About

My name is Sarah and I am an upholsterer living and working in beautiful rural Herefordshire. My workshop is The Old Laundry of our 16th century home – a characterful, if rather cold, place to work, with many original features including the copper and stove that would have been used for washing all those years ago. I share it with the occasional bat and robin.

Before moving to Herefordshire I lived in London and specialised in fabric sourcing and garment production management within the world of men’s bespoke tailoring. This was a fascinating opportunity to learn about fabric and also respect for the skill and hours invested in traditional handcraft. Such garments are not only built to last the lifetime of the wearer but in a way that they can be altered and repaired as heirlooms for future generations.

Around this time my self-taught grandmother passed on her upholstery tools along with some of her lovely old chairs as I moved into my first home. The parallels between bespoke tailoring and traditional upholstery appealed, and led me to further explore my love of working with fabrics in a new creative field; in 2010 I joined the first of many upholstery evening classes. Our home has been a haven for unwanted furniture ever since, although with a strict one-in-one-out policy these days!

In 2017 I enrolled in a professional training course run by the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers. I completed the primary, secondary and final Diploma stage of this qualification over a 5 year period, with Distinction in each.

I launched my Upholstery workshop Settle shortly afterwards, and complete a select number of projects for private and commercial clients each year.