Football Shirt Chair

Football Shirt Chair

Our customer wanted to present the football shirts he had collected over the 30 years working with world-class footballers. Rather than frame the shirts or keep them in boxes in the loft, his idea was to upholster a chair using the gifted and signed shirts. We now refer to this bespoke upholstered chair as the Football Shirt Chair.

We provided a traditional Parker Knoll-style chair, changed the legs, restored the internals and followed his exact instructions as to where each shirt should show. The chair was to tell a story of his professional life.

It will sit in Grant’s office at his new home in the Scottish highlands next to the picture window that looks onto a mountain. It will be a great talking point and a reflection piece of art for the proud owner.

Grant kindly outlined the story behind the Football Shirt Chair below:

I can’t tell you how delighted I am with the work you were able to do with the ‘football chair’ we designed. It will have a special place in our new home on the Isle of Arran when we move in the summer.
 
I have spent the last 32 years working in elite professional football & worked for The Football Association, Glasgow Rangers FC, Middlesbrough FC & Manchester City FC. I am a physiotherapist by profession & have worked for a number of years as a performance lead in professional football. I have collected many shirts from players, who are just ordinary people but special performers, who I have worked with over this time & I wanted to create a piece of ‘artwork’ that depicted my journey & the impact in a positive way they have had on me.
I now deliver leadership talks on my journey globally & I will reference the chair from what I learned on my journey & the lessons I learned from working with some great people. It also allows me time to look at it & reflect on key decisions moving forward inspired by the people I have worked with.
 
Grant Downie OBE
Consultant in medical & performance solutions
www.grantdownie.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/BJUpholsteryDarlington/videos/301684320487944/
Leather sofa with Linwood seat and back

Updating Leather Chair and Sofa using Linwood Fabric

A clever idea this; our customer has a wonderful set of leather chair and sofa. The seat and back cushions were remade in a beautiful Linwood weave fabric to transform a dated leather set to a modern contemporary and stylish sofa and chair.

 Linwood Fabric is a very high-quality fabric at a great cost. All our fabrics are first quality and always upholstery grade. These fabrics are superior to the mass-produced fabric used for retail outlets. Therefore when you upgrade and reupholster you are creating a top line piece of furniture that will last for a long time.

We made the new scatter cushions too – also in Linwood Fabric.

Leather chair with Linwood seat and back
Fireside Chairs-Linwood tartan

A Pair of Fireside Chairs

We are delighted to reupholster this pair of fireside chairs. Our customer selected a Linwood fabric in a tartan check.

Linwood is a high-quality fabric supplier we have worked with for 30 years. The line has proved very popular in the last 12 months as they are on-trend and good value for a high-end fabric. In fact, we have sold more Linwood fabric in 2018 than our past 30 years.

Fireside chairs originally designed to sit next to the fire – the wings to exclude draughts to your ears in old draughty houses.

Fireside Chairs
Fireside Chairs-Linwood tartan

You are not restricted to buy from the retail shops. We can create a bespoke chair, sofa, footstool etc. Furniture can be bespoke restored from old quality furniture, like this pair of chairs.

20's Drop Arm Sofa

1920’s Drop Arm Sofa

These were extremely popular in the early 1900’s, therefore, we see a lot of them. A sofa that can turn into a chaise long and an occasional bed. The arm has a substantial metal mechanism to ‘drop’ the arm.

The quality of build is extremely robust, I know this from experience as I have owned one for over twenty years.  Mine has moved house at least three times and has lived in the lounge, hall, bedroom, holiday cottage and now sits in the kitchen.  Kids have used it as a climbing frame and I sat on it last night – it’s in perfect condition.  A 100-year-old sofa – Truly amazing.

Howard Chair Blue Velvet

Howard Chair

Howard Chairs have the international reputation of being the ‘Rolls Royce of chairs. Established in 1820 as Howard & Sons, made in London to order they are built using traditional methods. The timeless design we have seen these chairs occasionally for 30 years.

Howard Chair Blue Velvet

This one we restored in blue velvet for our customer.

Artist chair by Ed Luz - back

Artist chair by Ed Luz

A lambing chair that we reupholstered for artist Ed Kluz.  Ed is a painter, illustrator, and printmaker.  He designed the fabric for this chair for an exhibition in The Scottish Gallery, Dundas Street, Edinburgh.  3rd – 27th October 2018.

Artist chair by Ed Luz

His work explores our relationship with the past through notions of English Romanticism. Read more about Ed.

Detail of quality of work

Reupholster and Restoration – Detail of the quality of work

Here are two occasional chairs we restored and reupholstered.

I’ve added nice close-up photographs to show the detailed quality of our work.

Detail of quality of work Detail of quality of work Detail of quality of work

I am often asked ‘what will it look like when it comes back’.  Our reupholstery service is not a second option to buying new. When we restore a chair or sofa etc we re-manufacture to the highest standard.  In some cases actually better than the original mass produced furniture or as close as we can when restoring ancient and antique furniture.  For example, we will use tacks and horse hair to match ancient reupholstery work.

Chair in Linwood Tweed

A Restored Circa 1972 Bridgecraft suite

Bridgecraft suite bought in 1972 rarely used only on special occasions. Fully refurbished in beautiful Linwood fabric. A complete transformation from the original dralon with ruching. We now have this modern woven fabric with simple piping and no fringe.

Sofa in Linwood Tweed

The 2 fireside chairs were fully restored in Linwood woolen tartan fabulous compliment to the suite.

Chair in Linwood Tweed

And a lovely touch child’s rocking chair long in the family covered in the tartan. Very cute and perfect for the new arrival when she grows into it.

Chair in Linwood Tartan

Very happy customers ??