Polly Granville

Polly Granville www.pollygranville.com Directors: Polly Chetwynd Stapylton & Sandy Reay

lovingly restores and reinvents old pieces of furniture, using innovative detailing and beautiful fabrics we turn unusual frames into extraordinary pieces.

07/04/2026

Only Fabrics & Horses :) When you think of fabrics, do you think of horses? Neither do I.

Last week, Tom and I had such a wonderful time at in Castle Cary. Founded in 1837, this remarkable factory is one of the last places in the world still weaving horsehair fabric, using original looms and techniques passed down through the generations. Sadly we couldn't photograph inside as the looms are patented, but it was just extraordinary to see looms designed in the late 1800's that had the ability to pluck a single horsehair from a tail and weave it in the fabric. The warp is made of linen and the weft is the horsehair, meaning that the fabric can only be 54cm wide as that's the length of a tail. Truly we were all agog at the precision of such old machinery that hasn't needed to be updated in all these years.

The horsehair comes from all over the world and is turned into beautiful and incredibly durable textiles, used for upholstery, wall panelling, fashion and even handbags. Proper craft, proper heritage and a joy to see it up close. Tom has worked with them for some years now, helping them set up their stands at design shows.

I’d love to work with this fabric on a future project, it has the most incredible sheen to it and will uplift any piece of antique furniture, as long as it's small enough! If you’re curious to learn more about this stunning material, DM me.

Fabrics and projects
Handbags

Fancy a sofa like this?We really love this sofa by in Josef Frank fabric and can totally see it as an inspiration for t...
26/03/2026

Fancy a sofa like this?

We really love this sofa by in Josef Frank fabric and can totally see it as an inspiration for the sofa in the following images.

A friend asked us if we can salvage this gorgeous sofa. Can you share our vision for this original Victorian double drop-arm sofa, full of character and just waiting for the right home and a bit of care?

A 19th-century design of this sofa is known for its elegant symmetry and adjustable arms, created to shift between formal seating and a more relaxed lounging position. Its deep seat, scrolled arms and traditionally tufted back reflect the period’s focus on comfort, craftsmanship and grandeur.

It’s currently here in the studio and available as is  to collect for free, or we can upholster it to perfectly suit and uplift your space. Always happy to chat through fabrics and finishes to make it feel just right.

I’m sad to see it go, so if you, or someone you know, has been looking for a truly antique piece to bring a bit of presence into a room, this could be the one. Contact us.

Cover image is for reference only!

19/03/2026

A little look back at some of my favourite occasional chairs and stools we’ve had through the studio.

Playful, colourful, full of texture - each one completely different and made to suit its home and its owner. That’s always the joy of bespoke work, no two pieces ever quite the same.

So many lovely projects, wonderful clients and truly beautiful fabrics to work with along the way. I feel very lucky to be part of these little transformations, watching each chair find its place and bring a bit of character into a room.

Which one would you have at home?

05/03/2026

Behind the seam [sic] today… 8 metres of kitchen banquette coming to life!

This rather magnificent kitchen banquette has completely taken over the studio. Eight metres of it. When the client delivered the wooden structure, Tom got straight to work and the whole place quickly started looking like a very ambitious game of upholstery Tetris.

We are bringing you some atmosphere from our workshop today: fabrics being cut, foams carefully shaped, pieces sewn together, plenty of pulling and stapling, and then the final fine-tuning to get everything just right.

The banquette will come together in three sections, each one carefully built and upholstered before being transported and assembled on site.

It’s going to be wrapped in a soft dark rust-brown fabric, adding the perfect balance of warmth and depth to the space.

Projects like this are always a bit thrilling. Big scale, lots of fabric, and the satisfying moment when something enormous starts to take shape.

Stay with us for the reveal of the final banquette!

Often a sofa doesn’t need replacing. It just needs creative rethinking.The lovely Uns Hobbs .hobbs_interiors, came to us...
03/03/2026

Often a sofa doesn’t need replacing. It just needs creative rethinking.

The lovely Uns Hobbs .hobbs_interiors, came to us with a clear brief: her client’s sofa felt too modern, too clean-lined for the new direction of the apartment in Canada Water. It needed warmth, softness and a proper English cottage feel.

