Greenham Makers

We do love this particular Ercol,the 248. We have done a few of these now and it seems to get harder to get the fabric right. I think it’s all subjective , we all believe our taste is good taste but of course I’m right.
We used this fabric for our customer and it was his choice and I really liked it and thought that it would work well on an Ercol. So here it is. The fabric is a lovely velvet by House of Hackney. It puts me in mind of looking at an impressionist painting without my specs on. It’s now on our website for sale.

An ironic restoration project in the workshop today, requested by my mum of a cup which I apparently broke in about 1979.

This to me is the perfect little chair that fits anywhere. Maybe that’s part of why I like it. The smaller the chairs the more likely we are to find a little nook for it. Another reason I like these little chairs is because I enjoy choosing the fabric for them. Quite often I will find beautiful antique and vintage fabrics but they tend to be small. So they are put in waiting for such chairs. This is an antique french weave. As red is one of my 3 favourite colours I’m bound to like it. I do think it makes the chair look even more rustic.
We as in Daryl is quite bamboozled by this chair. It’s ash and Daryl really likes the ball turned feet. It’s unusual in that you would expect it to have a rush seat but this always was upholstered . If anyone can put any light on it we would be very grateful.

A fairytale of Cotswold style ladder backs. The collection is growing but getting smaller. -chair

An arts and crafts ladder back chair made by Collinson and Lock in the late nineteenth century. This chair was originally designed with a rush seat seat for furnishing the Pinafore room at the Savoy hotel. It was later retailed commercially in a number of variations through outlets including Libertys. This chair made in walnut has an upholstered seat which we have covered in Glasgow rose velvet by Patch Roger’s and is on our website now.

An interesting Cotswold school style oak dining table and chairs set on our website at the moment. The table is easy to date to 1936 as it has the rare royal stamp of Edward V111 who only reigned for a short period in this year before abdicating before his coronation. The chairs are often attributed to being designed by Edward Barnsley for the coronation of Edward the 8th. It was certainly a design used by the government for various war departments for the next few decades and most of this set are stamped Air Ministry. I have always really liked these chairs and think they are well matched with this table.

I love a bobbin chair and this one is bobbintastic. The second photo shows its full splendour. The back is incredible, well I think so. I particularly like chairs that sit lightly in a space. By this I mean it has fine lines and isn’t a heavy lump like many modern chairs. With the open arms and tall legs you can see around and through the chair and the seating space is not compromised in this design.
I don’t know anything about the history of bobbin chairs but I find them a little whimsical. They remind me of an abacus. This one in particular from the back. I really do like curves and circles more than straight lines and sharp edges too. If I’m doodling I find I’m trying to draw perfect circles or curves. I find it so satisfying.
This is a nineteenth century oak bobbin chair. It is raised on its original Cope & Collinson castors. I made new buttons cushions for it using Linwood Omega Velvet which is a design inspired by antique rugs. We both like this fabric as it has an aged look which works well for antique chairs.
It is now for sale on our website.

This is an arts and crafts barrel tub chair. The fabric is Morris & Co Bachelors Button.
I have had this piece of fabric awaiting its chair for at least 5 years. I bought a Morris sample book from the 80’s and little by little I have used every sample. I now have only one left. This was one of my favourites but it has been hard to find the right seat for it. It will be a bit sad to see it go. I feel like I will need to vet the new owner to see if they appreciate it and promise to take care of it. Maybe I need to draw up contracts with each chair a bit like marriage vows.” Do you promise to love and cherish this chair from this day forward ect ect. It’s up for sale on our website so let’s see what happens.

I really enjoyed doing this chair for reasons obvious to any Upholsterer. It’s a lovely size to work on. I’ve recently worked on 2 sofas do this was a dream. Not only for this reason though as I really like neat armchairs. This one has very nice proportions and I like that it’s a size that could go in any room. It is Edwardian around 1910 and very nicely made. It has very nicely shaped arms too. Daryl and I have a real thing against modern chairs that have huge arms and backs but no extra seat. This is the opposite, it has a lovely slimness in the arms and back but retaining a good size seat.
The other thing I love about this sort of chair is I feel I can be creative with my choice of fabric. This is Ancient Canopy by Sanderson. Bringing the outside in.I love the idea of furnishings to reflect and mimic the outdoors. We do it more often than not. If we look around our homes it’s amazing how much of our indoor things are reflections of the outdoors. I would say my taste especially.
This chair is now available to buy on our website.

