Author: Helen

Upholstered Furniture – Cushion Interiors

Posted on by Helen

 

Buying a new sofa, chair or entire suite can be a big investment and is a purchase you will want to last. The choices are vast, so we’re sharing some tips on what makes a quality piece of upholstered furniture to help ensure you get more value from your purchase whether that be from a retailer or via an upholsterer.

Let’s look at the upholstered furniture fillings used inside a cushion. These are generally made from the three Fs – foam, fibre or feathers.

Foam is a popular choice because although it can be firm at first, it softens within a few weeks but maintains the ability to return to its original shape when you get up. In seat cushions, the foam is often wrapped in a wadding (Dacron) to reduce wear. Foam has a more structured shape compared to fibre & feather cushions.

Hill Upholstery & Design recommend Reflex foam, this is a well known superior foam made by Vitafoam, and is known for its instant recovery after use, and because it maintains its shape and resilience for many years.

Fibre and feather cushions are popular because they tend to be a lot softer than foam ones and have a pillowed look, but they do lose their shape easily and need daily plumping to restore them.

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Hampton Hill Theatre

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Yesterday was a delightful day for myself (Helen) and Scott as we had the pleasure of visiting the enchanting Hampton Hill theatre, accompanied by the lovely Harry Jacobs. Our journey took us back to the heartwarming memory of earlier this year when we undertook the meticulous task of refurbishing a total of 142 upholstered seats in this beloved theatre, which plays a huge part within the local community.

Walking through the theatre’s doors, we were met with a sense of accomplishment as Harry guided us to the seats that had been lovingly restored to their former glory. It was a heartening sight to see these seats back in their rightful place, each one a testament to our dedicated craftsmanship. As Harry led us on a mini behind-the-scenes tour, we felt a sense of reverence for the hidden intricacies that bring the magic of each performance to life.

There’s something truly magical about an empty theatre. As we looked around I could imagine the buzz of bustling actors and actresses, hurriedly preparing backstage, and the hum of excitement that fills the air as the seats gradually fill with an eager audience. In that moment, I felt the tension in my shoulders dissolve, replaced by a profound sense of contentment.

The restoration of the upholstered seats was a project executed with careful precision, completed in four distinct stages to ensure minimal disruption to the theatre’s operations. Our visit not only allowed us to witness the fruits of our labour but also served as a poignant reminder of the enduring allure of the performing arts and the pivotal role that community theatres like Hampton Hill play in weaving the fabric of togetherness and creativity.

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Cushion reupholstery

Posted on by Helen

When you pay a lot of money for your sofa and chairs, you expect them to last. However, we have had many customers come to us after spending large amounts of money on a sofa to find that 12 months down the line, they are no longer comfortable – or guaranteed! This is why our team at Hill Upholstery & Design spend time being asked to complete cushion reupholstery for people in Essex and London so that their expensive suite is back to the same quality they would expect – and with a much longer guarantee!

Are you unhappy with how your expensive sofa cushions are now looking? Contact Hill Upholstery & Design today to see how our team can bring your sofa and suite back to life!

You can see just some of the transformations we have completed on our cushion reupholstery case studies page.

Take a look at the video below where we reupholstered cushions from a leather sofa for one of our clients.

“OK, so here we have the cushion from lovely leather settee the settee is only a year old unfortunately the guarantee doesn’t guarantee the cushions – funny that – but inside this cushion – the lady has paid a lot of money for this settee – are springs which are a very poor quality and they seem to have collapsed making the cushion collapse, making it very uncomfortable, so we are going to replace that with reflex foam which has a 10 year guarantee on it. We have formed it to make it a nice shape and that will make her sit comfortably for at least 10 years.”

cushion reupholstery

Dining chair Reupholstery testimonial

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At Hill Upholstery & Design we complete dining chair reupholstery for many of our customers – usually when they have good quality chairs but the fabric is worn, dated or simply does not match the new decor in a room. Below is a video testimonial from one of our very satisfied clients who brought her dining chairs to us to be reupholstered:

“Just come in to pick my chairs up today and I am so pleased with them. They have done a fantastic job. Very pleased with the colour but also they did some work underneath the chairs as well which have improved when I sit on them. They have done a fantastic job and a very friendly company and I would recommend them and they have done them very quickly as well. So, very pleased, very happy customer. Bring all your reupholstery to Hills!”

If you would like Hill Upholstery & Design to look at your dining chair reupholstery, please contact the team today!

Dining Chair Reupholstery

Trainee Upholsterer Job Vacancy

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Trainee upholsterer London, Hill Upholstery & Design EssexAre you looking for a change in career? Do thrive on being creative? Hill Upholstery & Design are currently looking for a trainee upholsterer who wants to succeed in the upholstery industry to join their growing team!

