I moved into Emmaus Oxford in 2020. Being settled in one place has given me the opportunity to plan for the future. Through the help of Emmaus I now have a clear focus; my goal is to become an experienced upholsterer and furniture restorer and Emmaus is supporting me in doing so. What drives me to achieve this goal is that I can take a worn-out item and make it beautiful again. Seeing a project come together makes the world seem a better place.
I first started working in upholstery at the Emmaus workshop where I restored and upholstered a set of dining chairs. I found a donated World War II escape map used by servicemen to escape from behind enemy lines printed onto silk, so it would not tear or dissolve in water, neither would it make a rustling noise when opened. We had the map scanned and printed onto upholstery fabric and I used it used to reupholster the chairs. Emmaus is the perfect place to live and work as there is always a good selection of donated materials and fabrics that I can use for different projects. It is like working in Aladdin’s cave, you never know what magic you will find!
I volunteer one day a week at a furniture upcycling initiative. We are making a collection of 50 pieces of furniture, it features the designs of two local artists and will be sold at a pop-up event in Oxford this Autumn. I have also been on a lampshade making course, where I was amazed at how quickly I could create an elegant piece of home décor.
Emmaus paid for me to attend a one-week professional upholstery course at the Oxford School of Upholstery, where I learnt traditional upholstery methods by working on a bergère chair. The course gave me the confidence to enroll on a formal course. I am now attending a sixth month ‘Simply Modern Upholstery’ course at the school and learning the skills needed to work in a workshop or industry setting. By the end of the course, I will have worked on seven different projects, such as an ottoman style bench, an armchair and even a headboard.
I was fortunate to get the Crisis Changing Lives Grant, which covered the course fees and Emmaus Oxford supported me by paying for material costs. I have also been lucky to get a range of different fabrics donated!
Looking forward, I am excited about putting everything I have learnt into practice! When I finish the course, I would like to gain practical experience through an internship or work placement. After that, I would like to get employment in the local upholstery sector, as there is demand for upholsterers in Oxfordshire. My dream is to work part-time and have my own furniture upcycling workshop. Once I am employed, I will look for suitable accommodation with the support of Emmaus progression workers.