We don’t mind this indecision as fashions change. We have a huge quantity of fabric in the workshop that is testament to this….we thought it would look great on a chair, only when we actually got round to do it, we had found a far more gorgeous fabric that would look even more perfect. The problem with this indecision, is that we just don’t have the capacity.

A few years ago we had a space in a vintage sales room and to keep our stock up to date and constantly turning round, we decided we needed to double our space in order to have somewhere to store items. We had already filled our own garages at home, half the workshop and our offsite storage facility so you could see our predicament. We took on another unit next to our workshop. Now these units are not tiny, around 75 square metres…each… Fast forward a few years and the constant pressure of making sure the shop front was kept current was too much to balance with other commitments. Basically we got fed up with spending every Friday night at the auction sourcing new stock….rock n roll. Alas, we said goodbye to our next door unit and had a massive clear out. Oh boy…if you have space, you easily fill it and it was a mammoth task….only we didn’t really clear it out….we crammed every piece we could into the workshop, home and off site storage.

Unfortunately, we are now in the process of having a further clear out and have some great chairs that need to go. If you are after an upholstery project or would like us to reupholster them in your choice of fabric then let us know.

Antique Elbow Chair

Pair of Art Deco Utility 1930s/40s Bentwood Banana Rocking Chairs

Excellent quality Victorian nursing chair

Victorian Library Chair

Antique Armchair

Edwardian Chaise Longue

Vintage Blue Button Back Tub Chair

Antique small Chair

We all come in different shapes and sizes and we may be wearing scruffy jeans and a dog haired covered fleece, we may drive an old car but then we work in a farm building with zero heat, no running water and a dirt track leading up to it, we don’t particularly want to get our decent clothes and car dirty. We can get a Chesterfield in the workhorse car, not so the expensive classic convertible sitting in the garage. We do have those posh outfits and handbags hiding in our closet…and that’s just Dave…Boom Boom.

This month though we tried our hardest to get an account, a trade account with a fabric supplier. Not a massive high street account, just an independent family run fabric house. Our client really loved their designs but they only wanted a small amount. Now we pestered this company but for whatever reason their sales rep didn’t even bother to pick up the phone. As Julia Roberts states in Pretty Woman. “Big Mistake”.

The bigger picture means that not only are we part of a collective of upholsterers but that means our client base isn’t just us, it’s all of us. We work with restorers, interior designers and not least of all, our clients. We also have friends and family and because of this, us and the people we know mix with celebrities, top sports people, winners of Wimbledon, leaders of business, Cheltenham cup winners, directors of media companies and even royalty. There really is only six degrees of separation in our world, if not less.

So if you are that independent fabric business, take a look at your sales rep as our client ending up buying the fabric on eBay and then give us a call…we’ve got a great Chesney Hawkes story.