UPHOLSTERY SUMMER CLASS (Annecy)

The french company Céline Vanier registered under the siret number 78875231900038 and training organization registered under the number declaration of activity 84740408674 hosts upholstery courses 58 route d’Annecy at Veyrier du Lac in “Le Boudoir des Etoffes” workshop in Haute Savoie (FRANCE).

These courses are english spoken and offers you each an individual workspace to restore a chair in the workshop of a french traditional upholsterer. It’s ok if you feel like a total beginner, you will be accompanied step by step by a highly qualified upholstery professional.

Don’t worry about the accomodation anymore, you will all have your own suite in the same amazing place with a view on Annecy lake.

COURSES 2024 (English Spoken)

HOW REGISTRATION WORKS:

In order to book your course you have to register using the booking form below. Don’t worry if you don’t receive an e-mail straight away, I will personaly respond to you.

Dates coming in 2024 :

Please read this general terms and conditions at the end of this document .

• JUNE 2024: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (1 PLACE AVAILABLE )
• JUNE 2024: 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 (FULL)
• JULY 2024: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
• SEPTEMBER 2024: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (1 PLACE AVALAIBLE)
• (NEW) SEPTEMBER 2024: 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
• OCTOBER 2024: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
• (NEW) OCTOBER 2024: 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

Level: beginner to advanced

Duration: 5,5 days / 39 hours

Places: 4 students / class (English spoken)

Opening hours: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. / 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m (Saturday 9:30 a.m – 1:30 p.m

Targeted skills

• Know how to recognize and use traditional hand tools

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

• Know the different basic techniques needed to make a seat

• 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/or 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 IN ENGLISH.

The Workshop

The workshop will be the one you see on Instagram with @the_girl_with_a_hammer reels. The spot is divine but the workshop is very old and the floor isn’t even in the upholstery workshop.

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 you will bring back home.

This training also aims to discover the profession of upholsterer, its vocabulary, 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. You can see what we did last summer here.

The type of seat

The carcass of a Louis style armchair or a kid size Voltair ready to be upholstered is provided to each student. This chairs are made in France and are include in the price of the training. But you will need to find 1.5 meters of fabric to cover them and 5 meters of braid for the Voltaire chair and 8 meters for the Louis chair (or nails I can provide ) as a finish.

You can choose between 5 wood finishes: oil finish, mat vernish, Linen light paint, deep blue Basalt paint or Lamp Black dark grey.

The trainer:

Holder of a CAP degree obtained from the AOCDTF and a BTM degree in upholstery, your trainer is an active professional who has been self-employed for 10 years: Céline Vanier, whose daily work you can discover on instagram : @the_girl_with_a_hammer will be your teacher.

Cost, Registration and payment

• 2595 € payable in 1, 2,3 or 4 times before class to Céline Vanier by cheque or bank transfer.
• Payment upon booking: Min of 595€ deposit at booking.
• Booking opens months in advance (check the calendar below).
• General Terms and Conditions are joined with this document.

USEFULL INFORMATIONS

TOOLS

• Provided on site (free loan)
• Purchase upholstery tools if you want (contact us one month before the course).

Seat frame (include in the price)

• Provided on site
• Ready to upholster
• Choose the color of the wood

Raw Material (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 with us. You will need max. 1,5 meters of fabric (140 cm width).
• Remember to order the fabric and finishings before your class starts.

Finishes

Lunch Time

• The meal break can be taken on site (microwave available)
• There is a convenience store nearby if needed.
• Possibility of picnicking by the lake.

Transport and Car Park

Biking is the easiest way to move around Annecy Lake. This is a tiny city with no Uber and very few taxis avalaible in summer. But don’t worry you will easily find a bicycle rental service asking Isabelle at Le Clos du Lac with your accomodation

You may also want to rent a car but Annecy roads are saturated in summer sometimes. The workshop has a single parking space in front of the workshop and others just across the street but in summer time you’ll have to pay for it and it would cost you 40€/day to park here. We are open 30 minutes before the class starts so that everyone has time to settle and eat a little something with the traditional morning coffee.

Accomodation pre-booked for you

We have an agreement with Le Clos du Lac : 4 rooms are already pre-booked for our students at Le Clos du Lac : https://www.annecyleclosdulac.com/ (on Instagram  @annecyleclosdulac ). This place has 4 beautifull suites, a terrace with an amazing view, and it’s walking distance from the workshop !

It includes : Towels, sheets, hot drinks (no breakfast), fridge in every rooms (Check their website for more info)

MAY INCLUDES : Bike rental service

To book your room you have to contact Isabelle by mail or phone after your registration to the course. Don’t try to book online, booking will be closed so no one but upholstery students can book on this specific period.

HOW TO BRING BACK YOUR CHAIR HOME

• Do it by your own
• Postal service ( around 190 € to ship the Louis 16 armchair to the US depending on the size)
• Transporter like Magic Movers or UPS

Transport are not included in the price, we will leave at your disposal for free anything you need to wrap it up properly.

Last year the easiest and cheapest way to ship back the chair was the French national postal service “La poste” with “Colissimo“: 190€ for sending back in the USA  a 13 kg “Louis” armchair like we did in 2023 (You will have the same size of chair or tinier with the kid size Voltaire).

I will bring the package there myself if needed don’t worry about shipping. Transportor like UPS are maybe more secure but way more expensive. In this case just give them the adress of the workshop.

How to come in Annecy ?

You have a 3 hours train from Paris to Annecy but if you take a flight the easiest way is to go for Geneva (Switzerland) wich is 40 min drive away from Annecy ! In Geneva You will find really easily trains and bus to go in Annecy from Geneva.

After booking your course

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

A What’s App group Chat will be created for each class so you can get to know eachother and organize yourself together if you like.

BOOK YOUR COURSE NOW: