We run craft classes in upholstery, cabinetmaking, furniture restoration and more. The School of Stuff is a studio dedicated to teaching crafts in Dalston.
We started small, with ten happy years at Hackney City Farm teaching upholstery evening classes. Now we have added other core courses to our curriculum including, cabinetmaking and furniture restoration. Our core team is a handful of skilled working upholsterers, designers, furniture makers and furniture restorers. We are also all experienced teachers. Our aim is to keep the tuition rigorous but informal, with small class sizes.
22/06/2026
Bring a piece of furniture to the studio on Saturday, 4 July. Spend the day doing whatever you want with it: upholster it, restore it, strip it, paint it, reconfigure it, anything you like 🔨 🪵
Find the details at https://www.theschoolofstuff.co.uk/courses/furniture-fix/.
19/06/2026
If you've been thinking about taking furniture more seriously, our year-long courses might be for you.
They're structured programmes, a year of study and hands-on practice, designed for career changers and serious hobbyists.
Choose from:
Modern Upholstery Techniques (28 Sept 2026 – 12 Jul 2027)
Professional Furniture Restoration Level 1 (29 Sept 2026 – 13 Jul 2027)
Professional Traditional Upholstery (2 Oct 2026 – 16 Jul 2027)
Details on our website: https://www.theschoolofstuff.co.uk/longer-courses/
17/06/2026
Turn a tired, post-1950 chair into something glorious 🧵🪡
Techniques you could learn in this course, depending on your chosen project, include machine skills, pattern making, buttoning and fluting, and box cushion making.
This could be the beginning of a new and lucrative hobby.
Modern Upholstery Five Day Intensive | 23 - 27 August 2026: https://www.theschoolofstuff.co.uk/courses/modern-upholstery-5-day-masterclass/
Book before 12 July 2026 to save 10% with code “EARLYBIRDMODERN”.
15/06/2026
Researching chairs has never been easier. We knew these interlocking chairs were ‘something’ by ‘somebody’ when Oru brought them into the workshop.
Google told us they were designed by Clive Bacon in 1963 when he was still at the Royal College of Art. Better still, the V&A East has a pair of them at Storehouse that we could go and have a look at. We are so lucky to have Storehouse on our doorstep.
It’s not the first time we have used it to ensure we are restoring things to the right dimensions and with the right materials.
11/06/2026
This is the perfect project for a one-day course. Stripping, filling and repainting.
Just right for one of our Furniture Fix sessions. The next one is 4 July 2026.
09/06/2026
Make something lovely 🧵🪡
Bring a chair and spend five days learning to reupholster it, with expert guidance from our tutors. Whether your piece calls for traditional or modern upholstery techniques, you'll learn the methods best suited to its age and design.
Project Upholstery Five Day Intensive | 27 - 31 July 2026.
Book before 14 June and save 10% with the code "EARLYBIRDUPHOLSTERY": https://www.theschoolofstuff.co.uk/courses/project-upholstery-five-day-intensive
08/06/2026
"I really enjoyed the class and learned a lot. Hugi was a great teacher." .co.uk
We had a great week with Hugi teaching Lacquer and Japnanning. The students did lovely work and had a great time.
The course was part of our summer programme of Five Day Intensives. Have a look at our website to see if there's something for you: https://www.theschoolofstuff.co.uk/five-day-intensives.
05/06/2026
Calling career changers and serious upholsterers 📞
Our Professional Traditional Upholstery training course starts again in October. The one-year step-by-step course is taught systematically through a series of exercises, from a drop-in seat to a fully sprung dining chair.
Book before 31 July to save 10%. Find the details at https://www.theschoolofstuff.co.uk/courses/professional-traditional-upholstery-1-year/.
Last chance to use our earlybird discount for Introduction to Traditional and Modern Furniture Finishes Five Day Intensive 🔨
Spend five days with us learning how to strip, sand, stain and re-polish a piece of furniture using either traditional or modern techniques and materials.
Your tutor is Ollie Piepereit, a professional french polisher. Ollie will also share some tips of the trade on filling, touching up and disguising restorations.
Introduction to Traditional and Modern Furniture Finishes | 20 - 24 July 2026.
Book before 7 June 2026 to save 10% with code "EARLYBIRDFINISHES": https://www.theschoolofstuff.co.uk/courses/french-polishing-five-day-intensive.
01/06/2026
"The upholstery taster weekend was the most fun I have had in 18 months." Henri
Learn about the key differences between modern and traditional upholstery, get hands-on making a drop-in seat for a dining chair and have a fun, creative weekend with other furniture enthusiasts 🌞
Upholstery Taster Weekend | 20 - 21 Jun 2026.
Find the details on our website: https://www.theschoolofstuff.co.uk/courses/upholstery-taster-weekend/