The Rusted Roan Design Co. - Western Upholstered Furniture

06/14/2026

Yes, I teach western upholstery online.

I get asked this all the time and you do not have to wait for an in-person workshop to learn.

Inside my Online Western Upholstery Community, I teach tutorials for western-style pieces, upholstered chair restorations, foundations, padding, fabric and leather upholstery skills, refinishing and painting, image printing and transfers, and the parts of upholstery that people tend to skip over online.

You also get weekly live group coaching, which means you can bring your questions, your chair problems, your “I think I messed this up” moments, and get help directly from me.

This is for the creative who wants to learn how to turn old furniture into usable western art.

And if you eventually want to sell your pieces, I also teach business and marketing inside the group too.

So yes, I teach online, and depending on where you are in your upholstery journey you'll also find other options in addition to the Online Western Upholstery Community like the "Getting Started in Western Upholstery Workbook", the Western Footstool Mini Course, the Western Bench Course, and more.

For those looking for in-person workshops, you can find those on the site also here in Virginia City, Nevada.

Comment LEARN and I’ll send you the info.

Art on this piece by Amanda Wentz Studios of my late gelding Wapiti Hickory ("Dodge") who is the namesake of this business.

06/14/2026

Your phone is one of the best upholstery tools you already own. I know, it sounds crazy, but hear me out.

Take photos before you remove any fabric.

Take photos of the underside, the corners, the folds, the layers, the seams, how the springs are tied, and anything that looks confusing.

You think you will remember how everything was originally put together or came apart.

You probably will not.

Pictures (and videos) help you understand the order of construction, and avoid guessing later when the chair is sitting there as a bare frame and you are trying to remember what went where.

This is especially helpful when you are learning.

Future you will be very glad you took the picture.

Do you have any chair or furniture pictures on your phone?

Picture of a piece that wasn't torn down but instead put together from an antique headboard and footboard with a sheep image transfer (you can find the tutorial in our Online Western Upholstery Community Group).

06/14/2026

Do not wait for the dream shop space before you start learning upholstery.

You do not need every tool, a huge workroom, perfect lighting, custom workbenches, or a shop that looks cute on the internet.

Would all of that be nice? Of course.

But it is not necessary to start.

You can start with a manageable project, a few basic tools, and enough space to work.

The shop, tool collection, confidence, and skill can grow as you go. I started in my lower room then a shed before opening an actual shop space.

A lot of people stay stuck because they think they need the perfect setup or all of the tools before they start.

But skills are built by doing the work and starting before you're ready, not by waiting until every condition is perfect.

Comment FREEBIE if you want some F R E E beginner upholstery resources.

06/12/2026

Upholstery changes more than the furniture.

You might think you are just learning how to update and reupholster furniture.

Then suddenly you are learning how to use tools, make decisions, fix mistakes, solve problems, trust your hands, and bring something old back to life.

That changes the piece, but it changes you too.

There is something powerful about taking a piece that is outdated, forgotten, broken, or ugly and turning it into something useful and beautiful again.

Some women come to upholstery because they want pretty furniture.

Some come because they want to make money.

Some come because they want a creative outlet.

Some come because they want to prove to themselves they can learn something hard.

All of those reasons are valid.

Whether you want to come learn in-person or join in on the Online Western Upholstery Community and learn there (or both), we offer different options to get started on your upholstery journey.

Comment LEARN if western-style upholstery has been calling your name.

06/12/2026

When you are designing a western upholstery piece, pick one main character.
Maybe it is the cowhide.
Maybe it is the leather.
Maybe it is a bold fabric.
Maybe it is the frame.
Maybe it is tooling, fringe, or a piece of art you are building the whole design around.
But something needs to lead the design.
The other details should support it, not fight it.
I love a bold western piece, but bold and chaotic are not the same thing. A chair can have leather, cowhide, nailheads, fringe, and texture while still feeling intentional.
Good design is not using every western thing you love on one piece.
It is knowing what the piece actually needs.
What is your favorite design detail on an upholstered piece?

06/12/2026

Western upholstery can be bold without being chaotic.

I love leather, cowhide, fringe, decorative nails, tooling, paint, carved frames, bold fabric patterns, and big statement pieces.

But not every piece needs every single thing at the same level.

Pick one main character.

Maybe it is the fabric.

Maybe it is the leather.

Maybe it is the bold frame color.

Maybe it is the tooling.

Then let the other details support it.

What are your favorite details on upholstered furniture?

Art for this piece by Hattie Wimer d.bar.d

06/11/2026

A lot of older furniture was built better than what people are buying new now.

Solid frames. Better shapes. Real craftsmanship. Details you do not see in mass-produced furniture.

That doesn’t mean every old piece is worth saving, but when the bones are good, reupholstery (or sometimes a full restoration) can turn it into something incredible.

You are not just upholstering a chair.

You are preserving the good parts and giving it a new life with a new personality.

06/10/2026

06/10/2026

This armchair is officially available and wraps up my open armchair + occasional chair series.

I need to make room for the more complex pieces waiting in the queue, so this will most likely be one of the last open armchairs I offer for a long while.

This chair was completely rebuilt from the ground up. I took the entire frame apart until it was literally a pile of components, rebuilt it, prepped it, painted it, glazed it, and then reupholstered it with all new padding and foundation.

The finished design features a Frank Tenney Johnson print, a genuine leather seat, and embossed leather from Texas Leather Goods.

And yes, I filmed the whole process.

The frame rebuild tutorial is already inside the Online Western Upholstery Community Group, and the full upholstery tutorial for this chair will be uploaded soon.

So if you’ve been waiting for a finished statement armchair, this one is available.

And if you’re in the community group, you’ll get to see exactly how it went from a pile of parts to a fully rebuilt western heirloom piece.

Another dated, worn-out upholstered piece given new life as usable western art.

Comment COMMUNITY to get details on how to join us in the group.

06/10/2026

From start to finish, frame repairs to final details, there’s a starting point for where you are.
Workbook, mini course, community group with over 200 tutorials, or hands-on workshops.
Comment LEARN and I’ll point you in the right direction.