The History of Upholstered Furniture

From Thrones to Modern Foams

Sitting comfortably is a relatively short luxury in British history, spanning only about 400 years. Before the 17th century, chairs were designed like thrones—built for rigid dignity rather than relaxation. Frames were hard and panelled, occasionally relieved by a loose cushion stuffed with wool, horsehair, or feathers.

Sitting in a chair was an honour reserved for the head of a meeting, court, or assembly (which is why we still use the term “chairman” today), while ordinary people stood or used stools. At this time, relaxing or reclining was viewed as bad manners and a sign of weak character.

The 17th & 18th Centuries: The Birth of Real Upholstery

The 17th century brought a massive shift in comfort, integrating upholstery directly into chair construction. By the early 18th century, craftsmen began designing chair frames strictly as a “skeleton” to support the “flesh and muscle” of internal padding.

The iconic Queen Anne wing-arm chairs are superb examples of this era. While beautifully upholstered, their specific seat height, depth, and back angles still prioritised formal posture over relaxed lounging.

The latter half of the 18th century became known as the “Golden Age of Furniture,” marked by elegant, gracefully proportioned chairs designed to accommodate the posing attitudes and elaborate costumes of high society.

The 19th Century: Industrialisation & The Coil Spring

The 19th century completely transformed furniture manufacture. As Britain’s population doubled in less than 50 years, industrial machinery sparked an unprecedented demand for affordable, mass-produced homes, clothing, and furniture. Early 19th-century makers met this demand by simplifying construction styles without heavily sacrificing structural quality.

The single greatest revolution in comfort came at the start of the 19th century with the invention of the coil spring. By the 1830s, the old stigma against relaxing was fading fast. Deep spring chairs were first installed in elite men’s clubs around St. James and Piccadilly before rapidly spreading into Victorian family homes.

Recognising that comfort is deeply personal, Victorian manufacturers produced an enormous range of styles and sizes, including distinct designs tailored specifically for men or women. This massive expansion earned the Victorian era its title as the “Age of the Upholsterer”.

The 20th Century & Beyond: Space-Saving Design

While modern society values physical comfort just as much as the Victorians did, our living habits have changed. Modern rooms are notably smaller, and household maintenance time must be kept to a minimum. Consequently, contemporary furniture must occupy a minimal physical footprint and be easy to clean, without sacrificing utility or relaxation.

Traditional Stuffing Materials

For the first 370 years of upholstery history, comfort relied entirely on a craftsman’s manual skill with natural stuffings. Even with modern synthetics, these traditional materials are still used today—especially when restoring antique reproduction furniture that requires traditional stitched edges and multi-layered stuffings

• Flock: Prior to the invention of rubber, flock was the most sought-after stuffing. Made from fumigated rags processed in special teasing machines, it tends to harden and flatten if used completely on its own. However, when applied evenly by a craftsman over a seat sprung with spiral springs, it forms a highly comfortable base. Upholsterers must manually tease flock in boxes with a stick to remove lumps and foreign matter. A key disadvantage is that applying liquid cleaning fluids or shampoos to the outside fabric can draw the dye from the underlying flock right through the cover, ruining expensive textiles.
• Horse Hair: This resilient material ruled supreme for generations and remains a premium choice for initial stuffing layers. Short hair varieties are cheaper but lack springiness. Due to modern scarcity, much of today’s horsehair is reconditioned and re-teased from old, unwanted furniture; it can be washed, sterilised, and reused indefinitely without losing resilience. During processing, the hair is washed, sterilised, and twisted tightly into ropes to create a permanent, springy curl. It comes in natural black or grey. When upholstering, horsehair must be completely blanketed with a layer of flock or linters; if this step is skipped, the sharp, prickly hairs will pierce through the outer fabric cover.

The Synthetic & Foam Revolution

The introduction of foam and synthetics over the last several decades has drastically simplified trade upholstery.

• Linters: This material consists of compressed flock supplied in convenient rolls. A standard roll is 24 inches wide and weighs approximately 11 lbs. Linters require no manual teasing and can be cut cleanly into custom shapes and sizes. It is heavily used on single- and double-action beds, as a stuffing for spring-unit cushions, and is frequently sewn directly to hessian backing in the automotive industry (where it is called “Batt”).
• Latex Foam: Developed in the 1930s, latex foam is manufactured from liquid natural rubber shipped from the Far East. At processing plants, stabilisers, vulcanising agents, and setting fluids are added before the mixture is whipped into a creamy froth inside massive whisking machines. This whisking creates an interconnecting cell structure. More air bubbles result in a lighter, softer end product. Once the consistency is reached, the foam is poured into metal moulds, heated under controlled conditions to set its final shape, stripped, washed, and dried. Latex foam must be protected from direct sunlight, which causes it to perish and crumble. It became an instant success for sofas, chairs, and stools because it never sags, completely eliminates the need for upholsterers to “allow for sinking” over time, creates zero dust, has no mechanical parts to fail, and delivers a flawless, tailored look. In mock cushion seats, stock sizes (most commonly 20”x20”x2”, 20”x20”x4”, 20”x23”x2”, or 20”x23”x4”) are placed over web-sprung canvas seats. They are secured to the frame using specialised rubber-adhering tapes or calico strips glued with a dedicated solution.
• Polyurethane Foam: In modern furniture manufacturing, polyurethane foam is the industry standard. Available in a vast array of grades and qualities, today’s premium polyurethane foams provide a highly superior, long-lasting alternative to old padding styles when used in the correct densities and applications.

Professional Furniture Re-Upholstery in Sydney

Whether you own a prized family heirloom that demands traditional antique furniture restoration with horsehair, or a modern lounge suite requiring a high-resilience premium foam upgrade, expert execution is vital to preserve comfort and longevity.

At Cover It Upholstery Sydney we combine traditional techniques with modern styling to bring your furniture back to life. We service all major regions across Sydney, including the Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, Northern Suburbs, Northern Beaches, Sydney CBD, and the Sutherland Shire.

Get a Free Estimate Today!

Ready to give your chairs or sofa a professional facelift? Simply email a photo of your furniture to [email protected]. We will provide a prompt cost estimate and can bring a curated collection of fabric, vinyl, or leather samples straight to your door.