A very excited day for us. We have joined the Petworth Antiques market . We have always wondered what it would be like to have a space so our chairs could be seen in a shop setting. So here we go. I’m very excited thinking about what might happen next. I’m a great believer in giving things a go and taking a chance. We feel very fortunate that this has happened for us thanks to Andy the manager at Petworth Antiques. I do notice that there are people who will come along at the right time and help you along. My running coach Jenny is another one of these people. I think of these moments as the unexplained miracles of life.The magic moments. When things feel on track it really is a great feeling and I feel very very fortunate.

I do not know much about clocks but this one was by a retailer I was familiar with. We have had and restored many Shoolbred chairs before and we know them to be great quality Victorian London retailers. This is an 8 day chain fusee wall clock c1890 with the perfect amount of distress to the 10” dial. I have had it cleaned and serviced by a clock restorer I know and is for sell on our website. #

Our latest chair which has been waiting for its makeover for longer than I care to remember. It’s from around 1910, arts and craft style with a shield back. Its original fabric really suited the chair which sometimes makes it hard to see past that. It had upholstery nails originally just as I have replicated here. Daryl was very sure we should do this. I less so as it takes so long. Definitely makes the chair though. I’d bought this fabric a while ago and had been waiting for the right chair for it. We both instantly thought it worked here. I love it when that happens. So makeover complete and now for sale on our website .

A new addition for our dining table picked up this week. Designed in Italy in the 1950s this is a spinetto chair by chiavari and is recognised as the inspiration for Gio Pontis classic ultraleggera chair. Rather nicely our chair also once belonged to Mary Quant.

We do not usually put pieces of furniture together for sell but thought these really work well with each other and would look great in a hallway. Both have ebonised detailing and influences from gothic revival and the aesthetic movement . Upholstered in antique tulip velvet from Linwood.

An arts and crafts oak reclining chair which was picked up by its new owner this weekend. This chair has an interesting reclining mechanism pivoted on the arms and between the back and seat and running on rollers on the front rail. Although we had to renew the seat we managed to save the back cushion which had its original fabric when stripped back giving us enough information to pretty much restore the upholstery back to how it was designed. The slung back is almost like a cushioned deck chair and made for a very comfortable seat. Had to be Morris velvet really.

A Heals extendable oak dining table and set of four chairs. I believe this set to have been originally purchased together in the 1930s. All the set has the Heals ivorine label and is in great condition. You often hear the saying to buy what you like, the trouble is that you want to keep everything and we could easily have this set in our house. Reluctantly for sell on our website now.

The rain has just started here. That very fine rain that seems to get a good hold on you. It sits on you like a cloud. It makes you want steamy tea and a fire . And guess what we have the perfect chair for the very occasion. A rocking chair.
This is by William Birch around 1990. Arts and crafts and sold at Liberty’s of London. We have used a honeysuckle and Tulip velvet by Morris with it. The green and the dark wood we think works well.
I’m definitely much more into my dark wood at the moment. I think it has a drama about it. It also can look very striking with colourful fabric. I like this rocking chair because it’s neat. It isn’t imposing or a show off, it’s quiet and wholesome.
Of course every rocking chair needs the right person to sit on it. I do think to myself if I were wealthy and could give away our chairs I’d let people apply to own one and it would be like applying for a job. You would fill out an application and say why you think you are the best candidate. If you got through the rigorous first stage there would be an interview at your home so we could meet you and your home. A bit like adopting a pet. Then every Christmas a little photo and progress report. I think I’ve found my dream job. Daryl and I would deliver each chair ourselves in the fabulous camper van we would own .
So candidates for this rocking chair. I’m thinking someone who knits, enjoys period drama’s. The nice sort. And probably secretly wishes that Father Christmas was real and that fairies live in the bottom of the garden.
If you are that person it’s on our website and sorry it’s for sale.

