Spruce

Few things make me happier than watching the people we work with here at D*S do well. Amanda Brown from Spruce has been our resident upholstery expert for a while and we were thrilled when she told us she was working on a book. That gorgeous book, Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design, officially launched yesterday and is chock-full of beautiful (and helpful) upholstery instructions, illustrated by more than 900 step-by-step photographs. Upholstery has always been daunting to me, but Amanda is an excellent teacher and everything she's shared in this book will help you master the techniques and skills you need to reupholster any piece of furniture to suit your own taste and style.

"Brown, a professional upholsterer in Austin, TX, knows how to breathe life into tired old furnishings. Her style is hip, eclectic, and delightful, and she injects her personality into the projects, showing off her upholstery prowess. Brown rounds out the manual by offering interior design options. Accompanying photographs demonstrate technique and illustrate each step. Readers will find information on skills requiring much more detail, such as the sewing and stripping furniture, in the appendixes. VERDICT Though the author only covers five projects -- a sofa, an ottoman, and three chairs -- she does so in such great depth that quality wins out over quantity. Upholstering is for the brave, and there are a lot of specialty tools here that might intimidate would-be DIYers. Despite these limitations, this is a wonderfully readable volume that speaks to current style. Very highly recommended for any DIY collection." -- Library Journal, starred review

If you have ever had an inkling to try to upholster a thrift store find, this awesome book can show you how.