Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

December/January/February 2020-21

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What a uniquely strange and unprecedented year it has been.

From one which started in much the same as any other (though dominated by thoughts of Brexit), who could have guessed that we’d be pitched into a sci-fi-esque scenario that saw the nation pretty much grind to a halt in late March.

Since those early days of total lockdown, when many businesses simply shut up shop for a while, we’ve roller coastered our way through a year of dramatic change and confusion as restrictions were eased and later reimposed. As I write this article it is hard to know whether, as you receive this magazine, we’ll still be in the grip of the second lockdown or whether the government deems conditions have improved sufficiently to ease some of the restrictions. What we do know is that everyone is hoping against hope that the much promised vaccine will soon be available to set the world back on the path to normality.

In the meantime – and with the close of 2020 in sight – many of us will be reflecting on a tumultuous year that has turned many ‘givens’ in life onto their head and accelerated the pace of change.

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Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher Editor: Jan Turner, AKA PR T: 01756 795374 F: 01756 798789 E: editorial@upholsterers.co.uk Advertising Sales: 01732 441133 Published and Printed by Knockout Print Unit 2 The Coppice, Petteridge Lane, Matfield TN12 7LP Design & Production by Truprint Media, Margate

What has taken many of us by surprise is the pivot in consumer spending from holidays to home. Most families have not been able to take their usual summer breaks this year and also spent a lot of time in their homes. This has both heightened their awareness of what needs replacing and provided the ‘spare’ cash to buy it.

So another surprise ‘winner’ of the year has been the furnishings sector. With business in many retail furnishing stores over the Autumn said to be “like Christmas on steroids”, the astonishing spike in demand created havoc in the supply chain, causing both the British Furniture Makers and National Bed Federation to warn of material shortages, squeezing both furniture production and pricing in the lead up to Christmas (see page 8).

At the AMUSF AGM in October (see page 12 for full report) there was also some post-meeting discussion about the difficulties in obtaining essential supplies and materials. It’s something which chairman Jerry Appleyard has undertaken to look into by examining possible opportunities for group buying along the lines of the association’s successful fabric buying scheme.

No one expects that to provide an overnight solution for AMUSF upholsterers and soft furnishers but who knows what 2021 might bring. The year ahead is set to be a total unknown for which our greatest weapons will be hope and optimism.

I hope it proves a good one for you. Until the next time, stay safe, stay busy. And enjoy a Christmas that is as festive as you can make it…

JanTurner

Registered in England no. 07263132

Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher

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Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

Contents News

AMUSF Contacts

6&7

AMUSF News Update

8

Industry News Update

10

Ask FIRA

Features

Head Office

12

Special Report: AMUSF AGM

Association General Manager: Manjeet Upple E: manjeet.upple@upholsterers.co.uk

14 & 15

Picture Special: Never Say No!

16 & 17 MyDecozo

Office Manager: Susan Tyler E: admin@upholsterers.co.uk The Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers Ltd, Citibase, Swan House, White Hart Street, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP11 2HL Tel: 01494 854920 E: enquiries@upholsterers.co.uk Website: www.upholsterers.co.uk

18

Member Profile: Ryan Oliver

20 & 22

Feature: Dubai Delights

24

Social Standing: What’s Being ‘Aired and Shared’

26

In the Hotseat: Alex Munday

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5

AMUSF news roundup THE AMUSF HAS AN ALL-NEW WEBSITE!

Wendy with Senior Warden, Jackie Smith - right - and Junior Warden, Malcolm Hopkins and - left - Beadle, Roy Theobald

WENDY HAS HER DAY Wendy Shorter, the AMUSF’s director or training, has officially been installed as the 637th Master of the Worshipful Company of Upholders and only the third Lady Master in over 650 years.

The ceremony, which should originally have taken place on April 1 2020 but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, took place on Tuesday September 15.

Said Wendy, who also owns the Wendy Shorter Interiors upholstery and soft furnishings training centre: “Coronavirus interrupted everything for all of us, so my installation had to be postponed.

“Anthony Demby continued as Master until my own ceremony when I was installed at a very much pared down event than would normally happen. The COVID restrictions meant we were only able to meet in small groups without any formal dining. Therefore, the ceremony took place with just 19 court members and six guests: my daughter Louise, two of our friends, Susie and Malcolm Bay, two new Liveryman: Dennis Tate and his girlfriend Molly and Stefan Koschek, as well as Master Furniture Maker David Woodward.

