Made of Us featuring Upholsterer - Joe Barr.

I was born and raised in Newry. It’s a small town where everyone knows each other. There are plenty of good people here, and I have a big family and lots of friends around the area.

It was brilliant. I played football from when I was about 10 or 11 and did that most of my life. Through football you get to know a lot of people in the town. You can’t walk down the street without bumping into someone you know.

I was in my last year of school when I was 16 and a teacher mentioned there was an opportunity to learn upholstery. I didn’t even really know what upholstery was at the time, but I put my hand up. Two weeks after leaving school I got a call from Brian asking if I could start the following week, and that was the beginning.

When I started the factory was much smaller than it is today. There were only a few people working here. At the beginning I helped with foaming and preparing the frames before they went to the upholsterers. I didn’t have any background in it, so I was learning everything from scratch.

You learn as you go. Brian and the upholsterers who were here at the time showed me the basics. I asked a lot of questions at the start, but over time you pick it up through practice. Every day you’re learning something new.

I spent the first five or six years working on the preparation side before moving into upholstery itself. It wasn’t easy at the beginning because every piece is different and the standard has to be very high. But with experience it becomes second nature.

I like when a new design comes in and it’s a bit of a challenge. Figuring out how to cover it properly and getting it just right is very satisfying. When you finish a piece and step back from it, you know you’ve done a good job.

The quality and the comfort. The frames are made from proper timber and we work with top-quality materials—leathers, mohairs, and other fabrics. Everything is built to a very high standard.

There are five upholsterers now and two younger lads preparing the frames and foam. It’s a team effort across the whole factory—from the joiners and cabinet makers to the cutters and sewers. Everyone plays a part in getting the piece finished properly.

It’s something to be proud of. I remember staying in a hotel in Dublin and seeing Orior furniture in the reception and foyer. When you see the finished pieces in a real space, it’s a great feeling.

The growth. When I started there were only four or five of us. Now there are around sixty people here. It’s great to see how much the company has grown and how many people it employs locally.