Vanessa Butt

I am an upholsterer based in Tottenham, North London.

I take modern and traditional commissions of any piece of furniture. The choice between refurbishment or total reupholstery depends on the condition of the furniture. Aside from commissions, I also refurbish furniture using unusual fabrics and trimmings that explore the shape of the piece. These can currently be found on sale at Post, N17 shop on Green Lanes.

I finished studying the AMUSF Modern and Traditional Upholstery course at Rycotewood School of Furniture in Oxford in 2014. Since then I have worked in various roles within the industry from large factories to small independent workshops. I moved to London in 2017 from Bristol, where I had been an original member of the Bristol Upholstery Collective.

I also work as both a technician and lecturer in the upholstery department of The Cass at London Metropolitan University (formerly London School of Furniture).

https://www.londonmet.ac.uk/profiles/staff/vanessa-butt/

Creative Upholstery

Upholstery: Evolution to Revolution, National Centre for Craft & Design - Sleaford (Winter, 2018)

'Spring is Sprung'. An antique farm tool (harrow) upholstered using ‘transparent’ materials and taking inspiration from my experiences of growing up on a family farm in Lincolnshire. The piece linked together my agricultural roots and skills as an upholsterer.

https://www.secondsitters.co.uk/https-www-secondsitters-co-uk-exhib

Looking Forwards

I am very keen to work more within the local community, and have just entered into a collaboration with a local fabric company so watch this space!

With regards to long term goals, I aim to work on making upholstery more accessible to everyone in order to minimise people buying new furniture and making the good stuff last. I also wish to marry my skills as an upholsterer and my previous career working in mental health to volunteer time helping people who may benefit from it from a therapeutic point of view, or those who need to get back on their feet to learn something new.

EMAIL - vanessa@vanessabutt.co.uk