A set of 4 Gothic revival chairs just upholstered and on our website. These chairs are influenced by Pugin but are somehow nicely understated with just two carvings on the top corners. The chairs are on their original cope and Collinson casters and we have reupholstered them in a fine quality antique green velvet.

A set of 4 aesthetic movement chairs we have just restored. This was a particularly difficult set to choose fabric for but I think we got it pretty good with this antique tulip velvet. The chairs are very good quality and I know that Gillows made very similar chairs in this period although these have no makers stamp. The chairs have very fine turnings and even though they are delicate in nature are remarkably strong and rigid. They are for sell on our website now.

A set of 6 cheerful dining chairs available from today. These chairs were designed by Curly Russell in 1954 for the Gordon Russell company. After his arts and crafts hand made early days as part of the Cotswold School, Gordon Russell embraced mechanised production and adopted an ethos of great design affordable for the masses. These are an early set with traditional upholstery over arched zigzag springs.

I really enjoyed doing this chair. These Ercol’s have become one of regulars it seems. Each one that we get we rethink the fabric. I’d used this particular fabric on a clients chair and fallen in love with it. My favourite colour is red, well,and green and orange so I thought I should like to use it at some point. I also love floral anything too.
We have a chair like this in our kitchen and it has its original floral fabric on and I love it. It’s beat up and cat scratched but it just looks so cosy and makes me feel all warm inside. I thought this red fabric would have the same appeal.
It’s definitely made for pots of tea and a nice book by the fire. Hot buttered toast maybe. Definitely.
It’s now on our website for sale. Doesn’t come with tea and toast. Sorry.

I absolutely love Sunday mornings. As a child I really hated them.I hated the quiet and the slowness of it. Exactly what I love now.
The day starts with tea in bed and I put the electric blanket on and radio 3. I spend the next hour day dreaming. I do feel that for me this is an absolute necessity. I do my best work in my head. I will plan and work out how to do things. I plan my day. I think about people. Whatever comes into my head. I’m so happy here and the heat is so relaxing.
I then go for a long swim. I don’t set myself any goals, just to have a swim however I like. Oddly I swim much more and better when my only goal is to no goals.
So I then come home and do more playing while listening to the archers. So far my playing has been putting fruits into bowls next to flowers. It may sound very boring but it’s anything but for me. It’s a time for me to get nice plates, bowls and vases out. Putting objects together is bliss. I could imagine having a shop full of beautiful China which daily I would switch around to creative little still life’s. I might not be too good at selling my favourite pieces though.
Play is so important to me and the older I get the more I see that I need it. Let’s face it life can be hard and too grown up . Too much responsibility and boring stuff to deal with and lots of worry so instead of feeling the pressure to grow up maybe we need pressure to be more like a child. 🍊

A pair of mid century chairs as you can see. The fabric is by Timorous Beasties. We believe it is a prototype of their Isobars pattern.
I don’t know if it’s my age but I loved the weather maps on tv from my youth. So,the arrows are to show wind direction.
I had this fabric before the chairs which is more unusual for us. Usually we get the chair then that determines the fabric. So it was a nice change to work the other way round. I spoke to Daryl and I told him what I was looking for and he came up with this pair. They are mid century, beech frames and just what I wanted. Clean lines, open armed and a nice warm tone. I wanted the fabric to be the star here. What I also enjoyed was creating chairs that were light hearted and fun. These make me smile. I like that they will sit lightly in a space. More of a float than a thud.
I would say one of the best things of my job is I get to work on such varied pieces. They each have their own character much like people in a way. These chairs are definitely the cool kids. They are confident, popular and light hearted. I think I would definitely be a Victorian chair. I won’t expand on that.
So these chairs got the full treatment. All of the upholstery is new and they are now for sale on our website if you think you are cool enough to own them.

One of a set of four ebonised and gilt dining chairs stripped back to their original fabric. I think they date from around 1880 although they are very regency in style. We love the slim turnings of these chairs. The challenge begins as always to now find suitable fabric to do these justice.

