Before...
...& after.
From old...
...to renewed.
Upholstery remains the flag ship of the business. And people are often amazed at what a labour intensive business it is, and the intricacies of various upholstery techniques. The coil sprung seat for example, has a total of 8 layers of different materials between the webbing and the top fabric. Springs must be sewn to the webbing, laced into place and covered with hessian. Next a layer of hair or coir is covered with more hessian and nifty stitching is needed to give the edge shape, form and strength. The top fabric covers a second layer of stuffing and calico, and still the seat cushions need to be made!
Any business today needs to be diverse, and ours is no exception. One day we may be upholstering a new piece from the workshop of David Savage (www.finefurnituremaker.com), and the next re-covering one of the tractor or Merlo seats of agricultural engineers CJ Saunders (www.southwesthandling.co.uk) Both have been clients for many years and both kinds of work are gloriously challenging in their own way.
As well as doing upholstery, we can repair and restore any woodwork that needs attention, which means you can trust us completely with your antique chairs and sofas. And we have a comprehensive selection of fabrics. I have accounts with Linwood, Sanderson, Ross, Romo, Robert Allan, GP and J Baker, but I can usually supply most brands through my network of friends and their businesses. If you need help from a talented designer, Helen Riley of Palazzo is the woman to call, on 01271 373962. Helen and I have worked together on several projects. She has wonderful taste and the kind of creative flair that always results in a beautiful room.
I’m proud to say that some of my first clients still come to us for re-upholstery work, which gives me the opportunity to see that pieces I upholstered over 20 years ago really are standing the test of time. This shows that our approach of working up to a standard, rather than down to a price, ensures consistently high quality, and consequently the enduring strength of our customer base.
