If you want to learn upholstery properly you can use my many tutorials but you should always start with a real in person upholstery class before. Try my upholstery master courses if you want me to teach you !

Where ?

These courses are english spoken and offer you 3 days (21hrs foam only) or a 6 days (39hrs traditional and foam) classe to make a whole cabriolet chair in the workshop of a french upholsterer. It’s ok if you feel like a total beginner, you will be accompanied step by step by a highly qualified upholstery professional.

HOW REGISTRATION WORKS:

Register online using the booking form and the calendar at the end of this page.

Dates coming:

6 DAYS Traditionnal and Modern technique Class

• JUNE 2025: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
• JUNE /JULY 2025: 30,1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• SEPTEMBER 2025: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
• SEPTEMBER 2025: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27

3 DAYS Modern foam technique Class

• Coming in 2026 (Contact us to be on the waiting list)

Level: beginner to advanced

• Traditional and modern techniques: 6 days / 39 hours
• Modern techniques: 3 days / 21 hours

Duration and availability

Opening hours: 9:0 a.m.-12:30 p.m. / 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m (Saturday 9:30 a.m – 1:30 p.m for 6 days class)

Places: 4 students / class (English spoken)

Accomodation possible (not icluded in the price)

Targeted skills

• Know how to use both traditional hand tools and air compressed staple gun

• Know and use the different traditional raw materials used in the workshop

• Know the different techniques needed to make a seat the traditional way

• Know how to padd the back of a chair with foam

• Know how to cover a seat

• Know how to apply the finishings (nails or trimmings)

For who ?

A course designed for those who want to discover– for leisure or as a retraining – the profession of upholsterer. It allows you to acquire the different basic techniques of traditional upholstery and/modern upholstery and the covering of a seat. Beginners therefore learn the different techniques and vocabulary as well as the tools and raw materials used by the upholsterer through the renovation of their seat. By the way it’s ok if you’re not a french speaker : THE COURSE IS ENGLISH SPOKEN (and a little FRENCH for french students of course).

The Workshop

The workshop will be the one you see on Instagram with @the_girl_with_a_hammer reels. You can view this piece of history here on STREET VIEW.

Goals

CHALLENGE YOURSELF: You have 5,5 days to upholster and cover the chair that you will bring back home. (Every year all of you bring back home a finished or almost finished chair ! 🙌)

This training also aims to discover the profession of upholsterer, its materials, its hand tools and its basic techniques. Its purpose is to acquire or refine the different stages of traditional upholstery, and how do the fabric covering with the proper finishings. We will use some foam and some modern techniques on the back so you can also bring back home other precious easy fast tips for a professional upholstery practice.

The type of seat

The carcass of a Louis style armchair or a kid size Voltaire and Louis 16 medallion chair (kid size or adult size) ready to be upholstered is provided to each student. This chairs are made in France and are include in the price of the training.

You can choose between 4 wood finishes: natural wool and mat vernish, stained wood and mat vernish, White Linen paint, Lamp Black dark grey (or any color from Little Greene with extra fees)

The trainer:

Holder of a CAP degree obtained from the AOCDTF (Les Compagnons du Devoir) and a BTM degree in upholstery (wich means 4 years of apprenticeship), your trainer is an active professional who has been self-employed for 12 years: Céline Vanier, whose daily work you can discover on instagram : @the_girl_with_a_hammer will be your teacher.

Cost, Registration and payment

• Traditional 6 days class: 2595 € (payable in 1, 2, 3 or 4 times)
• Modern 3 days class: 1795 € (payable in 1, 2, or 3 times)
• Paiement before class by Paypal cheque or bank transfer.
• Booking now opened ! (check the calendar below to BOOK ONLINE).

USEFULL INFORMATIONS

TOOLS

• Provided on site (free loan)
• Purchase upholstery tools on site if you want.

Seat frame (include in the price)

• Choose beetwen 2 Kid size chairs (easier to start upholstery) or a Louis Cabriolet chair.
• Provided on site
• Ready to upholster
• Choose the color of the wood

Raw Materials (include in the price)

• The raw materials are included and are provided to you.
• The cost does not include fabric, trimmings and nails.

Fabric

• You can bring your own fabric or choose one on our website www.leboudoirdesetoffes.eu. These are all good for seats, no need to buy online, send the reference of the one you want and we will adjust the quantity according to the size of your pattern and make a single bill for fabric, finishes and tools if needed.You will need max 1,5 meters of fabric for a plain fabric (140 cm width).

Finishes

Accomodation pre-booked for you for a real UPHOLSTERY RETREAT:

We have an agreement with Le Clos du Lac : you can find your own accomodation or if you wish we have 4 rooms already pre-booked for our students at Le Clos du Lac (@annecyleclosdulac ). This place has a terrace with an amazing view. It’s a 20 min walk from the workshop and 10 min ride biking.

It includes : Towels, sheets, hot drinks (no breakfast because we will have croissants every morning at the sho;), fridge in every rooms and a bike rental service. The website is https://www.annecyleclosdulac.com/. NO NEED to book accomodation online (students dates are closed for booking online), we will reach you directly once your booking finished.

HOW TO BRING BACK YOUR CHAIR HOME

Shipping is not included in the price but we will leave at your disposal for free anything you need to wrap it up properly (box, tape, bubble wrap) and we will bring the package to the postal station for you. We can also pack it for you and provide extra wooden protection if you want to. With the French National Postal Service in 2024 shipping cost was something around 250 € for 20 kg (Adult chair) and 150 euros for a 15kg box with a kid size chair to ship from France to the USA. It’s the easiest and cheapest way we found. In the FAQ you will find every details to ask for another transporter: Check the FAQ page to know more about shipping.

How to come in Annecy ?

The easiest way is to go for Geneva (Switzerland) wich is 40 min drive away from Annecy ! Then you can easily take a bus (link here) or a train to Annecy Station wich is in the center of Annecy. You can ask a Uber or a Taxi to drive you from the station to your accomodation if you want. You’ll find more information to organize your travel on the FAQ page

After booking your course online

You will have 2 weeks to finalise your booking with a full or a partial payment: 2595 € payable in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 times with a minimum of 595€ for booking by check, bank transfer or paypal payment.

Once booked you will be added to your class What’app chat so you can already meet the team and chat with me easily.

BOOK YOUR COURSE NOW:

Check the UPHOLSTERY FAQ PAGE FOR MORE INFO and contact me if needed.

(Scroll on the calendar to see the first classes in APRIL! )