“The ceremony was held at Saddler’s Hall in the City of London and, for the first time in our history, was also Zoomed to members of the Livery who were unable to attend in person.”

Wendy was installed by the Immediate Past Master, Anthony Demby and she in turn then installed Jackie Williams as Senior Warden and Malcolm Hopkins as Junior Warden.

Added Wendy: “My first task as Master was to clothe into the Livery, Lt. Dennis Tate RN, who my husband Steve and I had pleasure in proposing to the Company earlier in the year.

We first met Dennis last year on a visit to the Wendy Shorter with husband Steve Blake submarine base in Plymouth.

“As we were unable to dine at Saddler’s Hall due to the ‘rule of six’ COVID restrictions, we went to the Manicomio Restaurant in Gutter Lane. All in all, a very different installation, but one very much more personal to me!”.

6

Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

With more and more people now visiting our website, we’ve developed an exciting and up-to-date new site – www.AMUSF.org – offering a host of new features.

Said association manage Manjeet Upple: “We are hoping to have much more interaction from our members, particularly regarding the newsletter. The layout will be completely different, making it exciting to read and more visually appealing.

We’d love to showcase live videos of members and their work and perhaps feature any fascinating projects they may be working on.

“We also hope to give the magazine a greater online profile. Full members can now read the magazine on the website which we hope will, in turn, attract more subscribers. Our social media sites are also linked to the main website so members can see what’s happening from there, as well as on their phones.”

Search engine optimisation is another area being improved to ensure the site takes a more prominent ranking, ideally ensuring when someone puts ‘upholstery’ into their web browser, the AMUSF site comes at, or near, the top of their search.

But the biggest change is a new online payment system: students can now register and pay for their courses online.

Said Manjeet: “This is a real step forward for us as it will automatically update our database with each student’s details. It all adds up to a lot less paperwork for us at head office.”

Full members will also be able to pay online although the association plans to maintain its ‘personal touch’ by contacting everyone individually.

Also offering greater functionality is the page featuring the popular fabric buying scheme. In the past, this just carried a basic list of participating companies, but members can now narrow their searches to see which company sells what. They can also click on the name of each individual fabric company and be automatically linked through to its website.

Searching for members has also changed from a postcode only facility to one which can be done by town, postcode

AMUSF news roundup or name, making it easier and more flexible for users.

Said Manjeet: “We were also keen to ensure information about training centres is kept refreshed and up-to-date with links straight to their websites. Prospective students can also search for their closest centre rather than just see each centre’s location on a map.”

Finally, the association’s email addresses have changed to reflect the fact its members include soft furnishers as well as upholsterers. The core ‘@upholsterers’ part of the address has been changed to @AMUSF.

SNIPPETS • Although not an AMUSF member, it’s good to hear about businesses in our sector which have been investing in the future, despite a difficult year. South West Upholstery spent £65K refurbishing its showrooms during lockdown, re-opening its doors to the public in early September.

The company, which specialises in bespoke furniture upholstery and soft furnishings for domestic and commercial clients, remains a family business and is based on North Street, Southville.

• FOR SALE – and with a possible student project in mind – is this Edwardian chaise longue with turned legs and brass castors (with brown china wheels for sale), priced £275. For more information, contact Derek Caplen of Dee Cee Upholstery on 023 8055 5888.

KEEPING STANDARDS IN CHECK Darren Colvin, a regional technical design manager with Plumbs, has joined the AMUSF team of verifiers.

Darren, who has worked as an upholsterer since 1987, joins the association’s team of five other verifiers, ensuring the work of students meets expected standards at AMUSF approved training centres.

Based at Brixham in Devon, Darren spent 16 years at FIRA working with and training its network of technicians before joining Plumbs earlier this year. He now works with the company – which has been celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2020 – overseeing and supporting upholsterers and loose cover makers from Wales to Norfolk and all points south.

Said Darren: “Plumbs works with over 100 independent upholsterers around the country and my job is to help and support them and ensure there is a good flow of work to sustain their business.

The company has actually been incredibly busy since the first lockdown restrictions were eased, so we are always looking for more people to partner with. I spend a lot of time visiting upholsterers each week and the fact that I have spent many years in the trade myself means I have a good understanding of their business and what’s involved.

“I originally trained at the London College of Furniture and then worked as an upholsterer for Collards in Romford before setting up my own business doing upholstery and restoration work. I then joined FIRA as a technician and went on to train other upholsterers to do technician work, handle complaints and undertake repairs.

