An heirloom diamond earring, an empty 1930s cigarette packet, old coins and countless bobby pins are among the items Fiona Edmeades has found hidden in the crevices of chairs.

The upholsterer, who trained in London, worked in Sydney and is now based in regional NSW, loves the rich history revealed by these little discoveries.

Edmeades found the diamond stud, which belonged to a customer's mother and was feared lost, when she took a photograph of a stripped back couch and spotted a telltale sparkle.

"I was over the moon - anyone would have thought it was a big chunky diamond and it was mine - that's how excited I was," she tells AAP.

"I'm quite an emotive person, so I love those stories.

"They bring value to the process for me; it's not just about making this chair new or beautiful, it's about where have they been, what have they done?"

With the Reign of Chairs studio walls lined with fabric, bundles of springs, skeletons of dining chairs and drooping vintage armchairs waiting to be loved, Edmeades has long pondered the significance of where we sit.

She trained in traditional upholstery in the early 1990s, working on antiques in England, before moving to Australia and studying at the National Art School in Sydney.

One of her works was a print series of 100 chairs, informed by the memories of their owners.

"I have clients who say things like, 'this was my great grandmother's chair and I remember being a little girl sitting and watching her brush her hair'," Edmeades says.

"They're so connected with memory and emotion.

"Sitting in a chair you almost go into a different realm, it might be reading or just relaxing. It's almost like this vessel of change."

Despite being surrounded by furniture shops in the regional city of Orange, Edmeades' expertise is in high demand with a waiting list of eight months.

She is among just 1900 upholsterers in Australia, according to Jobs and Skills data, but hopes it is not a dying trade as consumers confront the perils of fast furniture.

Councils across six states collected more than 500,000 tonnes of hard rubbish in 2022-23, much of which was furniture, according to a national waste report.

"Cost is a real thing for people but it is part of an upholsterer's role to educate and I'm passionate about people understanding the value ... of having something last," Edmeades says.

A pair of French-style armchairs meticulously refurbished in forest green twill and velvet took around 100 hours of work, while a simpler project might take 15 hours.

As fast furniture fades, nostalgia endures.

When Edmeades strips a chair, she often finds several layers of old upholstery.

On a recent project, she uncovered a floral peach fabric that transported a customer back to her childhood living room.

Edmeades salvaged a patch and made her a cushion.

"It was just a little reminder."