Upholsterer receives prestigious award

A Shrewsbury-born upholsterer who now runs her business just over the Shropshire border has received one of the craft industry’s most prestigious honours.

Kirsty Lockwood, founder of Kirsty Lockwood Furnishings, based in Knighton, has been awarded the Master Certificate by the Worshipful Company of Upholders.

The award forms part of the Master Certificate Scheme, a respected UK initiative recognising excellence, advanced skill and professional development across a range of traditional trades. The scheme is run in partnership with City & Guilds and leading London Livery Companies.

Kirsty received the award at a ceremony held at Mansion House and it was presented by Dame Susan Langley DBE.

Kirsty has worked in the upholstery and furnishing trade for many years and now specialises in upholstery, cane and rush seating, stretch fabric walling and soft furnishings.

Her career has taken her to some remarkable places - she worked at the Royal Household as an upholsterer to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and she has also contributed her skills to a number of major film productions including No Time to Die, Cruella, Fast & Furious 9, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Today Kirsty’s work includes upholstery projects for the UK Parliament, as well as commissions for residential clients across the UK. However, she says her favourite projects are often those working directly with customers in their homes.

Alongside her business, Kirsty is also deeply involved in supporting the wider upholstery trade. She currently serves as Warden to the Trade for the Worshipful Company of Upholders and is the founder of the Festival of Upholstery, a rapidly growing national event that brings upholsterers, students, educators and suppliers together from across the UK and beyond to share skills, knowledge and inspiration.

Kirsty said: “Upholstery is a craft with a long history, but it’s also an industry that continues to evolve. It’s incredibly rewarding to be recognised by the Upholders and City & Guilds, and I’m proud to represent the trade and the region.”