Hi, I own an upholstery shop.  
I do as well, In fact the word "upholstery" comes from the English word "upholder",Which is used because tradesman who held up his goods.
There are so many uses for upholstery.
yes and most materials like coil springs, animal hair, coir, straw and hay, hessians, linen is all done by hand. Nowadays we do it by machine. 
I prefer the craftsmanship of doing it by hand but machines are so much more efficient.  When did upholstery start?
Well it dates back to the 18th-century in London, Where upholsterers served interior decorators responsible for all aspects of a room's decor.