“I think that experience plus my technical knowledge and the work I now do with Plumbs is not dissimilar to the role of verifier which is essentially a quality control role, maintaining standards and offering advice and support.

“Its great to see the AMUSF training schools developing and bringing on our upholsterers and keeping the skills alive. There’s been

Darren Colvin

a real resurgence in upholstery in recent years after it dropped off during the early 2000s when people were more into ‘disposable’ furniture. Now, its good to see that people are once again becoming concerned about sustainability, enduring pieces and the skills involved.

“This has to be good for the upholstery sector, but my concern is that it is still difficult for businesses to access apprentices and this will remain so until there are more college courses available to facilitate their training.

“It makes the work of AMUSF training centres all the more important, although we do need to see those students go on to set up their own businesses in upholstery and loose cover making if we are to sustain the future of the craft.

“It means the role of our verifiers is incredibly important to ensuring the quality of their work and encouraging them. If our craft is to live on, these are the people who have the potential to take it forward.”

Darren can be reached at Dcolvin@plumbs.co.uk or on 07736 936879.

Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher

7

Industry roundup

FURNISHING SECTOR’S ROLLER COASTER 2020 As U&SF went to press, England was in the grip of a second lockdown after what has been an unprecedented year for everyone – and an extraordinary one for the furnishings sector.

After the original Spring lockdown when many businesses had no choice but to temporarily ‘shut up shop’, the year looked a lot more promising by October when a good proportion of furnishing retailers and manufacturers were hoping to meet their budgets by the end of the year. For despite many weeks of zero takings, a surprise surge in consumer spending over the late Summer/Autumn period saw orders pouring in – but quickly led to problems with supplies, lead times and deliveries.

Yet only weeks earlier, the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) had been so concerned about the return to trading post-lockdown, that it had announced a four week Autumn campaign to encourage sales. Its ‘Buy the Best, Buy British, Save Jobs’ campaign launched in furnishing stores nationwide from September 19 to October 18, aiming to make people aware of the jobs at stake and encouraging them to seek out British made goods.

It was an indication of how nervous the sector was feeling over the Summer.

But by early October, both the British Furniture Makers (BFM) and National Bed Federation (NBF) were warning of the sudden surge in sales causing supply shortages and putting a squeeze on furniture production and pricing.

While the BFM reported shortages of foam and particle board impacting the production of furniture in the run-up to Christmas, the NBF warned of disruptions to pre-Christmas deliveries. It said price rises were unavoidable as manufacturers faced increasing difficulties getting hold of raw materials. Spring units, foam and timber were among the components particularly affected.

BFM md, Nick Garratt, said: “The squeeze in supply in both the foam and particle boards markets has possibly been

8

exacerbated by a post-lockdown spike in demand for furniture.”

He said factories were being put on reduced allocations of foam block, so affecting production capacity in the critical pre-Christmas delivery period.

NBF executive director Jessica Alexander said the bed industry was experiencing the same problems: “The supply chain is under unprecedented pressure as demand outstrips the ability for factories to make products fast enough. Price rises and rationing are both becoming increasingly widespread and impacting large and small companies, high end and budget sectors alike.”

The AMUSF itself acknowledged similar challenges after the association’s AGM in October when there were discussions about the difficulties in obtaining essential supplies and materials. There were concerns that with so many members working as sole traders or small artisan-style businesses, there wasn’t the buying power to compete with larger businesses, leaving many ‘at the back of the queue’ when it comes to prioritising the distribution of limited goods.

It’s something which chairman Jerry Appleyard has undertaken to look into by examining possible opportunities for group buying along the lines of the association’s successful fabric buying scheme.

The shortages reported across the

Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

furnishings sector have been all the more frustrating given a level of trade which represented an extraordinary about turn in consumer spending.

In October, the NBF published the results of a snap poll conducted among its Retail Champions (retailers who stock at least 50% of beds made by NBF members) which suggested that eight out of 10 (80%) of those taking part were doing better than last year.

Said NBF marketing and membership manager Simon Williams: “After a devastating Spring when retailers were forced to shut up shop for the lockdown, the bounce back in sales has taken everyone by surprise. The furnishings sector as a whole has been an unexpected beneficiary of a pivot in spending from holidays to the home and it would appear that bed retailers are among those enjoying a boom that’s been described as ‘Christmas on steroids’.

“Most families have not been able to take their usual holidays this year and also spent a lot of time in their homes. This has both heightened their awareness of what needs replacing and provided the ‘spare’ cash to buy it.