A bit of luxury today with this open arm roll top armchair.It has a particularly wide seat , ebonised legs and a beautiful olive green zoffany velvet.
I just realised that I got a green velvet jacket recently that must have been my inspiration when choosing this fabric. I hadn’t realised but it’s almost the identical colour. It also seems noticeable to me that my chooses do not reflect my life in the slightest. So much do on showing my friend the jacket she said I could always wear it around the house as a posh dressing gown.
The other inspiration for this chair was Margaret Rutherford, the great actress who I only remember being old. She was in a film called Blithe spirit with Rex Harrison. It was released in 1945 and I loved it as a child and ever since. So,Margaret Rutherford plays a clairvoyant and her house is another one of my dream houses. Anyway this chair I imagine she would sit in while looking into her Chrystal ball. It has that look about it,Very bohemian . For those of us without pets it is really lovely to stroke too. A very silky velvet. It’s been a really nice chair to work on as the weather has seemed so miserable. A bit of sparkle in life.

Autumnal influence at the workshops today with this pair of 1950s teak chairs. Commercially made, probably by one of the High Wycombe companies these chairs are heavily influenced by some of the Cotswold school designers we admire and we think they are really cool looking chairs. Upholstered in a French fabric designed by Bernard Nevill, who went on to become the head designer at Libertys in the 1960s. This pair will be on our site soon where we also have a set of 6 Shoolbred dining chairs upholstered in this fabric.

My new love is baking sourdough bread. As I’m writing this I can hear it crackling. I wish you could hear it. It’s alive.
It definitely is slow food. I started making it yesterday morning. For one day I go back to it over and over kneading and resting, kneading and resting until I put it to bed. Next morning I wake quite excited to see how it looks. Im hoping for bubbles of air under the surface. Today was a good day.
It eventually goes into the oven in a cast iron dish with a lid. So the very best bit is half way through cooking the lid comes off and I get to see how much it has risen and what shape it is. Believe me it’s very very exciting. Definitely a drum roll would be fitting here. Today I let Daryl share this moment but I don’t think he quite felt it as I did.
As a child,and for most of my life I lacked patience and stamina. I wanted things now and didn’t understand the concept of slow. I thought that if you weren’t good at something right away that was that. You might as well not bother. Now I can say that my greatest joys come from working hard to get better. I’m not naturally good at anything in particular but I can get better. I can enjoy my wins and learn from my failures. When I understand this it gave me a greater capacity to learn. The honesty of this means I can freely ask questions and not feel under pressure to feel that I have to pretend I’m something that I’m not.
Being average and trying your best is definitely not given the credit it should. 🍞

Even if I say so myself, which I rarely do I’m very pleased with this. It’s an Ercol 236. This model is quite Rare because it has curved front legs, dating it to the 1950’s.Daryl thinks of it as a flower because it’s arms and wings open like petals so he really wanted us to use this fabric. It’s Faria Flowers velvet by Liberty.
This is my favourite fabric by far. I could happily use this for everything. When I’m working with it I feel such joy. It puts me in a magic woodland where fairies live. It’s like a colourful garden in full bloom with the sun beating down on it. It just makes me warm inside. I defy anyone to not feel joy when they see it. And it’s velvet.
So what more can I say , I think you get the picture. I like it.
Now for sale on our website. 🍹

A lovely clean example of a Tabard Inn oak chair. This chair is generally accepted as being designed in the offices of Richard Norman Shaw for the furnishing of the Tabard Inn. The chair was then retailed by Morris and co and made by the William Birch company. This chair is available on our website now.

An interesting pair of dining chair sets in the workshop at the minute. The chair on the left is from a set of heals chairs from around 1930 in great condition with their original leather drop in seats. The chair on the right is very similar in design but from the forties produced in rationing after the war. This chair was designed by Gordon Russell who headed the design board for the utility range of furniture which was only available for newly weds or people whose houses were damaged during the war. The chair is made with much smaller cross sections of timber and is a mixture of beech, oak and teak. Two similar chairs which show an interesting social history.