Upholstered (waterproof) swing on Llangadog Common

Bespoke swing upholstered with the rubber from a burst gym ball. By 'bespoke' I mean a piece of wood with a couple of holes in.

When my dad died a few years ago I took a very large spool of nylon rope from his garage and since then I've made a few basic swings in the woods with my daughter and her friends - it's the sort of thing that dads are supposed to do isn't it?

Anyway, here's a slightly posher version now available to swingers of all ages on Llangadog Common. And here's that kid enjoying it.

Ercol Old Colonial Suite in Bute tweed

A 1980's Ercol 'Old Colonial' suite reupholstered in 100% wool tweed from Bute fabrics.

We made a single bench seat for the two-seater and some bespoke 'fat feather' back cushions to replace the clumsy originals - the main idea being to expose the colonnade spindles.

Looks great from the back, innit.

Add two of these armchairs to go with it and you've got yourself a very stylish suite instead of the very dated one you had before.

Well, not actually you, but you know what I mean.

This was a commission.

1960's Armchairs

A pair of 1960's armchairs reupholstered in a linen-look cotton fabric.

Great angles on these chairs, particularly the sloped back.

The wood 'paws' on the arms came up really well and look for all the world like finely manicured nails.

I couldn't find a maker's mark on these which is a shame but they're definitely British and were definitely made on the 11th of October 1966. The stamp on the back rail proves this, I think, conclusively.

So these chairs got a brand new set of clothes for their 50th birthday, and who wouldn't want that?

This was a commission.

Bus Shelter Chair at Rhoscrowther

Chair now available to bus travellers at Rhoscrowther, Pembrokeshire.

To be quite honest I don't think the bus comes down here any more but the bus shelter is so nice looking I had to do something with it.

I decided to use one of my less successful 'inside-out' chairs (see here) as the fabric seemed to coincide nicely with the big white paint daub on the side of the bus shelter.

And why not eh?

Milking Stool in Welsh wool

Vintage Welsh wool fabric - very nice

£55

1960's Swivel Wingback Armchair in Melin Tregwynt wool

A 1960's wingback armchair with swivel-and-rock mechanism reupholstered in Melin Tregwynt Mondo Rose 100% wool fabric

This was looking pretty much ready for the dump in a green moquette and a sort of ginger-brown stain on the woodwork, but look at it now.

We sanded down the woodwork (thanks Sam my work experience boy) and reupholstered it in the iconic 'spots' fabric by Melin Tregwynt. This is the last of this particular colourway from them as this fabric design is being discontinued, so if you want a chair done in 'the spots' you better get in here quick - only Natural and Sage colourways still available. To be very honest I won't really miss lining up the pattern - this chair took ages to get right...

I will miss the fabric though, lovely stuff innit. But as we know 'change is good' and Melin Tregwynt are brave to discontinue something that has has become iconic for themT to quote Warhol, "They always say time changes things but you actually have to change them yourself".

Or something.

This was a commission.



This was a commission.

Bus Stop Chair on the B4319 near Merrion, Pembrokeshire

This chair now available for bus travellers heading up to St. Twynnell's, Pembs.

This bus stop is very close to the Castlemartin military firing range and about as close as I could get to leave this chair without causing a security alert.

You see I did the chair with soldiers in mind - it's covered in a applique tweed camouflage (French woodland pattern) I made from offcuts of British tweed from Melin Tregwynt, Bute and Camira fabrics.

I really have a thing for camouflage. It's slightly ironic as I am a confirmed pacifist and know of no situation where war is justified. It's a probably hiding thing - I love hiding, it's a great pastime, you should try it.

Anyway I also have a thing about toy soldiers as you probably already know. And where better to display some toy soldiers near the very place where soldiers come to 'play'. So there's some in the little draw on the side of the chair.

So if you're waiting for a bus or just being diverted from the coastal path because the firing range is active, you can have a little play with the soldiers, in fact, if they're firing you won't even need to do your own sound effects.

And why not eh?

Box Pouffe in Eleanor Pritchard fabric

A large box pouffe reupholstered in Eleanor Pritchard Heathfield fabric

I probably go on about it too much but this is just about the best fabric an upholsterer can work with. It's a doublecloth harking back to the Welsh tradition but woven in Scotland in the tightest weave you've ever seen.