How the latest lockdown in England will now effect trading remains to be seen with most industry watchers unwilling to forecast just where the COVID rollercoaster might take us next and what 2021 is likely to hold.

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Ask FIRA

ALL AT SEA

Steve Cotton, FIRA International’s technical specialist for flammability and physical upholstery, answers your flammability questions.

Q

I have started working within the marine industry and want to know what fire regulations I have to adhere to when upholstering the inside of boats?

A

Upholstered furniture in boats must comply with the IMO’s (International Maritime Organisation) Fire Test Procedures Code (FTP code). This is similar to the domestic and contract requirements and the tests are based on the old BS 5852 (Methods of test for assessment of the ignitability of upholstered seating by smouldering and flaming ignition sources) test methods.

However there are a number of differences and therefore materials that are compliant with the FTP Code must be used. There is a list of laboratories on the IMO website that are accredited to carry out this testing if needed.

FIRA International’s sister company, Warringtonfire, is able to carry out the testing of textiles and furniture according to IMO FTP Code, Resolution MSC.61(67), Annex 1 Part 7-9). For more details email info.warrington@warringtonfire.com

Q

I have furniture from the 1930’s that was passed down to me through my family. The sofa suite is really nice but very tired. Could you tell me what fire standards I need to adhere to if I want to get my sofa suite reupholstered?

A

As the furniture is pre 1950 then it is not covered by The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (FFFSR) and can be

10

re-upholstered in non-compliant period appropriate materials.

However, if versions of the materials are available which meet the requirements of the FFFSR then these must be used; or if re-upholstering with modern materials, these should all be compliant with the relevant Schedules from the FFFSR.

Q

I have a rented property that I have decided to furnish for the new occupiers. Can I use second-hand furniture and will it still comply with regulations? Also do curtains and cushions and other soft furnishings need to be fireproof?

A

All second hand furniture that was manufactured after 1950 is covered by The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (FFFSR) and therefore can only be sold if it is compliant and has the permanent label attached to it.

Curtains for domestic properties do not need to meet any flammability regulations -however cushions do fall under the FFFSR so would need to be compliant. Essentially any product that is upholstered, i.e. has an upholstery filling and cover material would be covered in some way by the FFFSR so would need to be compliant.

For further information email info@fira.co.uk

Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

TESTING PORTAL

FIRA International has launched a new portal to simplify testing.

The ‘E-TIC HUB’ is designed to give customers more control over their testing, allowing customers to: • Request quotes for all types of furniture testing with FIRA International • Accept quotes and arrange for samples to be booked in • Follow the progress of specific tests, with full visibility of where the sample is in the testing process, with 24/7 access to check progress and alerts as each testing stage begins / ends • Access and direct download of test reports • Instant messaging with the experts at FIRA International Howard James, testing and technical manager, at FIRA International said: “This is just the first phase launch for the hub. We’re already working hard behind the scenes on the next release which will include a full reporting suite with details on test times and results analysis, the opportunity to schedule tests direct to machines in advance and invoicing functionality via the hub.”

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Special Report

AGM ZOOMS IN

ON A DIFFICULT YEAR

Chairman Jerry Appleyard looked back over a year that had presented huge challenges - both personally and within business – but never-the-less saw the association make progress against key tasks on a number of fronts, as presented at the 2019 AGM. They included: • Membership numbers had increased, now standing at 782 (484 students / 80 associates / 218 members). Last year it was 629 with full membership at 237 (although this includes some students who would have naturally left at the end of term but are still on the books while they complete their courses. The association also anticipates a reduced number of students for the coming year). Some 16 members and eight associates had decided not to renew due to financial difficulties and/or retirement.

But there were 19 new members in various stages of verification and eight new associate members.

• There had been an increase in the number of students looking for places in the September 2019 intake. And two new training schools had come on board – Tony Karn in Bath and Joanna Heptinstall in Bristol.

• The association had continued to carry out random telephone questionnaires with companies that are not members to see what could be done to attract them.

• The AMUSF had moved offices at the beginning of the year to its new location in the centre of High Wycombe.

• The audited accounts showed trading to

12

be similar to previous years with finances to the start of March 2020 on track with expectations.

•A central database was being developed that would allow the association to track all students and members, considerably reducing the amount of paperwork involved. An online payment system for student fees was also expected to be live by early December 2020.

•B oard meetings were being moved out of London, taking place in Birmingham last January to coincide with the annual Furniture Show. Although curtailed since then, it was hoped this could be continued in 2021.

• The association had been reaching out to large corporations and developed a good working relationship with John Lewis.

