When Edify‘s associate editor first asked if I wanted to write about upholstery, I thought he was talking about chicken (you cannot tell me poultry and upholstery do not sound the same). I would be embarrassed, but I can’t be the only one who was not familiar with the term. Even Jason Toshach, owner of Peppers Upholstery Studio, admitted he didn’t know how to spell the word before embarking on his furniture-making journey.
As you might expect, I did not know the first thing about upholstery. So before doing a deep dive into the inner workings of the industry, I decided to swim around Peppers Upholstery Studio’s site. The first designs that jumped out at me were vintage-inspired green leather couches and beige suede-like chairs, all in a high ceiling wood-filled room. The designs, like many of his portfolio pieces, have a retro vibe — which, it turns out, is his go-to style.
Upholstery encompasses everything from refurbishing your grandmother’s antique couch to building custom pieces; it is sophisticated craftsmanship, as Toshach explained to me.
All his pieces are hand-crafted, a skill that he learned in part from co-founder Glenn Sheets, who has over 40 years of experience in the upholstery industry. (Sheets stepped away from his role as a co-owner in 2025 but continues to work as head upholsterer and consultant.)
I spoke to Toschach about his journey with upholstery, his creative process, and what’s next for Peppers.
Edify: Why Peppers?
Jason Toshach: That’s funny, I get that a lot. I’ve been referred to as Mr. Peppers because people think it’s my first or last name. Essentially, I was trying to come up with a name, and after consulting people from different areas of my life, I landed on Peppers. It’s actually a Beatles reference — their Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. My mom is a huge Beatles fan, and that’s what I grew up listening to.
Edify: How did you get involved in upholstery? Was it always part of your plan?
Toshach: I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I studied physical education in university, I got accepted into graphic design in Vancouver — I used to do video editing. I realized pretty quickly that I wasn’t nearly as passionate about it as other people were.
I got into upholstery after backpacking through Europe in 2008. When I came back, I was asked by the son of an upholsterer — who had taken over his dad’s shop — to come in and do sales. I didn’t know anything about upholstery at the time, but eventually I moved on to another company where I met Glenn (Sheets) — before jumping into starting Peppers.
Edify: What do you like about upholstery?
Toshach: The two things I really love about it are the local feel — because I grew up in Edmonton, I’ve been here my whole life — and the connection to design, restaurants and cafes, being able to work on those types of spaces.
I also saw a need in the market. It was very much an older-generation industry, and a lot of companies were just doing things by default. I thought it would be a good industry to stay in. There’s a big need from a younger demographic — designers, contractors and people building restaurants — who didn’t really have anyone they worked with directly.
Edify: What is something people might not know about upholstery?
Toshach: It’s something you absolutely need experience to do correctly. Glenn has been upholstering since he was 18 in the military, and he’s in his early 60s now. He can dissect any piece someone brings in — he’s seen everything. I’ll bring him a piece from a client, and he’ll sit there and sit there until he can visualize exactly how it needs to be constructed. You have to build it structurally, but it also has to look right aesthetically — with the foam, fabric, sewing, and everything coming together at the end. That process is probably the trickiest part of creating truly unique custom pieces.
Edify: What’s the inspiration behind your style?
Toshach: If you ever see the front showroom, or just me in general, you’ll notice it’s very bright. I like things that are a bit more out there — unique designs, bright colours and patterns. I love ’70s retro, burnt oranges, the greens and the browns. That brighter, abstract style has always stuck with me.
Edify: What trend are you seeing in upholstery right now? How do you see this age-old craft evolving?
Toshach: One really great thing is that younger generations are refurbishing furniture. They’re bringing in pieces from their grandparents or things they find at second-hand stores. That’s been a noticeable trend for the past couple of years. They also get to put their own personal spin on it by choosing fabrics and unique patterns. I am also noticing business owners taking more risks with design and colours. There’s definitely a trend that’s starting to take off of people focusing more on aesthetics rather than just looking at convenience.
Edify: What is a misconception about the field?
Toshach: I don’t think people realize the amount of detail that goes into specific pieces. In some cases, people will bring me some Pinterest or AI image that they came up with and say, “Can you just make me this?” I will admit we break a lot of hearts. This is not a big volume department store. We must sit with the idea, come up with the pattern, measure every detail, then cut, sew and test it, take it off and re-sew it and test it. We probably take four or five times the amount of time a factory that mass produces them would.
Edify: How important is touch and material (in relation to interior design)?
Toshach: I would say it is very important. There are so many fabrics now with different textures and finishes — it is not just about your standard woven fabric, there’s boucle, leathers, faux, sheepskins. In the front showroom, I like to bring in samples so people can really see and feel the materials before making decisions — not just base it off of photos.
Edify: What would you like people to know about your business?
Toshach: I looked around and noticed that a lot of people involved with this industry were just like, “Tell me what you want and I’ll do it.” Very transactional. I just genuinely love working with the clients. I love the design process. I love the excitement of delivering a custom piece to someone’s space and seeing how it all comes together. I want my clients to know that I am also here to help them with opinions on the layout, floor planning, as opposed to just being a furniture provider.
Edify: What are your future plans?
Toshach: I would love to get into a custom line of furniture. It would be nice to have a small line of chairs, or maybe a little sofa. I don’t want to make a copy of past work — I want it to be intentional. That is something I would love to eventually start working on with my team.
This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
Have you been to these Edmonton area restaurants/cafés? If so, you’ve likely sat on furniture upholstered by Peppers.
Bar Bricco, Blackhawk Golf Club, The Boiler Room, Boxcar Coffeeshop, Cafe Celeste Bistro, El Corazon, The Dogpatch, Fox Burger (Leduc), Happy & Olive, Irrational Brewing Company, El Jardin, Kind Ice Cream (Highlands), Leopard, Milk & Cookies Bakeshop, Odd Company Brewing (Ritchie), Oodle Noodle (Spruce Grove), Roasti Coffee, Savoy’s South Indian Kitchen, Spinelli’s Bar Italian Centre, Square One Coffee (Glenora)
Peppers Upholstery Studio
Gainer Industrial | 5503 82 Ave NW, Edmonton | peppersupholstery.com
