About Unsprung Upholstery

The Unsprung Upholstery team is comprised of skilled individuals at the top of their craft, who collectively hold over 200 years of experience in the industry. Given this rich wealth of experience, Unsprung Upholstery is able to masterfully take on projects that range from residential reupholstery to more complex custom commercial work. Born from owner Jonathan Bennett’s love of design, Unsprung Upholstery brings an artful eye, attention to detail and superior craftsmanship to any project.

Jonathan Bennett

Jonathan’s love for design began at a young age when his grandmother taught him to sew on an antique Singer treadle sewing machine. Their first project was duplicating a pair of “Jams”, or store-bought board shorts, which were all the rage at the time. Taking the time to teach him how to make a pattern from the existing shorts with newspaper, then cutting them in to cotton broadcloth fabric and then stitching them up into the final product - it was an afternoon with his grandmother he will always cherish. Now that very Singer sewing machine and the “Jams” they made together that day are beloved family heirlooms for Jonathan.

Sparked by that first sewing experience Jonathan pursued a BFA in fashion design graduating Cum Laude from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1997. A standout during his time at VCU he won the Golden Needle Award of Excellence and a fabric grant which were awarded based on his outstanding design and fabrication in children’s wear. Following graduation, he joined the VCU Fashion Department faculty as an adjunct professor and for 13 years taught garment construction, patternmaking, various design classes, as well as digital marketing.

In 1998, while simultaneously teaching at VCU, he carried his eye for design and sewing skills to the interior design industry. It was during this time that he fell in love with the fabrication of custom window treatments, pillows, bedding, headboards and more. His specialty is custom slipcovers, which fit so snugly they are always confused with upholstery. His attention to detail allows him to be a master of making patterns in fabric match-up making them appear to be uninterrupted and seamless – matching anything from florals to strips and even plaids!

Jonathan was named a 2021 Jill Robson Memorial Scholarship Recipient by the Window Coverings Association of America. The Jill Robson Memorial Scholarship was founded to promote education in the window coverings industry.

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Upcoming Education Engagements

"Jonathan offers such a wonderful blend of skill, artistry and creativity! He worked so well as a partner with us on our upholstery project, listening to what we envisioned, and offering additional ideas we would not have thought of and loved. Outstanding!"