can reduce waste to landfill, while preserving the history and character that can make an old piece worth saving. Over 22 million piece of furniture are thrown into landfill each year in the UK, and it is believed that over 50% of these pieces are still in good, reusable, or easily repairable condition.
For Rebecca, sustainability is woven into the reason she loves upholstery in the first place. She is passionate about restoring furniture so that it can be enjoyed for decades to come, rather than being discarded because the fabric is tired or the style no longer works. Increasingly, she is also seeing customers choose reupholstery because they cannot find what they want in new, mass-produced furniture. Sometimes the piece is a family heirloom; sometimes it may be a much newer sofa that is simply the right shape, but is in need of a fabric update.
Rebecca believes that sustainability in upholstery is an ongoing journey. She still uses foam where appropriate, but keeps an eye on alternative, more sustainable materials. For her, offering customers a choice is important. Sustainability does not have to mean compromising on style or comfort. It can be about making thoughtful decisions and giving good furniture another lease of life.
Sustainability is not about telling people what they should and shouldn’t buy. It is about showing them what is possible when we choose to repair, restore, remake and learn. A tired chair can become a treasured one. A new fabric can make an old shape feel fresh.
The origins of Divine Materials Upholstery
Upholstery arrived almost by accident, via a family Christmas present: a weekend footstool course. Rebecca loved it, and quickly found herself eyeing up a longer business upholstery course.
With some redundancy money, Rebecca invested in her new interest and travelled to Manchester once a week to train at the Ministry of Upholstery. What was intended as a course became a two-year learning process, extended by COVID restrictions, and gave her the knowledge and practical grounding to reupholster a wide range of furniture.
Divine Materials Upholstery opened its doors in October 2021, and Rebecca initially worked from home in her dining room for two years, with furniture gradually taking over the whole house. Eventually, the business outgrew the house and she moved into a dedicated workshop. The change transformed the way she could work, allowing her to have several jobs on the go at once, while giving customers a proper place to visit.
The workshop has become a place where old furniture is given the attention it needs, and where Rebecca can pass on some of the skills she has developed. She never imagined she would become a teacher.
The first course she ran was a simple round dressing table stool. A modern footstool workshop followed about a year later, and Rebecca soon discovered that teaching brought its own rewards. She particularly enjoys seeing the pride on people’s faces when they complete their stool and take it home. There is something wonderfully tangible about learning the basics of a craft in a day and leaving with something you have made yourself.
For Rebecca, the appeal goes beyond learning a useful new skill. Upholstery is an old craft, but it offers something very current: the chance to slow down, make something with your hands and value what already exists. Her own journey shows how a simple weekend course can spark a complete change of direction. Now, through the workshops, she is giving other people the opportunity to discover that same sense of achievement.
Join Rebecca’s upcoming workshops
That feeling is at the heart of the workshops at Divine Materials Upholstery. The sessions are designed for complete beginners, with small class sizes and plenty of one-to-one guidance. Participants learn how to use upholstery tools and materials, attach webbing, hessian and foam to the frame, measure and plan fabric, pattern match, make and attach piping, pleat corners and attach the feet. All tools are provided, and the finished footstool goes home with its maker, along with a step-by-step guide to the techniques covered.
A single day in the Divine Materials Upholstery workshop can turn a complete beginner into the proud owner of a footstool they made themselves.
There are currently two styles to choose from: the Cylinder Footstool, a versatile round pouffe that can work as an extra seat, dressing table stool or side table, and the Contemporary Footstool, designed with a flat top that can also double as a coffee table.
Workshop dates are running and currently bookable through the winter and into the spring. Gift vouchers are also available to purchase.
Book onto an upcoming workshop here: www.divinematerialsupholstery.co.uk/upholstery-workshops
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