About the Role: Responsibilities, Skills, and Requirements
Craftsmanship Wanted: Experienced Furniture Upholsterer in Abu Dhabi
There's a certain magic to taking a worn, tired piece of furniture and making it look brand new again. If you're the kind of person who takes pride in straight seams, taut fabric, and a perfectly finished cushion, we should talk. Asalate Marrakesh Decoration Works is looking for a seasoned Furniture Upholsterer to join our team in Musaffah Industrial Area — someone who treats every sofa, chair, and headboard like a signature piece. This isn't a role for someone who just wants to punch a clock; it's for a craftsman (or craftswoman) who genuinely cares about the finished product.
About Us
Asalate Marrakesh Decoration Works has built its reputation on detail. We're a decoration and furnishing outfit serving clients across Abu Dhabi and beyond, handling everything from custom majlis seating to full interior fit-outs. Our workshop in Musaffah isn't a quiet, sterile place — it's full of the sounds of staple guns, the smell of fresh fabric, and the occasional debate over which foam density works best for a particular sofa. We believe good upholstery is equal parts skill, patience, and a bit of stubbornness about getting things right.
We're a close-knit team that values experience over buzzwords. If you've spent years mastering this trade, you'll fit right in here.
What You'll Be Doing
- Upholster sofas, chairs, headboards, majlis seating, and custom furniture pieces from start to finish
- Strip down old upholstery and rebuild frames, webbing, and padding as needed
- Cut, sew, and stretch fabric and leather with precision — no wrinkles, no shortcuts
- Work from drawings, photos, or client specifications to match the desired look
- Coordinate with the workshop team to meet project deadlines without sacrificing quality
- Keep your work area organized and maintain your tools properly
- Occasionally visit client sites for measurements or fitting when required
What You'll Bring
Must-Haves:
- At least 5 years of hands-on furniture upholstery experience — this is non-negotiable
- Strong skills in both traditional and modern upholstery techniques
- Proficiency with hand tools, staple guns, and sewing machines
- Ability to read and interpret design specifications and measurements
- Currently residing in the UAE (this vacancy is open only to candidates already in the country)
- A reliable work ethic and the ability to work independently or as part of a team
Nice-to-Haves:
- Experience working with leather as well as fabric
- Background in custom or luxury furniture
- Basic knowledge of frame repair and woodwork
Not sure you tick every box? If you've got the years and the skill, we'd still love to hear from you.
Why You'll Love Working Here
- Full-time, stable position with a well-established company
- Competitive salary based on your experience — we pay for skill, not just presence
- Work in a proper workshop with the tools and materials you need to do the job right
- Be part of a team that respects the trade and the people who practice it
- Opportunities to work on varied and interesting projects — no two days look the same
We know upholstery is a craft that takes years to master, and we're not looking for someone to just fill a seat. We want someone who'll look at a finished sofa and think, "Yeah, I did that right." If that sounds like you, we'd be glad to have you on board.
Common Interview Questions and Tips
To help you prepare and feel confident, here are some questions you might encounter during the interview process for this role.
- Walk me through your process for reupholstering a sofa from the moment you receive it to the final inspection. What steps do you never skip?
- How do you decide between repairing an existing frame versus rebuilding it from scratch? Can you give an example where you had to make that call?
- What's your approach to cutting and stretching fabric on a curved piece like a barrel chair or a rolled arm? How do you avoid wrinkles in those tricky areas?
- Tell me about your experience working with leather. How does your technique differ from fabric when it comes to cutting, sewing, and stretching?
- How do you handle a situation where a client's vision doesn't match what's technically achievable with the materials they've chosen?
- Describe your experience with different foam densities and padding materials. How do you choose the right combination for a piece that needs to be both comfortable and durable?
- Tell me about a time a project didn't go as planned — maybe a fabric tore, a measurement was off, or a deadline slipped. How did you handle it?
- You're working on a custom majlis seating project with a tight deadline, and a teammate's work isn't meeting your quality standards. What do you do?
- Have you ever had to visit a client site for measurements or fitting? What was that experience like, and how did you make sure everything translated correctly back in the workshop?
- How do you keep your tools and workspace organized during a busy week with multiple projects on the go?
- What drew you to upholstery in the first place, and what's kept you in the trade for this long?
- This role involves working closely with a small team in a busy workshop. How do you handle feedback on your work — whether it's from a supervisor or a colleague?
- What does a well-finished piece look like to you? What details do you check before you'd consider a job truly done?