Here is a little insight into the process we go through when making our upholstery.
The first part of the process is the design and development of the wooden frame. Once the design is done and the wood cut, the frames are then “glued and screwed” together by hand and thoroughly tested.
In the next stage, the frame is then sprung and covered with webbing; this is followed by the application of the Hessian undercover.
The piece is now ready to be upholstered. This is done by hand using foam, fibre, Dacron or wool felt.
The final part in the process is the application of the specified customer fabric, which is usually wool or leather. This will have been pre-prepared, cut and stitched by our team of seamstresses.
Our process is labour intensive, but hugely satisfying. Yet, we are always exploring new developments in upholstery techniques. In 2009, we have invested a lot of energy in developing pieces that can be described as fully sustainable. Whilst our products are already fairly sound in terms of sustainability, our Director Sheridan Coakley explains where the problem lies. “Many of the foams used in upholstery are petro-chemical based, require a lot of energy to make, and have become more expensive in recent years, they are not really sustainable.” This concern has led us to employ a leading industry expert and lecturer on upholstery to help us research into new ways of making fully sustainable pieces.
The results of this research saw us develop new designs for SCP to launch at the Milan Furniture Fair in April 2009. Sheridan explains how, “there have always have been materials around for re-upholstery, like horsehair. There are now substitutes for that, which are made from by-products of the food industry. And you can buy it loose and in rubberized form. There are other wools and cottons that can be used as well. It is fairly difficult to do, but we are trying and now succeeding.”
Whilst we cherish the time-honoured methods used in our manufacturing process, we are also a modern company and are keenly aware of that it is as important to look to the future, as it is to look to the past.
