Cerinthe Upholstery and Soft Furnishings

Cerinthe Upholstery and Soft Furnishings AMUSF-trained Upholsterer bringing new life to pre-loved pieces, with a passion for perfection.

This summerhouse is a cosy nook of an evening, too.Turn your favourite place into something special with bespoke box cus...
25/05/2026

This summerhouse is a cosy nook of an evening, too.

Turn your favourite place into something special with bespoke box cushions or scatter cushions.

25/05/2026

It's that time of year for Pimms and ice-cream...

Bolster cushions - any size, any colour, any style!
19/05/2026

Bolster cushions - any size, any colour, any style!

This set of 6 oak dining chairs were a wedding gift to my clients around 10 years ago, but they have spent a good many y...
04/05/2026

This set of 6 oak dining chairs were a wedding gift to my clients around 10 years ago, but they have spent a good many years in the loft, because the faux leather seat covering did not last very long. It's rather sad that such inferior fabric was used originally, because the wooden chair frames appear to be of good quality.

We thought a re-cover was all that was necessary, but when I stripped down the seats, the top layer of foam was badly stained and the layers of foam underneath, plus the MDF base, had spots of mould on them. All trace of the mould was removed with antibacterial wipes, and I also cleaned up the wooden frames to remove the sticky faux leather residue.

The seat pads were entirely replaced with new foam, protected with a layer of polyester wadding and covered with a layer of calico, before applying the top fabric and a bottoming cloth.

My customers chose a light grey "Barnacle" colourway from Camira's Quest range. This hopsack weave is made from recycled polyester incorporating SEAQUAL YARN(R), which apparently helps combat marine pollution. It is cleanable and bleachable, so should be a good choice for dining chairs!

Upholstery to happy music this afternoon!
03/05/2026

Upholstery to happy music this afternoon!

Joan entrusted me with re-upholstering a Parker Knoll Fireside Armchair (model 928-9, manufactured in the 1980's) inheri...
31/03/2026

Joan entrusted me with re-upholstering a Parker Knoll Fireside Armchair (model 928-9, manufactured in the 1980's) inherited from her mother-in-law, and the lid of an ottoman box to match.

She chose this lovely William Morris' Willow Bough print on cotton duck fabric, purchased from JUST FABRICS .

Both items were completely stripped back, and after cleaning the wood, the chair arms were rubbed down, stained back to a uniform colour, and oiled to seal the wood and reveal the grain. I think it was worth the extra time and effort - don't you?

The previous kapok cushion in the back of the chair was originally filled with real kapok (plant fibres). It was replaced with a new kapok cushion stuffed with a modern fire retardant filling, before recovering the inside and outside back of the chair with the top fabric.

The old foam cushion was compressed and had started to crumble, so I made a brand new cushion. Rather than covering the foam with the traditional polyester wadding and stockinette, then making a fire retardant calico cushion cover to go under the cotton fabric, I decided to experiment in making a single cover to tick all the boxes, using wool, which is soft, comfortable, breathable and naturally fire retardant, without the addition of any nasty chemicals. I stitched the wool layer onto the cushion by hand.

The top of the cushion cover was pattern matched to the inside back of the chair, and the front border pattern matched to the top of the cover (which was a bit challenging, because the front of the cushion was slightly curved!).

Finally, I tailored a new front platform - a slightly more complex shape than the former one, because I did not wish to nail it to the sides of the chair, as was done previously. Rather than trying to turn the fraying curved edges under, I sewed a facing on the back instead, then turned it through, pressed it and topstitched. After affixing the front platform to the front of the chair and feeding the spring back through the platform, a few discreet gimp pins were tapped in to secure the front platform tightly in position - then carefully painted to match the fabric! Can you spot them?

The ottoman lid was a simpler project, but I incorporated a new canvas-stiffened strap handle, and rather than glueing replacement braid around the sides, I secured a trim of piping, and then invisibly slip-stitched the top fabric onto it - which took rather longer than anticipated, as I had to neatly stitch in the tiny gathers on the front corners.

The chair and ottoman now have a new lease of life, ready to take up residence in Joan's guest bedroom.

Penny inherited this cosy chair from her Mum, and asked me to re-upholster it for her. She chose Black Watch Tartan, whi...
28/02/2026

Penny inherited this cosy chair from her Mum, and asked me to re-upholster it for her. She chose Black Watch Tartan, which reminded her of her Dad's favourite scarf.

First I removed the old cushions that were tied onto the slats of the back of the chair with ribbons. Then I cleaned up the woodwork, gave it a polish with Wood Silk (beeswax polish) to feed the wood and injected a little glue into the mortise slots that the back slats slotted into, to stop them rattling.

The original foam was crumbling apart with age, so had to be completely replaced. I templated the chair, then cut and glued layers of brand new foam of different densities to give a comfortable feel.

Then it was time to cut the fabric. Penny chose a quality, upholstery-weight pure wool tartan fabric, purchased from Scotch Tweed and manufactured by Lochcarron of Scotland. Wool is always warm to touch - and it's naturally fire retardant.

I centred the pattern on each side of the back cushion, matching the checks on every seam, then carefully pattern-matched the seat cushion so that the pattern flowed all the way down the chair. The new cushions have concealed zips at the bottom or back, and discrete velcro fixtures instead of ribbon ties.

Penny was really excited to see her revitalised chair, and kindly wrote:

"So pleased with the end result! Carolyn really brought to life my intention to celebrate my late parents by reupholstering my mother's favourite chair with my father's favourite fabric. Her attention to detail is her USP!"

01/02/2026

In my student days at Wells and White Bespoke Upholstery, creating my first armchair using traditional techniques.

Just because no-one will ever see it, doesn't mean I can't take a pride in my work.Every stitch, tack or staple...
21/12/2025

Just because no-one will ever see it, doesn't mean I can't take a pride in my work.

Every stitch, tack or staple...

At last, I’m ready to unveil this beauty!This chair was completed back in July as the final piece for my AMUSF Diploma, ...
09/11/2025

At last, I’m ready to unveil this beauty!

This chair was completed back in July as the final piece for my AMUSF Diploma, and was awarded a Distinction.

Since then, it has been on show in our hallway – but no-one has been allowed to sit on it! I could not bring myself to part with it immediately, but now I need to move on, because we need the space for my next piece…

The iconic-looking Egg chair was originally designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1960 for the SAS Royal Hotel at Copenhagen airport, and has been much sought-after ever since.

This Mid-Century chair has been stripped right back to its skeleton and fully re-upholstered using modern fire-retardant foam of different densities, to give supreme comfort. There was no head rest originally, but I added one to further enhance its voluptuous curves; the seat cushion was entirely re-made too.

The chair retains its classic period style, but using a super-soft Graphite-coloured Boucle fabric from Christina Marrone brings it right up to date – and it feels like being cuddled by a teddy!

The top fabric was accurately tailored for an exact fit. The seams were all machine-stitched together, and then topstitched either side of each seam for decoration. The final touches involved invisibly hand-stitching the platform cloth beneath the cushion and a panel underneath the chair, before re-fitting the 4-legged 360-degree swivel stand.

This is a statement retro piece that will create a feature anywhere – but also creates a cosy nook to curl up in with a good book.

This chair is now available. Price £699.

Address

Tenterden
TN30

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+441580766567

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