If your story is anything like mine, it’s rooted in a deep connection with the natural world. I love that no matter where we live, nature and human relationships shape us, our communities and our cultures.

Natural Upholstery began under the name Living Home Furniture in 2009. We evolved from a small scale ‘organic’ furniture manufacturer (2009-11) to a custom upholstery restoration service (2011-16), to an educational resource for makers (2016-2023).

In 2017, we were excited to participate as the ‘maker movement’ gave birth to a diverse array of opportunities for people to become empowered through community. Online learning provides a way to explore on our own at home, while the sprouting of physical maker spaces gives us physical places in which to meet and to brainstorm & innovate together. They’re places we can gather and develop a culture of creating instead of consuming – incubating collective ideas that could seriously change the world.

In 2019, Carla joined with a group of visionaries to form the National Upholstery Association.

In 2021, Carla joined the Funky Little Chair team to help launch FLC200 Fundamentals, a professional level Modern Upholstery Education program, much of which remains available at The Workroom Channel.

As of September 1, 2023, Carla has announced her retirement from providing upholstery services and upholstery classes. You can find links to alternative class options here.

Beginning locally, we have worked with makers from all disciplines, fostering a collaborative mindset that takes us outside of expected outcomes. I love the idea that a simple chair upcycling class might turn into a painting extravaganza for one student, an exploration of color for the next, or a disciplined study in lines for yet another.

The point is: There are no boundaries.

The very act of letting go of expectations is the beginning of innovation. Bringing a painter, a graphic designer, a lighting expert and a musician together with a common problem to solve, can yield an amazing outcome. Add just one requirement – to have fun – and you’ve got a formula for success!

Our Mission has been to share new ways to ‘see’ our furniture – through storytelling.

Sharing our stories lends a depth of experience to a chair or sofa, endowing it with a purpose that goes far beyond a mere place to sit. Ideally, it becomes a sturdily-built vehicle by which we come to know ourselves – a great starting point in the move toward a more sustainable economy and a healthier, happier world community.