So she came up with a new design and after lots of chats we reimagined the shape of an existing sofa. Can it be done? Yes, it can.

A fully bespoke cover made from scratch, adding a box skirt and newly shaped arm caps, just made all the difference.

It completely transformed the style, feel and colour of the existing sofa. We used a washable linen in a rich pink tone and finished it with contrast piping to give it definition and charm.

Same bones, entirely new personality. Could you tell from the photos?

It’s one of my favourite kinds of projects. Nothing thrown away. Just a fresh perspective and a bit of upholstery magic.

I’m a bit curious – do you have a piece of furniture you’re tempted to get rid of simply because the style no longer fits your space or renovation project?

Interior design .hobbs_interiors
Photography .hearne
Upholstery
Fabric

First hint of spring projects at Polly Granville, and I’m pleased to report we are officially done with Christmas trees ...
24/02/2026

First hint of spring projects at Polly Granville, and I’m pleased to report we are officially done with Christmas trees in the feed until the end of the year hhh.

This cute banquette is part of a full house renovation for a wonderful client with fun, exuberant taste who curated the entire space, right down to the Matilda Goad blind mechanisms.

The kitchen and dining area are all about warmth and cosiness. Soft pinks and rust reds flow from the kitchen cabinets through to the dining nook. A pink chandelier hovering above, pink-toned artwork over the fireplace and that very cute little pouff on the other side, all sitting alongside the newly made entrance hall window, which gives the space a whole new layer of light.

The banquette, upholstered in Malabar cut velvet,  was created with a lovely arched shape so we decided to make the blinds relaxed rather than Roman so they would mimic the curves. The Ian Mankin ticking in gentle pink and white stripes layered with the gorgeous Thibaut cafe curtains make the whole space warm and inviting.

Any precious offcuts were turned into small matching cushions because it felt rude not to. A joyful project, bold choices and a dining spot that was made for friends hanging out and nattering whilst delicious suppers are rustled up.

 

Banquette fabric
Banquette frame
Relaxed blinds
Claremont Trellis

19/02/2026

How cute is this? The reveal of our handmade aprons is here, along with the entire behind-the-scenes.

From blank cloth to finished colourful aprons, screen printed by the Polly Granville team, Polly and Koni, using Christopher Farr patterns. We started with colour experiments, paint buckets and squeegees and finished with imperfect edges, plenty of laughter and just enough muscle to get everything right.

Seeing how designs come to life by hand was so inspiring. Thanks for opening your doors and showing us how the print fabrics we admire are made.

Watch the process and tell us what you think of our aprons.

12/02/2026

One of those exciting workshop days that even heavy rain cannot ruin. Today we swapped our Brixton studio for the Ivo Textiles factory in Southall, where fabric and paper prints come to life.

We were welcomed into their West London factory and it felt like heaven - we got to savour the new collection, a full tour, a hands-on workshop and the most delicious homemade lunch, shared with the loveliest hosts and some brilliant new interior designer friends.

Watching the process up close was genuinely inspiring. Long 50m print tables for their famous hand print fabrics and wallpapers: using flat screens, cylinder screens and a meticulous final inspection leading to occasional touchups with brush and paint. Their archive is so full of stories, we saw screens for many of the original designes including the iconic Michael Szell Carnival fabric and also some for Vivienne Westwood and Pam Hogg - so many legends have worked here!  It reminded me why I love recommending their upholstery fabrics to my clients - honestly made with so much passion, patience and craftspeople all coming together.

Best surprise - we screen printed our own aprons using Christopher Farr’s patterns. Imagine buckets of paint, squeegees and lots of laughter. A memory I’ll smile at every time I’m cooking my favourite dishes.  Watch out for our videos and final prints next week!

Huge thank you to Michal Silver [CEO], Nina [Design Director], Claire Keen [Sales Manager], Mr Podge [Head Printer] and the whole team at for your time, warmth and guidance.

27/01/2026

Back to the wonderful cottage in Suffolk, a house so carefully updated that you can enjoy the craftsmanship in every detail.

These sitting room curtains were a joy to see go up, we used the fantastic stitchwork - a really special and intricate fabric that the client loved straight away. As did we.

