JOIN RAY CLARKE & VICKY GRUBB
ON OUR SIT ON THIS! COLLABORATIONS
Launched in May 2024, Sit on This! is the upholstery podcast that gets under the fabric and into the real world of upholstery, interiors and creative business. Hosted by upholsterers Ray Clarke and Vicky Grubb, it’s a lively mix of brilliant guests, industry insight, honest conversations and plenty of laughs along the way.
Now into Season 3, we’ve talked everything from building an upholstery business and finding your place in the industry to craftsmanship, design, pricing, sustainability and the realities of making a living from something you love. Along the way we’ve chatted with inspiring makers, designers, suppliers, business owners and some of the most interesting people working in and around our industry.
Whether you’re an established upholsterer, just starting out, changing careers, working in interiors or simply love beautifully made furniture, pull up a chair and join us. Expect useful advice, strong opinions, behind-the-scenes confessions, the occasional disaster and lots of honest chat about the business and craft of upholstery.
Season 3 is here, with more brilliant guests, more video, live shows and plenty more from Ray & Vicky. Sit down, tune in and, quite literally… Sit on This!
UPHOLSTERY WORKSHOPS
We launched our first Sit on This! five day workshop in 2023 in Bournemouth UK and since then we’ve been taking the workshops on the road, including teaching volunteers upholstery skills in the Isle of Wight, Teen Upholstery Workshops and One Day workshops with Ray Clarke.
Join us on instagram @sit_on_this_workshops for the most recent updates on all our upcoming events or email info@sit-on-this.com.
UPCOMING LIVE PODCASTS
3rd October 2026 Festival of Upholstery
WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK!
Well… we’re writing one.
Over the last couple of years, we’ve shared loads of free business PDFs covering everything from pricing and quoting to accounts, customers and the everyday realities of running an upholstery business.
And somewhere along the way, we realised there was a much bigger conversation to be had.
The Sit on This! book is about the business of upholstery and all the stuff we wish someone had told us when we started.
We’re talking money, customers, confidence, mistakes, marketing, managing your time, knowing your worth, growing a business and working out what your version of success actually looks like.
It’s not a textbook, and we definitely don’t pretend to have all the answers. It’s the honest stuff we’ve learnt from building our own upholstery businesses, teaching others, talking to brilliant people across the industry, and occasionally getting things spectacularly wrong ourselves.
If you’re turning your upholstery skills into a business, already running one, or simply wondering whether you could, this one’s for you.
COMING SOON
Register your interest below and we’ll let you know when the book is ready (plus share a few sneak peeks along the way)
CONTACT US
Please also get in touch for more information on our upholstery workshops, to be a guest on our Sit on This! Podcast or to book Ray and Vicky for your event.
Sit on This!
Vicky Grubb
Vicky Grubb began her upholstery journey in 2005 and, from the moment she picked up her first upholstery needle, knew she had found her craft. She went on to gain her City & Guilds Diploma before launching her business in 2009, building a reputation for high-quality upholstery for private clients, interior designers, hotels and commercial spaces.
Her passion for sharing traditional skills led her to begin teaching in 2012, and what started as a small class in her converted garage has grown into The Upholstery Cabin, a thriving upholstery school in Ringwood, Hampshire. In 2026, The Upholstery Cabin became an Accredited Training Centre for the Association of Master Upholsterers & Soft Furnishers (AMUSF), where Vicky now delivers the AMUSF Stage 1 Diploma alongside her popular leisure upholstery classes.
Vicky is the author of The Beginner’s Guide to Upholstery (David & Charles), published in 2015, and has since self-published two further books in her Teach Me Upholstery series.
In 2025, Vicky was elected to the Board of Directors of the Association of Master Upholsterers & Soft Furnishers (AMUSF), where she helps shape the future of the profession through education, membership and industry initiatives.
Alongside teaching, Vicky co-hosts the Sit on This! podcast with upholsterer Ray Clarke. The podcast explores the people, businesses and stories behind the upholstery and furnishing industries, featuring conversations with craftspeople, manufacturers, designers and industry leaders from across the UK.
Vicky is passionate about preserving traditional skills while helping the craft evolve for the next generation. Whether she’s teaching, writing, upholstering or behind the microphone, her aim is always the same: to inspire more people to discover and value the art of upholstery.
Find out more:
• The Upholstery Cabin
• Sit on This! Podcast
• Instagram
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
Ray Clarke
Ray Clarke’s upholstery journey began after an award-winning career in menswear fashion and printed textile design. Having worked in fashion retail for a global streetwear brand, an unexpected request from a friend to recover a pair of office chairs sparked a passion that would ultimately redefine his career, allowing him to combine his eye for design with the craftsmanship of traditional upholstery.
Ray went on to study at London Metropolitan University, where he was among the final cohorts to complete the prestigious City & Guilds Diploma in Upholstery under the guidance of renowned tutors Malcolm Hopkins, Wendy Shorter-Blake MBE and Alex Law.
After gaining industry experience in several specialist upholstery workshops, Ray established his own studio in 2009. Since 2015, he has been based in Bow, East London, where he specialises in bespoke upholstery, restoration and the creation of distinctive printed textiles, often combining his own fabric designs with beautifully restored furniture.
His innovative approach to upholstery has led to appearances on several television programmes, including George Clarke’s Old House, New Home (Channel 4), Money for Nothing (BBC) and Salvage Hunters: The Restorers(Discovery+/Quest), helping introduce traditional upholstery to a wider audience.
In 2024, Ray was elected President of the Association of Master Upholsterers & Soft Furnishers (AMUSF). Alongside representing the association, he supports the development of accredited training centres and the next generation of professional upholsterers across the UK. In 2026, he also became an AMUSF Stage 2 Diploma tutor, helping deliver the Association’s nationally recognised training programme.
Ray is also co-host of the Sit on This! podcast with fellow upholsterer Vicky Grubb. Together they interview craftspeople, designers, manufacturers and industry leaders, celebrating the people and stories behind the upholstery and furnishing industries.
Whether designing textiles, restoring treasured furniture, teaching or representing the profession nationally, Ray is passionate about ensuring upholstery continues to thrive as both a skilled trade and a creative craft.
Find out more: