To upholster means to cover furniture with padding, springs, fabric, and other materials to make it comfortable and attractive. When someone upholsters a chair, they add cushioning, stuff it with foam or batting, and wrap it in fabric or leather to create a soft place to sit.

Upholstery (the noun form) refers to all these materials together: the padding, springs, and covering that make a couch comfortable rather than just a wooden frame. A person who does this work professionally is called an upholsterer.

You might upholster an old chair that has torn fabric or flattened cushions, giving it new life with fresh padding and beautiful new fabric. Some people upholster furniture as a hobby, carefully choosing fabrics with interesting patterns or colors. Others hire professional upholsterers to restore valuable antique furniture or custom-design pieces for their homes.

While most modern furniture comes already upholstered from the factory, the craft of upholstering by hand remains valuable for repairs, restoration, and creating one-of-a-kind pieces.