In partnership with them, it is hoped to provide training to non-skilled workers in associated manufacturing businesses.

•G ood progress had been made with the AMUSF’s social media presence. A new communications toolkit was coming out in the near future, a national training meeting had been held and the scoring system for training schools had been revamped.

Peter Hubbard: Finance Director’s report Accounts to the year end of March 2020 showed that the AMU itself had a turnover of £109,000, down on the previous year, mainly due to a donation made to the association during the 2018-19 accounting period. However,

Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

U&SF reports on the AMUSF’s 73rd OGM/ AGM – livestreamed for the first time via Zoom. there was also a downturn in member subscriptions during 2019-20 of around £4.8K. Training income was up by around £3K, so overall the association was down by about £2,000 year on year.

In terms of members, numbers declined from around 237 full members last year to 226 in the last financial year.

Expenses also increased slightly due to wage increases but mainly because of the increased cost of office space after moving out of the Clare Centre. It means the overall loss for the year was £2,760. This is down on the previous year.

At FUSS, the fabric arm of the association, turnover for the year was £41,603 with fabric sales accounting for £29,842 – up £2,000 on the previous year and generating an overall profit of £2,383 for FUSS. The overall loss for the combined accounts was around £300 which was similar to the previous year.

Looking forward, the last set of monthly accounts showed the impact of the COVID pandemic which hit around the start of the new financial year. Current figures have been helped by members sticking with the association despite the difficulties – but numbers have come down which has impacted subscriptions.

So the position at the end of August meant the overall loss to date was about £5,000 compared to a loss of £7,000 at the same time last year. This year’s loss, however, is likely to be further impacted as the main training income for the association – which traditionally comes in during September and October – is likely to be affected by the delayed opening of many training centres and therefore nowhere near the income received in 2019. However, quarter four should see the benefits of the expected income from the new corporate partnership scheme with the John Lewis Partnership.

Director Appointments Wendy Shorter and Franco Marinelli were re-elected as board directors and Rik O’Hanlon-Smith was voted on to the board of directors.

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Feature

NEVER SAY NO!

Since it was formed in 1985 by three upholsterers from London’s once legendary Charles Hammonds, the Interior Workshops of London has established itself as a go-to place for bespoke commissions among some of London’s leading interior designers.

With a staff of 20 working on the two distinct soft furnishings and upholstery sides of the business, Interior Workshops deals with everything from strictly regulated historic pieces to the more hip ideas of contemporary homes designers, translating their ideas on paper into reality.

As co-owner Vincent Gruber (who oversees the upholstery side of the business while partner Alex Munday runs the soft furnishings arm) observes: “We’ve learnt to never say no! We’ve always prided ourselves on being able to interpret a drawing and turn it into a reality – no matter how challenging that might prove.

A lot of our success is down to our ability to realise an idea.”

And here’s a few examples of how they do it:

A pair of classic Lutyens designed Edwin Napoleon armchairs. Traditionally upholstered in horsehair fabric with hand sprung seats.

Contemporary curved sofa made to fit an acute angled wall. Manufactured in two separate pieces, assembled and finished on site to avoid showing any join. Hand sprung seat with a hidden recessed plinth to create a ‘floating’ illusion. Down and feather scatter cushions, contrast piped.

Pair of twin beds scalloped half testers finished contrast bound with matching side curtains and back cloth contrast bound to the leading edges and contrast lined.

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Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

Leather deep buttoned circular conversation piece in an apartment in Hampstead. Hand sprung seat.

Feature Fully dressed day bed with fabric walling, headboard, bed base valance, head and foot curtains, hard pelmet and quartered roof tester all finished with contrast binding.

Bespoke L-shape sofa and matching foot stool, float buttoned, and contrast piped with down and feather filled scatter cushions.

Fabric walling, with matching Turkish style sofa with woven cord finish and a Roman blind finished contrast bound. All made to pattern match. Flat top ottoman at the front finished with antique brass nails. Down and feather woolsack style scatter cushions.

Patterned blind finished fabric walling with curtains to match in a London town house.

Pleated silk tented ceiling with centre choux hand made from the same fabric.

Velvet fabric walling with a blind finish.

Velvet curtains with a wide braid inset from the edge and a cut fringe inserted to the hems. With a traditionally upholstered sprung seat and back smoker’s armchair, finished with inset cut fringe to the base of the skirt.

Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher

15

MyDecozo HELPFUL HINTS FROM

The UK’s largest soft furnishings forum looks at Roman blind variations.

