Hay River (Jan 08/07) - As an upholsterer, Kim King has been "recovering" furniture for almost 22 years.

The furniture is recovered in two ways - literally with a new covering and figuratively with a renewed lease on life.

"You take something that's worn out and make it look new again," explained the owner/operator of King's Upholstery in Hay River. "It's like giving it new life."

King said people get furniture rejuvenated for several reasons.

"They like a particular piece of furniture and recover it to match a new decor," she said. "Or just because it's worn out."

Plus, quality furniture is hard to find nowadays, she noted. "If you've got a good, solid piece of furniture, it's worth recovering."

The new coverings are mainly vinyls and fabrics, and sometimes the much more expensive leather.

"Most of the time you follow the original pattern," King said, although she noted customers sometimes request new designs.

The full-time upholsterer said stripping furniture down to its frames is not easy work, particularly pulling staples, and there is a lot of sewing involved.

"It's hard work. There's no doubt about it," she said.

King occasionally works on antique furniture and enjoys the experience.

"You don't see a lot of it up here," she said. "Working on something over 100 years old and seeing the craftsmanship is amazing."

From time to time, she is also called upon to repair some unusual pieces of furniture.

A customer once brought her an octagonal foot stool to be recovered.

"It turned out to be a cardboard box with foam on the top," she said.

King also helps rejuvenate seat coverings of various vehicles - cars, trucks, heavy equipment, snowmobiles and boats.

"I did the whole interior of a car once," she noted, explaining that it included seats and the dash. "I draw the line at floors."

King's operation is a family business begun by her husband's grandfather.

George King, who passed away a decade ago, introduced her to the trade and her interest in upholstery took off from there.

King, 43, is the only upholsterer in Hay River, and even gets work from as far away as Yellowknife and High Level, Alta.

She enjoys the craft and the sense of satisfaction it offers, she said. "You just sit back at the end of the day and look at what you've

accomplished."