In broad terms upholstery can fall into two categories: traditional and modern.  While the look of the final item is similar the difference is in the stuffings used.  Traditional upholstery offers layers of support including, springs, vegitable coir, animal hair hessians and requires stitching pads to form firm edges and foundations for the final fabric.  Undertaken and produced well it can be expected to last a lifetime.  Modern upholstery is a system of layers too, in addition to springs and elastic webbing, foams are used for comfort.  This is a faster method, both have their advantages!

​

Traditional: defines all types of furniture and furnishings that were manufactured before 1950

​

Modern: includes furniture and furnishings produced after 1950

​

It is possible to apply modern upholstery to traditional frames, and I am happy to do this if your budget is limited.  Be aware that sometimes  it is not economically viable to upholster very modern furniture (up to ten years old).   The balance is in the cost of suitable fabric versus buying new.   

​

After the Second World War there were significant advances in the materials used to design and build and upholster furniture.  However, it wasn't until the late 1980s that the regulation of furniture come into law with the introduction of The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire)(Saftey) Regulations 1988.