Roman blinds are a popular choice as they fold neatly and use less fabric than gathered or pleated curtains. There are a number of variations that can be made to a ‘standard’ folded blind to alter its appearance.

Contrast bottom border To add interest, a fabric border in a contrast colour and/or design can be sewn on to the bottom of the blind. This can be a good way to add a small section of more expensive to a scheme and stay15:46 Fine qualityfabric Feathers_h:fqf 30/11/2016

flat section of fabric as a valance. This can be a simple lined ‘flap’ that folds over across the top edge or could be added in a contrast fabric. For extra definition, add a trim to the lower edge of the valance section or shape the bottom with a curve or point. within budget. By adjusting the fold calculations for the blind, you can also ensure a section of contrast is on display even when the blind is raised. You can also create tucks or pleats in the contrast section before adding it, which also introduces texture.

Contrast side borders or centre panel These also allow you to add a contrast colour or design to a blind. They can be useful to extend the size of a blind slightly when it is just over one width of fabric or tie a plain blind to a room theme which includes pattern.

Attached valance

To 1add interest to the top of a blind, attach a Page

Soft/relaxed Roman blind These are made like a standard Roman blind but do not have rods. You can still make tucks in the lining to attach the rings, or simply hand sew them to the back of the blind. They can be soft and delicate if made unlined from voile or a similar lightweight fabric with the usual number of folds and cord drops. To create a swag effect at the bottom section, angle the rings wider apart at the bottom 25%, and/or cut the bottom edge around 10cm wider. Then gently and evenly angle the sides into the finished width to create extra fullness.

Some makers prefer to use a rod near the bottom of the blind to stop it collapsing inwards and offer some support

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Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

MyDecozo to the bottom of the panel. This is fixed to the lining at the back of the blind, (positioned at the top of the angled section) and helps support the extra fullness.

Swagged This variation of a soft Roman blind has no rods and only uses two cord drops which gives a very relaxed style. For this reason, it is not suitable for heavy fabrics or wide blinds.

Cascade folds By altering the calculations for the rod spacing of your blind you can produce folds that create an even stepped effect when the blind is raised. This keeps the stacked folds flatter but does mean the raised blind is slightly deeper and will cover more of the window recess. The size of the fold areas of the blind increase by a set amount as you move down the blind panel, but it does not use more fabric than a standard fold blind.

The MyDecozo forum has a free to use

Soft fold blind . Pic courtesy of Sinclair's Soft Furnishings and Interiors

calculator which will work out standard and cascade folds for you once you know the dimensions of the finished blind: https://www.mydecozo.co.uk/Calculators Waterfall folds, aka a hobbled blind Another less common fold option is to create a hobbled effect by adding extra fabric to the length of the blind. These

Glover Bros hh_Layout 1 02/11/2012 10:56 Page 1

folds of fabric stay in place even when the blind is down.

During making, the excess fabric is added evenly to each fold section, and either stitched in place before assembling the blind, or drops of tape are stitched to each rod position down the back of the blind to hold the it at the correct drop and set the folds in place.

GLOvER BROS Suppliers to the Upholstery & Soft Furnishing Trades ESTABLISHED 1899 NEXT DAY DELIVERY NATIONWIDE Hundreds of upholstery and soft furnishing lines including foam, leather, trimmings and vinyl Fabrics supplied include Robert Allen, Ross, Wemyss, Jim Dickens & Rioma.

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Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher

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Member Profile

BRIGHT FUTURE

FORECAST Name of business Ryan Oliver Upholstery When established 2016 Owned by Ryan Oliver Location St Mary Bourne, Hampshire Speciality Traditional and

Modern Upholstery Number employed Sole Trader

How long have you been doing your job?

I started doing marine upholstery in 2007, then went into furniture in 2014.

How long did it take to really learn the skill?

The great thing with upholstery is you never really stop learning. There’s always room for improvement.

Do you consider yourself a craftsperson or tradesperson?

A mixture of the two.

What makes up the bulk of your work?

Mainly working with interior designers.

I also do work for some large furniture companies and the public.

What keeps you motivated?

The desire to continue building my business and provide excellent quality work and customer service.

What aspect of your work do you most enjoy?

The variety that comes with upholstery.

One day you’re doing a set of traditional dining chairs, the next an ottoman.

Professionally, what is your greatest frustration?

Two minute videos on how to become an upholsterer.

Tell us about the most challenging project you have ever undertaken.

I once reupholstered a doctor’s surgery and waiting room in 30 hours straight.