Hand stitching it (above) almost gives a machine stitch finish. And above all it's just beautiful.

It's one thing to reupholster furniture in bright colours and prints and all that but another thing altogether to use this. There I've said it - use this.

This was a commission.

Parker Knoll wingback armchair in vintage Melin Tregwynt wool

A 1950's Parker Knoll 720 armchair reupholstered in vintage Melin Tegwynt 100% wool

This fabric was sold to me by someone who bought it from Melin Tregwynt 'sometime in the 1970's' and it certainly has the typical colours of yarn they use. But it's not like the fabrics they weave today - this is FLUFFY.

And you can't beat a fluffy armchair now can you? Really, really comfortable.

So come on woolen fabric manufacturers, let's have some new FLUFFY fabric.

This was a commission.

Milking Stools

Here's a few more of my milking stools that might take your fancy - all for sale.

Handmade ash stool in vintage Welsh wool - £50

Painted stool in Bute Ramshead fabric - £35

Handmade ash stool in Melin Tregwynt fabric - £50

All hand stitched to piped edge and, you know, total quality.

Call or email if you'd like one - details up there in the 'About' section

Child's Chair in Melin Tregwynt wool fabric

Late 19th Century child's chair reupholstered in Melin Tregwynt St.David's Cross 100% wool

This was originally a rush seat which I replaced with webbing and upholstery. Rush seating has tapered rails to cater for the double weave required at the corners. This makes the corners very difficult to anchor when upholstering so I used some upholstery buttons and secured them underneath.

I've never seen this before but I think it gives a smart finish and adds a little detail which can't be a bad thing eh?

Child's chairs make great gifts and I can often find a small offcut from another project to cover with, making it very inexpensive. Got a little chair in the loft? Then what are you waiting for?

This was a commission

Victorian Iron-back Chair in Pentwyn Tweed

A Victorian iron-back armchair reupholstered in a new colourway of Pentwyn tweed

I chose to shallow-button the back because deep-buttoning greatly distorts the plain pattern. Shallow buttoning 'pinches' the pattern without altering the line of the checks too much.

Nice eh?

This was a commission.

Parker Knoll armchair in Melin Tregwynt wool

A 1960's Parker Knoll armchair reupholstered in Melin Tregwynt Mondo Rose 100% wool fabric from Wales

Join the dots...

This was a commission

Edwardian wingback armchair in Bute tweed

Early 1900's wingback armchair reupholstered in 100% wool tweed by Bute Fabrics

 

One of the best fabrics on the market, turns a very ordinary armchair into something extraordinary every time. Total class.

This was a commission

Armchair in Melin Tregwynt wool fabric

A 1990's Laura Ashley armchair reupholstered in Melin Tregwynt semi-plain gold 100% wool.

And very nice too

This was a commission

French Bedroom Chair in Melin Tregwynt fabric

A reproduction French-style bedroom char reupholstered in Melin Tregwynt Mondo Rose fabric

Produced for French/Welsh townhouse Maison Galles in Cardiff - I reckon we nailed the French/Welsh  aesthetic here don't you?

This was a commission

Art Deco Armchair in Bute Tweed

A home-made mahogany Art Deco armchair reupholstered in Bute tweed

Another of those projects that I really don't want to give back, this is a real beauty. Lovingly made by hand in someone's home workshop and fifty or so years later is bought by my customer for a tenner at a house clearance auction.

Maybe it was a bit tatty, but really, who could give this away? Imagine this is left behind by your grandad and he made it with his own hands, would you sell it? No neither would I. I'd rather have this than any design classic, maybe it doesn't quite have the cohesive style of the work of Aalto or Panton, but it's unique. In fact I bet either of those gentlemen would have this in their own houses too.

Look at the legs, they're planks. Just planks. But the angles, look at the angles.

And look at the joints on the arm, and the angles... OK I'll stop gushing now.

The fabric ain't bad either is it?

You could go looking for one of these yourself, go trawling around the auctions and antique shops. But you won't find one.
 

This was a commission