Category Archives: Retro Furniture

Traditional wingback chair restored and updated with an ‘on-trend’ fabric.

We often talk with customers who want to update or change the fabric on a chair or sofa.

The hurdle often can be the price.  It costs more to reupholster say a Next Interiors or Laura Ashley chair than it does to buy a new one.  The great thing about the likes of Next Interiors or Laura Ashley is that they are ‘on-trend’ and the fabrics used are very lovely to look at.  The negative is that they are made to a price and probably mass produced in China or India – nothing wrong with that as it gives us a great deal – but they are made to a price and engineered to last just a few years with average use.

For value for money and a piece of furniture that will last much longer your better off buying an older quality chair and investing in a restoration of your design.

Here is an example of a fairly standard traditional wingback chair restored and updated with an ‘on-trend’ fabric.  Costs a bit more, take a little more time to instigate but made to your style using British craftsmen and quality fabrics.  There is no other like it!

Wingback chair

Parker Knoll Two Seater Sofa

So cute and great for modern homes this fully restored Parker Knoll sofa will look lovely in a bedroom or snug.

After two seater wingback sofa

See it on the bench during restoration.

A Fine example of an Ercol Chair.

This fine example of an Ercol Chair.

Always a pleasure to work with. Our customer chose a plaid shade to coordinate with the bentwood English elm, a perfect fresh look.

Ercol Chair

A little about Ercol

Since 1944 Ercol have was produced chairs with a bentwood frame and an arched back supporting delicate spindles. The wood selected was English elm – a wood previously thought impossible to bend because it distorted.

Retro Furniture Restoration | Retro chair

Really ‘on-trend’ Retro Furniture

Some chairs just have ‘IT’ and this sweet 1960’s easy chair I love.

Really neat so it fits in our modern homes. A delicate colour chosen by our customer in a beautiful to the touch wool mix by Linwood. Very fashionable at the moment, will always be a classic and very comfortable too.

The word retro signifies looking backward. When designers, manufacturers and customers speak about retro furniture, we are referring to a style of furniture that looks back with nostalgia and pays homage to styles that were popular in the past. Currently furniture designers are inspired by 60s and 70s – this one is the genuine item.

Retro Chair

Namely, retro furniture was popular in the decades of 1950s, 1960s, 1970s. Recently, the industry has added the 80s to the list, which personally I am shocked at. I love 1960’s like this chair but the 80s?