It was done over one weekend, so everything was ready for patients on the Monday morning.

When you talk to a fellow upholsterer/ soft furnisher, the talk always turns to...?

How busy we all are.

And the most unusual/bizarre/funny request you have ever dealt with?

Fortunately, I haven’t had many bizarre requests. But I’m still young, so there’s time yet!

What is the single most important piece of advice you would give to someone starting out in this business?

Dive right in and don’t look back.

What are the most pressing issues currently facing your business?

My most pressing issue is definitely time.

Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done.

How long have you been a member of the AMUSF and how important has this been to your business?

I have only recently joined the AMUSF. It was important to me to get approved as I feel it’s a real sign of quality.

Professionally, who or where do you turn to for advice/ a second opinion?

My previous employer. He did a lot for me and what he doesn’t know about upholstery isn’t worth knowing.

How do you keep your skills and techniques updated?

Practise makes perfect in my opinion.

Where do you see the future of the industry?

The future is bright in my opinion. In an ever increasing, machine manufactured world, I can’t see a machine doing what we do.

What has been your proudest professional moment?

Building up my business from scratch.

Also being accepted into the AMUSF. Contact details: T: 07711 010890 W: www.ryanoliverupholstery.co.uk E: ryanoliver.upholstery@yahoo.com

IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR BUSINESS TO BE FEATURED ON THE MEMBER PROFILE PAGE, CONTACT EDITOR JAN TURNER AT editorial@upholsterers.co.uk 18

Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

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Feature

DUBAI

DELIGHTS U&SF takes a look at some of the ultra-luxurious upholstery designs spotted on sale in Dubai.

With international travel severely curtailed by the COVID pandemic, let U&SF magazine whisk you briefly off to the delights of Dubai where the upholstery on sale (shortly before the world changed for us all) reflects the region’s love of all things sumptuous and extravagant.

From gold-finish, open framed sofa backs and gilt trim facings, to deep cushioning and generous pleating, there’s nothing understated about the designs on offer, as this little glimpse of a lifestyle shows….

Green sofa with gold mesh sides

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Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

Gold pleat feature sofas

Gold open frame sofa - back view

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Feature

Pleat surround sofa with gilt facings Deep button sofa - back detail

Cream sofa with gold metal front arms

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Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

Gold throne back sofa

AMU Full Page 297mm x 210mm.qxp_AMU_297mmx210mm_bleed 24/07/2019 16:53 Page 1

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Showroom & phone lines open 9.00am-5.00pm Monday to Saturday.

D E R

Digital World

SOCIAL

STANDING More fun initiatives, problems shared and thoughts aired as scoured from posts across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn Interesting how often social media is used as a source of help as well as to showcase a finished or stage-by-stage project. Here’s Rachelle Edwards asking for help to decide on which fabric to use on the Upholsterers Friendly Forum Facebook page this Autumn (October): Help!!! Please help me decide which fabric to put on this chair! I love them both and think they both work for different reasons but I’m really struggling to make a decision here ….so with your help I will go with the majority vote. Thanks.

And the winner was…..

Plastered across Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn during September was this cute piece of tongue-in-cheek social media marketing by Dee Cee Upholstery and Interiors. The message to customers was: “This is a photo of Rio (partners Derek and Karen Caplen’s King Charles spaniel) who has been with Dee Cee Upholstery and Interiors for eight-and-a-half years since he was a puppy. He is the company guard dog and on duty every day Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm and Saturday 9am-1pm. Rio will give you a warm welcome! Some of our customers even visit us with treats for him at our Portswood showroom where we have, on display, the latest designs from award winning, hand crafted, made-in-Britain, Celebrity Motion Furniture who specialise in top quality rise and recline mobility health care chairs. These will help you to access and get out of your chair safely – and with ease - helping you keep your independence .They are available in a huge range of top quality fabrics and soft but hard wearing leather. We also retail ordinary recliner / fixed sofas and chairs.” Nice one Derek!

posted by brunopaulinlopez (Tapissier. Upholsterer.

Tapicero. Tappezziere. Carbon Neutral Upholstery. Period Specific Upholstery).

The 141 Chairs of Edwin Skull (High Wycombe Circa 1863). The picture poster obviously went down a storm with several requests for a copy from fellow upholsterers at training centres and workshops.

Oxford School of Upholstery student Chris Binns attracted some rave comments (“beautiful chair”, “stunning fabric” etc) and lots of likes when she posted a picture of this gold fabric covered dining chair, seen on the @ amusf Instagram feed, which she had done for her level 1 upholstery. Well done Chris!