Based in Fobbing, we undertake Essex upholstery work throughout the county and in the capital and we need the right person to come along and be responsible for assisting our upholsterers in creating beautiful furniture. Our team are accomplished at creating stunning sofa reupholstery, restaurant seating upholstery, contract upholstery, deep buttoned seating, headboards and much, much more and you will learn what it takes to create such remarkable furniture.

When you take on the role, you can be assured that you will be learning a trade from some of the best upholsterers in the country and will take on some of the many roles and duties in the workshop.

Hill Upholstery & Design believe that this is a fantastic opportunity for a trainee upholsterer to become a proficient upholsterer while working for a thriving, local company.

As part of the role, you will be expected to follow instructions, use our systems and be able to work within a team.

Sound like your kind of thing? Contact Hill Upholstery & Design today on 01375 361155 to find out more!

Custom Made Kitchen Bench

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Have you been searching and searching for the perfect bench for your kitchen? Are you struggling to find something that compliments your kitchen’s style and your family lifestyle? Then stop hunting and speak to Hill Upholstery & Design about a custom made kitchen bench!

With our use of the finest materials and cutting-edge equipment, we possess the skill to create personalised seating solutions for your kitchen. Think about a made-to-measure bench that seamlessly integrates into your kitchen, enhancing the look while delivering impeccable functionality. And that’s just the beginning – we can create bespoke seating for your kitchen in your choice of fabrics – of which we have many to choose from. With an array of choices at your fingertips, you can handpick the fabric that works flawlessly with your cosmopolitan style and adds an extra layer of charm to your kitchen’s vibe.

At Hill Upholstery & Design, we take immense pride in creating a custom made kitchen bench that resonates perfectly with the dynamic spirit of modern living. Stop your endless searching and embrace the prospect of a kitchen bench that mirrors your distinct taste. Join us on a collaborative journey, where your preferences converge with our expertise to conjure up an unparalleled masterpiece – a tailor-made kitchen bench that stands as a testament to your individuality and the beating heart of your home.

If you’re interested in discussing your kitchen seating, contact our team today!

Take a look at this video where we are just finishing off fitting a custom made kitchen bench with a fluted back for one of our clients in Westcliff, Essex.

Custom made kitchen bench

Deep buttoned headboard

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When it’s well made, a deep buttoned headboard looks stunning and can totally transform a bedroom, giving it the WOW factor you did not know was possible.

At Hill Upholstery & Design, we can reupholster your headboard or create you a new bespoke one to really complement your bedroom.

Take a look at the video below as a client’s deep buttoned headboard is finished off by one of our skilled team.

Contact our team today if you want to find out more about our headboard upholstery and reupholstery work.

Poorly made chair frame

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The team at Hill Upholstery & Design pride themselves on producing high quality furniture which will last our clients for many, many years. The quality is in everything we do and use, from the craftmanship, frames, tools and materials. A poorly made chair frame can make a huge difference to the longevity of a chair.

When we have a client ask us to reupholster a piece of furniture they had, we are sometimes shocked at the poorly made chair frames that are used in these sometimes expensive items.

Contact the team today to find out more about the reupholstery work we do, or take a look at the reupholstery work on our website.

Take a look at the video below where Hill Upholstery & Design’s Director Scott takes you through a poorly made chair frame.

Deep buttoned seating

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Deep buttoned seating can really transform a dining area and can make your restaurant go from great to incredible! People will always remember how something looks and how comfortable something is, so make sure they remember your seating for the right reasons!

Hill Upholstery can create bespoke seating for your home, restaurant or bar as well as reupholster your current seating to make it more modern or so it complements your new decor.

Contact our team to find out more today!

Take a look at some of the deep buttoned seating work we have completed on other restaurants on our case studies page.

Take a look at the video below to see one of the upholstered deep button seating projects we have completed.

Chouara Tannery visit

Posted on by Helen

At Hill Upholstery & Design, we use a wide variety of quality materials each day on all of our items to ensure the upholstery and re-upholstery work is the best quality it can be. We recently took a trip to Chouara Tannery, Morocco to see how leather is traditionally made!

The pictures below were taken in Chouara Tannery in Fez, which was built in the 11th Century and is the largest tannery in the city and a hugely popular tourist attraction.

The hides are still tanned using a mixture of cow’s urine, pigeon poo and lime and then they are dyed using natural colours – indigo for blue, poppies for red henna, for orange and saffron for the more expensive yellow.

We all agreed that the stench was incredible but worth it for the experience! It was great to see another side to the high quality materials that we use each and every day.

Take a look at some of our pictures below to see what happens during the tanning process!