Has YouTube changed upholstery forever? Or are we just getting started?

This week Vicky and Ray sit down with Neil Banyard of Facelift Interiors — the upholsterer who built a 100,000-subscriber YouTube channel while still running a busy workshop and online academy.

We get into the real questions:

• Is online training replacing traditional routes, or expanding them?
• Does visibility equal credibility?
• Can you scale a craft business without losing quality?
• And what happens when a hands-on trade meets the algorithm?

Neil shares how he went from DJ decks to directing cameras, why mindset and mentorship matter more than ever, and what the future might look like for the next generation of upholsterers.

This is an honest conversation about growth, influence, craft and the tension between tradition and digital disruption.

If you’re teaching, learning, scaling or quietly wondering whether you should press record, this one’s for you.

Our profound thanks go out to all our Sponsors

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Follow Sit on This! for monthly chats from the workbench - stories from inside the upholstery world, with makers, fixers, and fabric lovers.

In this episode, Vicky and Ray sit down with Joanna Privett from the British Furniture Association to talk about the realities of the UK furniture industry, from small upholstery workshops to large-scale manufacturing and retail.

We explore quality, standards, toxins, compliance and transparency, and how “cheap and fast” production shapes what ends up on the shop floor. We also discuss retail influence, including DFS and big-box expectations, and what that means for craftspeople who want to keep standards high.

This is an honest, practical conversation about how furniture is made, who sets the tone for quality, and what it takes to protect good work in a changing industry.

Our profound thanks go out to all our Sponsors

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Follow Sit on This! for monthly chats from the workbench - stories from inside the upholstery world, with makers, fixers, and fabric lovers.

BFA

FIESTA

AMUSF

Join Vicky & Ray for a Live Podcast with Conservator Heather Porter from Festival of Upholstery held Oct 10th 2025 .

Our profound thanks go out to all our Sponsors

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Follow Sit on This! for monthly chats from the workbench - stories from inside the upholstery world, with makers, fixers, and fabric lovers.

In this months Sit on This! podcast we sit down with Joanna Maeva (@maeva_and_daughters); Carpenter, Upholsterer and all-round legend. She joins Ray and Vicky for a chat full on bants, sawdust and stories from life on set.

Jo shares a studio with five other upholsterers' (all running their own business) as part of a collective, sharing knowledge and space.

Expect laughs, loud opinions and a proper peek into her journey.

⁠Albert Kennedy Trust⁠

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Follow Sit on This! for monthly chats from the workbench - stories from inside the upholstery world, with makers, fixers, and fabric lovers.

This week Vicky & Ray head to Margate to step inside the bold, technicolour world of upholsterer and interior designer Jesse Du Preez (@jessedupreezdesign). From training at some of the UK’s top upholstery schools to appearing on BBC’s Interior Design Masters, Jesse’s journey has been anything but beige. We talk craft, colour, and what it really takes to make it as an upholsterer.

Our profound thanks go out to all our Sponsors

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Follow Sit on This! for monthly chats from the workbench - stories from inside the upholstery world, with makers, fixers, and fabric lovers.

This month Vicky and Ray sit down with the brilliant Leigh-Anne Treadwell, founder of the Bristol Upholstery Collective, teacher, TV upholsterer, and all-round powerhouse. We chat about how she built her teaching practice, what it means to create safe learning spaces, and how ADHD shapes the way she works and teaches.

From building a community to breaking down barriers in upholstery, Leigh-Anne brings heart, honesty, and a whole lot of wisdom to this conversation.

https://www.bristolupholsterycollective.comhttps://www.instagram.com/leighannetreadwell

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Follow Sit on This! for fortnightly chats from the workbench - stories from inside the upholstery world, with makers, fixers, and fabric lovers.

This season, we’re bringing you a series of mini video podcasts spotlighting the key suppliers to the upholstery trade. Each episode gives you insider info on the latest tools, materials, and innovations to help keep your workshop running smoothly and efficiently.

This month, we’re chatting with Mirka, makers of high-performance sanding solutions with a difference. Tune in to hear what sets their kit apart (you might also see us trying the tools out 🤪)

Mirka

You Tube Sit on This!

In this episode Vicky & Ray meet Patricia Alban, founder of The Bespoke Footstool Company and the heart and soul behind Sammy’s Foundation.

Patricia shares her journey and found love of upholstery & soft furnishings and through personal tragedy and is building a powerful legacy

for a new generation of neurodiverse craftspeople. In this inspiring and moving chat we talk about the therapeutic side of making, the importance of bespoke craftsmanship and the community-driven spirit at the core of her work. Whether you’re in the trade or simply curious about creating furniture Patricia is a shining example of how lifes adversity can create inspiring stories, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations of craftspeople of all ages and abilities.

To make a donation to Sammys foundation please click on this link:

Oakleaf Enterprise

Heritage Crafts

Sammys Foundation

The Bespoke Footstool Company

Our profound thanks go out to all our Sponsors

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In this episode Vicky and Ray talk with the Young Upholsterer of the Year (2024), Libby Payne. Libby offers her valuable insight and thoughts on how to encourage young people to the craft as a career option.

Bob Folds Scholarship

Heritage Craft

Lawson Wood

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Ray Clarke

Vicky Grubb

Sit on This!

We’re back! And in this first episode of Season 2, Ray and I dive into some of the most exciting conversations we’ve had with the makers, suppliers, and innovators shaping the upholstery industry today—and tomorrow.

This episode is packed with snippets from our live podcast recordings and interviews at the Furniture Components Show in Telford and the Hire Interiors Show in Cumbria. We talk to the people behind the products we actually use in our workshops and ask: where is upholstery headed next?

*A heads-up: some of the audio isn’t as crisp as we’d like (live recording vs studio life!), but we’ve polished it as much as possible—we promise the content is worth it!*

Huge thanks to all our brilliant guests:

Chris from Enkev

John from Pathfinder

Tony and Paul from BeA

Rachel and Clive from Cable & Blake

Rhys from AE Sewing

 We got so much out of these chats, and we hope you do too.

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