Get your business seen by over 15,000 people on our AMUSF social channels.

Promote your business for free to thousands of potential customers through AMUSF’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter channels.

Follow the links below to find AMUSF on social media and make sure you like our pages to stay up to date with all our latest news and events.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.amusf/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/THE_AMUSF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_amusf/ A regular schedule of content is published on the AMUSF’s social media platforms (Facebook: @the.amusf; Instagram: @the_amusf; Twitter:@THE_AMUSF) and members are encouraged to share their own posts and also include the hashtag #AMUSF so content can be repurposed for the association’s social media pages.

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Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

Cushion Supplier_WP.qxp:Layout 1 25/08/2020 14:58 Page 1

Tel: 01702 482510 Fax: 01702 826789 Email: info@cushionsupplier.co.uk Bespoke cushion manufacturers to the upholstery and allied trades Fillings: Reflex Foam

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100% Down

We are a family run business supplying cushion inners of all descriptions to the trade nationwide in all shapes and sizes.

Q&A

IN THE HOTSEAT... …With Alex Munday, Co-Owner, Interior Workshops How would you most like to be remembered?

As someone who always brings a smile to peoples’ faces. Funny, generous and of course, creative.

How would classmates at school have described you?

As a joker and total wind-up merchant.

But from a very young age, always someone they could depend on.

And the teachers?

As having a very vivid imagination, entertaining and creative. But a quiet assassin!

How did you get into this business?

A friend owned an upholstery shop and gave me a summer holiday job filling cushions. I had the imagination and creativity to push myself further into the job and ended up working there for two years. I then moved to a traditional upholsterers in London where I started a five year apprenticeship of traditional upholstery and soft furnishings.

What would you class as your greatest achievement?

My two boys. Seeing them mature into fine men and making me very proud in their own achievements. They are fulfilling dreams I wish I had the opportunity to.

Your greatest regret?

Not spending enough time with my boys when they were growing up.

Is your glass half empty or half full?

Half full because it’s always being topped up!

Who has been your greatest inspiration and why?

The wartime generation. They had to sacrifice a lot and what little they did have, they shared. Their resilience and ‘never give up’ attitude gave them the perseverance to see it through to the end.

26

Alex Munday - right - with partner Vincent Gruber opening their new workshop in 2019

When it comes to sport do you fall into the active or armchair camp? Football or rugby?

My head falls into the active camp, but my body says otherwise! Football as I grew up next door to the Arsenal grounds and always watched the fans go down on match days. My dad took me to my first game at the age of six.

Your perfect day?

Seeing the effort that the Interior Workshops team puts into a project; all going to plan and having a happy client!

Your desert island disc?

Christopher Cross, Sailing If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing?

I’d be James Bond.

What winds you up?

People who talk the talk but can’t walk the walk.

What gives you the greatest satisfaction?

When a client asks us to make something new, which others have said is impossible.

Then we create a piece of art!

Upholsterer & Soft Furnisher December/January/February 2020-21

Tell me a secret.

I once played pool with the Queen.

What’s the best thing about our industry?

Everything is different. No two days are the same. We’re always faced with new challenges.

And the worst?

Waiting for fabric.

What would you change?

The clock. It would be great to have a 36 hour day as 24 hours never seems to be enough …

Doer or talker?

In my head, I’m a doer. All day. My friends and family would say otherwise.

If you could do it all over again what would you do differently?

I’d stress less and not take things so personally. And start out by not being afraid of making mistakes.

Best piece of advice to someone starting out?

Always ask questions. There is never a silly question. And make time for yourself.

Receive exclusive offers and discounts with the JAM Loyalty Scheme At JA Milton, we passionately believe in rewarding our loyal customers, which is why we’ve introduced a new scheme to ensure that regular customers will get the best prices and offers from the JAM team.

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01691 624023

Furnital_USF_1219.qxp:Layout 1 27/11/2019 16:55 Page 1

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Established since 1984, Furnital Ltd have been supplying the trade with predominantly raw-unfinished chair frames ranging from the small independent local upholsterer, interior designers, architects and contract furnishers.

If you are looking for craftsmanship and quality coupled with good price then contact us immediately.

We offer an extensive range of raw un-finished dining chairs, carvers, armchairs, bar stools and tables and all the products are carefully selected and produced to the highest specifications, ensuring that you come to love them as much as we do!

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Tel: 01933 400084 e-mail: sales@furnital.com

Visit our website www.furnital.com