A customer visited us last year enquiring about making them a pair of leather wing chairs. They had ordered a pair from a company, and they were very unhappy with the quality so had decided to send them back. We don’t make wing chairs, but we do make an Edwardian style armchair which suited their Victorian home. Their request wasn’t straight forward. They wanted a higher seat, no cushion and to be upholstered in leather. Mark was reluctant at first. It would mean redesigning the chair which would take time and upholstering them in leather costs more and takes longer.

This did not discourage them much to Marks surprise. After visiting Mark at the workshop and talking the whole thing through, we agreed to make them. The legs would need to be longer, the rails changed to tie the springs to, the springs 3” higher than we usually use and they would be firm. This is what they wanted which would help with mobility.

The fun then began. Mark stared making a prototype to figure out where the rails would go in comparison to the seat height. This took time. The front legs had to be higher, the back legs higher but ensuring the difference between the arm height and the back was the same distance to the normal chairs we make. Time consuming, head scratching and working out time had to be factored in. It’s not just as simple as using bigger timber. We had to order wider beech to make the back legs which all come out of one piece, as the 4” wasn’t wide enough to get the extra length. This took a while to arrive, and some had to be sent back due to inferior quality. We were beginning to wonder if someone was trying to tell us something. The ordering of the leather was the next thing. Pillar box red was required, and the leather company told me it was due in stock in a couple of days. Six weeks later it arrived. We were beginning to wonder if these chairs would ever arrive with the customer.

Individual close studding is the only way to finish leather. We don’t cheat and use stud strip, so 1500 brass studs later, they were finished.

The customers patience and understanding of the job Mark had said yes to was very much appreciated. They knew it wasn’t a simple job. This morning they were delivered, and I’m pleased to say they were delighted, and probably relieved that they had finally arrived. We were too.