With the low ceilings we didn’t want the pattern running the full height and overwhelming the space, so we carefully cut the stitchwork down to use for both the pelmet and the bottom border. Teamed with a very fine herringbone through the centre, we got the best of both worlds.

This way, the curtains sit comfortably beneath the beautiful wooden beams, a considered collaboration between pattern, proportion and the structure already in place.

Would you have done anything differently? Curious to hear your thoughts.





We are fully switched on to spring optimism - despite whatever this weather is doing!London may still be clinging firmly...
20/01/2026

We are fully switched on to spring optimism - despite whatever this weather is doing!

London may still be clinging firmly to winter, but my clients are already thinking ahead. We're already on the third round of garden cushion orders, which feels both wildly optimistic and entirely sensible.

Outdoor cushions herald those morning coffees with a croissant, fresh juice on the table, the scent of garden flowers just starting to appear - these are the small moments we are preparing for.

Last year, our daybed cushion even made an appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show, which was a pinch me moment and feels like a very good omen.

Slide 1&2: Stripey sofa cushions for
Slide 3&4: Daybed Cushion for  
Slide 5: Stripey cushions we did for
Slide 6: Curved bench cushion with textured fabric
Slide 7: A taste of the myriad of colours you can choose from
Slide 8: Fabric just arrived for the next set!

Huge shout to for making fabrics that feel like a small act of rebellion against grey skies and low temperatures.

Are you thinking about getting your garden spring-ready? ☕️🌺🌞

 

These beloved pieces - the world-famous Mushroom armchair by Pierre Paulin from the 1960s - were always destined for som...
13/01/2026

These beloved pieces - the world-famous Mushroom armchair by Pierre Paulin from the 1960s - were always destined for something special. A design that feels just as relevant today as when it was first made, with its sculptural form and effortless comfort. The original idea was revolutionary: hide everything you don’t see, and let the shape speak for itself.

What an amazing collaboration we had with the interior designers on a myriad of projects around this house. They tried on various occasions to introduce these chairs, and I was desperate to do them! But each time they got rebuffed by the client, that is, until we gave them this huge glow up in a super luxurious Loro Piana Vicuña wool and cashmere blend. The blue is so rich it reminds me of Anish Kapoor's "Turning the world upside Down" - one of my favourite sculptures.

Beautifully upholstered by Jack.

It’s one of those armchairs that feels at home in any room, the kind you sink into without thinking.

Would you place yours in a corner to curl up in, or make it the central piece you see first thing when you walk in?

Happy 2026! This was one of the last installs of a truly crazy December, we ended up making our final delivery on Christ...
08/01/2026

Happy 2026!

 
This was one of the last installs of a truly crazy December, we ended up making our final delivery on Christmas Eve to a very grateful client. The whole team were nothing short of amazing pulling 7 day weeks and many late nights to accommodate all the last minute requests.

In this Marylebone house a lovely client had created a calm, considered scheme where quality fabrics quietly do the heavy lifting.

She originally wanted a beautifully textured plain weave for the sofa cushions, something forgiving with children and the most wonderful Argentian lurcher who fully owns the space! But then she changed her mind and decided to go soft, tactile and understated, asking me to match the frame of the sofa. It's one of those fabrics that looks simple until you spend far too long lining up samples and realise that white is never just white!  I went through myriads of samples narrowing down what felt like endless variations of pale white shades until I thought i couldn't be matched. then the very last one to come in was absolutely spot on! Thank you for your wonderful Pebble linen.

The blinds down in her guest suite dining area bring in something a little different. A sheer with irregular stripes and real character, subtle but not shy, adding depth without competing with the room. Light filters through it gently, changing throughout the day. Its the most beautifully crafted weave - Asama in Berry designed by Nendo, again for Christopher Farr. He has created a really beautiful collection of fabrics inspired by the ephemeral beauty and movement of rain

The whole house was so beautiful, huge Georgian proportions and it only needed the smallest additions to bring it all together - a project built on nuance, texture and patience.

And can we just have a tiny moment for that hallway - sigh!

Address

Arch 16, Valentia Place
London
SW98PJ

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

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