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The Story of Our F&P Furniture

26th February 2013

Our F&P Furniture offers a collection of unique, handcrafted designs that will fit seamlessly into your home. Handmade in England by the finest craftspeople, using carefully selected and, where possible, sustainably sourced materials, each piece can be customised to your personal tastes and style. Great care and attention is paid to each stage of the process to ensure you receive a beautiful item that’s unique to you. Let us take you behind the scenes to see how your visions are brought to life...

Humble beginnings

All our items of furniture start life as carefully selected pieces of hardwood. Marked out, and cut by a woodwork team that sits a stones throw from the workshop, this process is carried out by hand, using a  template to ensure there is as little waste as possible.

handmade wood furniture handmade wood furniture
handmade furniture handmade furniture

A Solid Structure

Once the pieces have been cut, they are jointed together to create the frame using glue, screws and dowels for maximum strength. The frame is then brought over to the workshop to begin its new life. The short journey means it arrives safely and with no carbon footprint.

The legs are attached (unless you’ve chosen an oak frame, in which case they are integral), and the wood is then stained according to your chosen finish.

Next, a multi-layered support system consisting of stiff metal struts, springs, and a strong mesh sheet is fitted into the base of the frame. Several different spring tensions are often used in our seats to ensure the highest level of support and comfort.

Coil sprung seats are traditionally finished with hair stuffed, hand stitched front edges to help prevent the front edge sagging and collapsing. Serpentine springs, which are flatter and firmer, are added to the back of the frame, to ensure good posture support. Coil springs are also sometimes used in the back.

Taking Shape

Webbing is then used to cover the sides and back of the frame, and then the shape is built up with layers of wadding. Traditional upholstery materials such as horse hair, felt and fibres are used to mould the arms and back of the item, to give a smooth long-lasting finish. This also helps to form the wonderful contours that give each design its unique character and shape.

The Fabric

Meanwhile, in another part of the workshop, your handpicked upholstery fabric is carefully measured and cut by hand. Whether you are looking for a luxury velvet, a printed linen or a stylish stripe, all our furniture pieces can be covered in any of our beautiful designs.  

Pattern Matching

Special attention is paid to pattern matching, which can transform a sofa or chair from simply looking good to having serious wow factor...

Once the fabric has been cut, it is then passed to the seamstress who will make all of the components, including piping, whether matching or contrast. The fabric may be lined for additional protection and then a layer of hardwearing hessian is attached to it, or fitted to the frame. This helps to protect the fabric and allows it to be pulled tight over the frame, and fastened securely in place.

Occasional ChairsOccasional Chairs
Custom Made Footstools Custom Made Footstools

Rebuild Service

As well as producing furniture from scratch, we offer a full reupholstery service, allowing you to have your own furniture recovered in any of our upholstery fabrics. Whether you have a well-loved piece you wish to give a new lease of life, a family heirloom that needs restoring, or a modern piece that you simply want re-covered to match a new colour scheme. Our knowledgeable team will work with you to find the perfect fabrics and finishes.

Adding Cushions

With the item of furniture taking shape, it’s time to add the cushioned seating. With a choice of the finest fillings, including duck feather and down, feather wrap, hollofibre and foam, each with individual qualities and offering different levels of support, softness and bounce, your cushions will be zipped and overlocked for a truly stunning finish.

handmade furniture for sale handmade furniture for sale

Quality Assured

The whole process takes six to eight weeks to complete, with quality checks taking place at each stage to ensure every last detail has been completed to the highest possible standard. Skilled craftsmen use traditional upholstery materials and many of their processes are unique to them, tried and tested over many years. 

If you are having several items made, the team will ensure that they are all upholstered by the same person to ensure uniformity. This is just one of the many features that set them apart from other furniture manufactures, and allows them to produce high-quality, stylish and comfortable items of furniture that will last you a lifetime. 

25 Year Guarantee

We’re so confident in the team’s expertise and dedication that we place a 25 year frame guarantee on all new pieces of F&P furniture so you can be assured you’re getting a quality item. Once finished, your furniture is carefully packaged and delivered to your door, free of charge for UK mainland customers, and placed in your home ready to be sat on, lounged on, or simply admired!

handmade chairs handmade chairs

★★★★★

The Quality is Amazing

"Very good consulting and service on great fabrics and furniture. The quality is amazing and the handling is easy and fast!"

★★★★★

Would Highly Recommend

"We ordered two gorgeous sofas which were delivered on time and look absolutely fabulous!"

★★★★★

My Favourite Piece in our House

"F&P were totally amazing!! They helped with design, fabric choice & ordering and couldn't have been better. Thank you so much - its the perfect place to sit by the fire!"

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